2020 Competition Update
With a heavy heart, we must announce that Project Twenty1’s Competition has been canceled for 2020 due to safety concerns and funding challenges due to COVID-19. This was a decision made by not just the founders, but also the entire board of directors.
We still welcome creatives to share information and resources with one another. We’d love to see people share projects that they’ve created in the past, foster productive conversations about creativity, and come together virtually while we’re all apart. Please join us on Facebook to keep informed on our upcoming programs in 2020 and beyond.
2019 Competition: October 20-November 10
Think you can make a great short in 21 Days? We do, too.
Project Twenty1 challenges you to create an original short video, animation, or VR project in 21 Days. All projects must contain a secret element, Passage, chosen by this year’s host, Felicia Day (The Guild, MST3K). Participants from all over the world are invited to join. Project Twenty1 provides the motivation, deadline, and access to working entertainment industry judges, as well as unconventional screening opportunities. You just have to provide the short.
Top shorts will be judged by executives from Amazon Studios, A Better Tomorrow Films (John Woo’s production company), Atomic Cartoons (Hilda, The Last Kids on Earth), and more. Official Selections will be streamed online via Project Twenty1’s social channels. In addition, top projects will receive awards certificates, as well as move on to theatrical and broadcast exhibition consideration through our 2020 screening partners.
“If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”
– Wedge Wegman, Project Twenty1 Alumna
Your Project Must:
…be seven minutes or less.
…be created within the 21 days.
…include the Secret Element.
Additional Rules & Guidelines>>
Team Signup Walk-Through>>
Host a Project Twenty1 Launch in Your Town>>
Past Secret Elements
21 – LIGHT – KEY – BETWEEN THE LINES
START WITH A CRASH – JUMP – CELL – DISCONNECT
Awards
Best Short (Grand Prize)
Best Live-Action
Best Animation
Best V/R
Best Director
Best Acting
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Music
Online Audience Award
Best Marketing
EPIC Award*
2019 Host
Selecting Our Secret Element This Year:

Felicia Day
Actress, NYT Best-Selling Author, Producer, and New Media GeekFelicia Day is the creator, star, writer, and producer of the original web series, The Guild and the creator of funded Youtube Channel and production company Geek & Sundry. She is the author of the New York Times Best-Selling memoir You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) and Embrace Your Weird. She has played Vi in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Holly Marten in Eureka, and had a recurring role on Supernatural (CW) and The Magicians (SyFy). She also wrote and starred in Dragon Age: Redemption. She has also acted in movies such as Bring It On Again, as well as the Emmy-Award winning musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. She plays Kinga Forrester in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Netflix) and is currently is working on her own creative projects for television and the web.
Timeline
Day 0:
Today - Nov 9
Assemble your team & signup! Create a New Project on FilmFreeway.com. Title it (Your Team Name). Skip the project details – you’ll make that later! Just fill out the contact info and Submit it to Project Twenty1.
For the first time this year, Teams may still sign up DURING the 21 days!
Day 1:
Oct 20
Learn the Element! Join us online when we reveal the “Secret Element” you will be incorporating into your short. Then it’s off to the races!
Days 1-21:
Oct 20-Nov 10
Create! Make a short project that you’ve been dying to make forever. Comedy, horror, sci-fi, mob drama, it doesn’t matter! It can even be a book trailer, a proof-of-concept, a documentary about your latest immersive project. As long as it follows the requirements above.
Don’t forget to keep building your FilmFreeway page as you go, so when the deadline creeps up, all you have to do is push SUBMIT.
Day 21:
Nov 10
Upload your final file to your existing FilmFreeway page before the deadline!
2019 Judges
Click for bios of entertainment industry professionals evaluating the top Project Twenty1 projects. More judges TBA!

