The Spotlight Challenge: Fall 2026 — Official Rules

PRE-LAUNCH DRAFT — NOT FINAL. Legal review has not occurred. These draft rules are provided for event-planning information and are not legal advice. Spotlight Drive may revise them before registration opens.

1. Event and organizer

The Spotlight Challenge: Fall 2026 is a filmmaking event by Spotlight Drive. This first edition is focused on participants in the United States. Registration is intended to open Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time and closes October 12, 2026.

2. Eligibility and minors

Individuals and teams may enter. Phones and professional help are allowed, and there is no maximum team size. An entrant who is under 18 must identify that status during registration and provide verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian before the entry may participate or be showcased. Entrants are responsible for complying with child-performer, school, work-hour, location, and permit laws that apply where filming occurs.

3. Registration and fees

The fee is $29 per film. One purchase and one completed registration create one film entry. Multiple films are allowed, but each requires its own separate $29 registration and may receive a different challenge. Payment alone does not waive these Rules. Fees are generally non-refundable after the secret challenge is revealed. Exceptional circumstances may be reviewed by Spotlight Drive in its discretion.

4. Secret challenge assignment

After a qualifying paid order is verified, the system assigns exactly one random secret challenge from the active weekly pool. The assignment is locked to that Entry ID and cannot be rerolled by refreshing, revisiting, or registering the same purchase again. Pools may rotate weekly, but an existing entry keeps its original assignment.

5. Entry ID and deadlines

Each accepted film receives an Entry ID in the form SD26-XXXX and a private participant link. Entries registered through October 10, 2026 have a final deadline of October 15, 2026. Entries registered October 11–12, 2026 have a final deadline of October 20, 2026. The applicable deadline is calculated in Eastern Time from the verified registration date and shown in the private portal. Late submissions may be rejected.

6. New filming requirement

The film itself must be newly filmed after registration and prompt assignment. Lawfully owned or licensed existing characters, worlds, props, costumes, locations, company names, and music may be reused. Entrants must hold every permission, license, and clearance needed for their use.

7. Creative and technical requirements

• Any genre is permitted.
• Running time must be 4–20 minutes, excluding opening, title, and end credits.
• Landscape orientation is required.
• Minimum resolution is 720p.
• The film must be edited, complete, watchable, and have intelligible audio.
• A poster or cover image, synopsis, and structured credits are required.
• Dropbox is preferred for the final master. A trailer and behind-the-scenes materials are optional.

8. Safety and lawful content

Entrants must follow applicable law and use safe production practices. Content must not unlawfully infringe rights, exploit participants, contain non-consensual intimate material, depict real harm created for the event, or include illegal content. Spotlight Drive may reject content that presents a safety, rights, platform, or community risk.

9. Performers, locations, and releases

Entrants must obtain appropriate participant, appearance, location, property, and other permissions. Guardian permission is required wherever a participant is a minor. Spotlight Drive may request evidence before screening, judging, or promotion.

10. Music and third-party rights

All music and other third-party material must be original, public domain, used under an applicable legal exception, or properly licensed for the submitted film and the competition/showcase uses described here. A streaming subscription or personal download does not by itself grant synchronization or public-performance rights.

11. Generative AI

The submitted film must be substantially human-created. Any material use of generative AI in image, video, voice, music, writing, performance replacement, or other creative elements must be clearly disclosed at submission. AI use does not excuse infringement, impersonation, consent, or disclosure obligations.

12. Viewer advisories

Entrants must provide accurate Spotlight Drive viewer advisories for potentially sensitive content. These are event advisories and are not official Motion Picture Association ratings.

13. Submission and access

Submission occurs through the private participant workflow associated with the Entry ID. The Phase 2 upload form remains closed until enabled. Entrants must keep private links confidential and promptly report suspected unauthorized access.

14. Ownership and limited license

Entrants retain ownership of their films and underlying rights. By submitting, entrants grant Spotlight Drive only the non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free rights reasonably necessary to receive, review, judge, screen, archive, showcase, and promote the entry and the event, including use of the title, poster, synopsis, credits, stills, excerpts, trailer, and participant names as supplied. This license does not transfer ownership or authorize unrelated commercial exploitation of the film.

15. Judging preparation

The working rubric is Storytelling 25 points; Creativity & Originality 20; Acting/Performance 15; Direction 10; Cinematography 10; Editing 8; Sound & Music 7; Challenge Interpretation 5. Spotlight Drive expects to use three or more independent judges where possible, with conflict disclosure and recusal. The Spotted Rating will be normalized to 10. Viewer ratings use 1–5 stars. The working nominee-final weighting is 90% judges and 10% audience. Private constructive feedback is distinct from any public review. Unfinished awards or prizes are not promised by these Rules.

16. Withdrawal, refunds, and disqualification

Withdrawal before premiere may be requested and normally forfeits completion benefits. Fees are generally non-refundable after prompt reveal, although exceptional cases may be reviewed. Fraud, chargeback abuse, ineligible payment, unauthorized rights, missed deadlines, material misrepresentation, safety violations, or failure to obtain required consent may lead to rejection or disqualification.

17. Participant benefit record

Eligible credited participants who complete the applicable requirements may later receive one month free plus the next three months at 50% off. Eligibility is recorded with claim status not_generated. No redemption code is created or promised at registration, and final billing and eligibility terms will govern.

18. Privacy

Registration and participant records are private by default and handled under the Challenge Privacy Notice. Secret prompts and private links must not be shared publicly before or outside the permitted competition workflow.

19. Administration

Spotlight Drive may make good-faith decisions needed to protect fairness, safety, rights, and event operations; correct clerical or technical errors; and revise schedules when circumstances require. Material changes will be communicated through the participant workflow when practical.

20. Contact

Challenge questions should be directed to challenge@spotlightdrive.com once that mailbox is active. Until then, use the contact method provided on spotlightdrive.com.