News / My RØDE Reel Has Returned With Our Biggest Major Prize Ever – $250,000 In Cash!

My RØDE Reel Has Returned With Our Biggest Major Prize Ever - $250,000 in Cash!

Take a deep breath – our annual short film competition My RØDE Reel is back and it's bigger than ever.

This year we are giving away a staggering US$250,000 in cash to the major prize winner – the largest cash prize ever offered in a short film competition.

To go in the running to win this life-changing prize, all you need to do is submit a 3-minute short film to My RØDE Reel before Wednesday, October 20, 2021.

Entries are open now. Get going! 

WHAT IS MY RØDE REEL?

My RØDE Reel is the world's largest short film competition – an annual celebration of creativity that invites filmmakers and content creators to submit an original short film for the chance to win life-changing prizes.

Since 2014, more than 20,000 films have been submitted to My RØDE Reel from over 100 countries around the world, with RØDE awarding millions of dollars in cash and gear to entrants, helping to launch thousands of careers. For the 2021 edition of the competition, we're upping the ante once again with our biggest major prize to date.

“We are extremely excited to be giving away this massive $250,000 cash prize to the winner of My RØDE Reel,” says RØDE CEO Damien Wilson. “It’s our mission to empower creativity in every way we can, whether that’s through giving everyone access to the technology they need to capture incredible sound to match their vision, or opportunities to take the next step in their creative journey. My RØDE Reel is exactly that – a chance for literally any creator to win big and launch their career. If you’ve got an idea for a short film, we want to see it. Get filming!”

HOW TO ENTER

Entering My RØDE Reel is easy:
 

  • Head to myrodereel.com and log in or register for an account to access the starter pack.
     
  • Make a 3-minute short film. The brief is completely open – use the different categories to inspire the direction of your film.
     
  • Make a 3-minute behind-the-scenes (BTS) film.
     
  • Upload your short film and BTS film to YouTube, then submit them to myrodereel.com.
     
  • Share your film for a chance to win a People’s Choice Prize.

See the full details on how to enter here.

THE PRIZES

The winner of each My RØDE Reel category will win cash plus a prize pack loaded with gear from RØDE and My RØDE Reel sponsors Nanlite, Zhiyun, MZed, Musicbed, Adobe, Pelican, ARRI, DZOFIlm, and Insta360.

The winner of the major prize, the prestigious Judges’ Choice, will win US$250,000 plus a gear prize pack. The winners of the genre and special categories will win US$10,000 plus a gear prize pack. The two runners up of each category will also win a gear prize pack.

There are also eight cash prizes to be won in the Best Chinese Film category – US$20,000 for first place, US$10,000 for second place, US$10,000 for third place, and five US$1,000 'High Commended' prizes.

Click here for the full prize breakdown.

THE JUDGES

The My RØDE Reel major prize winner will be chosen by a panel of filmmaking heavyweights: Jess dela Merced, Ryan Connolly and Sunday Emerson Gullifer.

Jess dela Merced is an acclaimed writer and director from San Francisco. She has made a string of hugely successful short films including ‘HYPEBEASTS’, which she made under Spike Lee's mentorship, and ‘PHONY’, which was executive produced by Paul Feig and is now in development as a TV series.

Ryan Connolly is a filmmaker and internet personality best known for his educational YouTube channel Film Riot, which has gained over 1.8-million subscribers. He has also written and directed 16 short films, which have amassed over 10-million views. Currently, Ryan is working with 3Arts developing feature films.

Sunday Emerson Gullifer is an award-winning filmmaker from Sydney. Her work has screened at Telluride Film Festival, scored two Australian Directors’ Guild Award nominations, a Vimeo Staff Pick and a string of other industry accolades. In 2020, she was awarded a writing residency in Paris and development funding to write her debut feature film.

For the full details on how to enter, head to myrodereel.com. Entries close 10AM (AEDT/GMT+11), October 20, 2021.