Mitchell Foster

Lori Tilkin deFelice

Kristin Cummings

Anthony Griffin

Shirley Clemens Griffin

Stephanie Yuhas
2019-2020 Screening Partners
Top films will be submitted to Project Twenty1 screening partners around the world, saving Project Twenty1 participants on entry fees and bringing your work to more audiences than any single festival could.
Do you run a festival, screening, venue, or broadcast, and want to be a Screening Partner with Project Twenty1? Contact us.
Since 2006, the following film festivals and screening partners have exhibited work and/or reviewed Project Twenty1 Films for screening consideration:
Alaska Film Festival
American Conservation Film Festival
Asbury Park Film Festival
Austin Underground Film Festival
Backseat Film Festival
Bare Bones SCRIPT-2-SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL
BENDFILM FESTIVAL
Big Bang Film Festival
BOSNIAN-HERZEGOVINIAN FILM FESTIVAL (BHFF)
Bronzeville Film Festival (part of Bronzeville Cultural Festival)
Cinema Undercover*
Comic Book Sunday
Connecticut Film Festival
Crossroads Film Festival
Crown Point Film Festival
Cupcake Bandit Film Festival
Delray Beach Film Festival
Estes Park Film Festival
Everett Women’s Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
Gloucester City Minifest
Holly Shorts
Hollywood Shorts
Indie Hall (Blame Drew’s Cancer)
International House Philadelphia: Independent Screen Series
M.A.L.I. WOMEN’S FILM & PERFORMANCE ARTS FESTIVAL
Media Arts Council (MAC) Film Festival
Marbar/Marathon Grill* (Shorts & Shots featured short series)
Member Movie Nights*
Movies on the Hill*
No Festival Required
Norristown Film Festival* (a part of the Norristown Arts Hill Annual Festival)*
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Philadelphia Filmathon*
Philadelphia Film Society/Philadelphia Film Festival (with Cinema Undercover Program)
Philadelphia Independent Film Festival
Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” Series
Slamdance Film Festival
SPE Women’s Film Festival
Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival
Terror Film Festival
Thriller! Chiller! International Film Festival
The Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival
The Bridge Cinemadelux, Philadelphia (Content Screened 24/7 in lobby 2006-2009 before closing of venue)
Thriller! Chiller!
Zombie Love Film Festival
*Festival, program, or screening series administered by or sponsored by Project Twenty1
2019 Participating Teams
Check back as this list is being updated regularly. Signups are open until Nov. 10th. (Discounted) Regular Signups end October 19th!
Team Sickening Belfy – Wedge Wegman
To: Many Cooks – Bryan Donoghue
Rusty Eveland – Rusty Eveland
Team Philagape – Chris Pierdomenico
Team Malicious Intent – Shannon Hall
Green Tater Productions – Ryan Crowley-Hughes
Rebel Pictures – Michael McCallum
Smarticle Productions – Andrea Hays
Justice Productions – Doug Seidel
Sadbomb Productions – Tyson Lenz
Frog Feet Films – Bryce Hallett
Drop the HAT – Jason Heffner
Ocelot InstaShort – Jessica Day
Team Omnibus – Mike Mercadante
V-Neck Hoodie Productions – Erik Schoenecker
Mad Matt Flix – Matthew Judkins
Wish My Ego Well – Hannah McDonnell
Legendary Studios – Armik Pabla
Tiny Rhino Productions – Marlene Free
I AM – Tarun Sardana
AKLE Productions – Alissa Chavez
Team Kungfudork Studios – Dieter Wagner
Bad Apple Productions – Mike Raisch
ShoChu Cat – Men Wai Peng
Yellowberri – Derrick Hunt
Magic Broom Productions – Rosie Divine
Serendipitous7 – Tara Smith
Team Turtle Power – Matthew Sundell
Team Platinum – Chris Casaburi
The Lawnmower – Tanner Menghini
Working Title – Liv Baker
Dave’s PTSD – Goren Henry
Team Shadow – Landen Belardes
The Dead Clown – James Hayden
Slumber – Jaan Larkin
Transcendence – Bianca C.P.