--- title: Film Challenge Rules & regulations description: Everything you need to know before entering the Akool Film Challenge, including official rules, eligibility, submission guidelines, judging criteria, and prizes. --- ![AKOOL](https://info.akool.com/hubfs/akool-logo-1.svg) AKOOL AI FILM CHALLENGE # Official rules & eligibility Thank you for participating in the **AKOOL AI Film Challenge**. Your challenge: ### Choose your category. One Challenge. Three Ways To Enter. Any genre. Any world. Any story. Use AKOOL to bring an original movie idea to life—and show us a film we wish we could actually watch. Please review the Official Rules before submitting your entry. [Timeline](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#timeline)[Eligibility](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#eligibility)[How to enter](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#how-to-enter)[Requirements](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#requirements)[Judging](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#judging)[Awards](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#awards)[Creator rights](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#rights)[General terms](https://info.akool.com/film-challenge-rules-regulations#terms) ## Contest timeline Contest Launch ### September 15, 2026 Submission Deadline ### December 20, 2026 Winner Announcement ### January 15, 2027 AKOOL may feature standout submissions and creators throughout the challenge before finalists and winners are selected. ## Eligibility To enter, you must: - Be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your country or region. - Have a valid AKOOL account. - Be eligible to participate under your local laws. - Comply with these Official Rules. Employees, contractors, judges, and immediate family members of AKOOL are not eligible to win. **No purchase is necessary to enter.** ## How to enter To enter the challenge: 1. **Choose your submission category and create a 30+ second entry.** 2. **Use AKOOL meaningfully in the creation of your trailer.** Other creative tools may be part of your workflow, but AKOOL must play a meaningful role in the final creation. 3. **Publish your completed trailer publicly** on at least one eligible platform: - YouTube - TikTok - Instagram For Instagram and YouTube posts, we suggest sending the collaboration invite to our company account Include all three official challenge hashtags: **#AKOOLClash   #AKOOLFilmChallenge   #AIVideo   #AIFilm** Tag **@AKOOL** where supported. The AKOOL logo **MUST BE** prominently **displayed at the top of the video. Please find it** [here.](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VVfd_X9xVwi5nce6U-Bsvd4uAp1XqGG7?usp=sharing) **Complete the official submission form**, including a working link to your published trailer and information about how you used AKOOL. Submit your entry before the official deadline. ## $100 Creator bonus Only premium Akool accounts will receive the $100 bonus. Each account is limited to 1 creator bonus. Paid creators (sponsored influencers) are not eligible to receive the Creator Bonus. However, they may still participate in the contest and remain eligible for the final grand prizes. Qualifying submissions will automatically be entered into the applicable prize categories. However, all submitted videos that meet the contest requirements will still be entered into the relevant prize categories and remain eligible to win the final grand prizes. Entries containing missing, inaccurate, inaccessible, or improperly formatted information may be deemed ineligible. ## The challenge ### Make a trailer for a movie that doesn't exist. What movie have you always wanted to see? Maybe it's a sci-fi epic set 500 years from now. A psychological thriller. A strange romance. A horror film nobody would dare make. A lost 1980s action movie. An impossible fantasy world. Or something that doesn't fit into any genre at all. **COMING NEVER is your chance to make it exist—at least for 30–90 seconds.** We're not simply looking for impressive AI-generated visuals. We're looking for an idea. A world. A story. And a trailer that ends with us thinking: ### “I'd watch that.” ## Submission requirements Your submission must: - Be longer than 30 seconds. - Be your own original creative work. - Feature an original fictional movie concept. - Use AKOOL meaningfully as part of the creative process. - Be publicly viewable for the duration of the challenge. - Be a completed trailer, not a test, demo, or placeholder render. - Comply with applicable laws and the policies of the platform where it is published. - Not infringe copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, privacy rights, or other third-party rights. - Not contain illegal, hateful, explicit, deceptive, or otherwise prohibited content. - Includes the AKOOL logo prominently displayed at the top of the video. Please find it [here.](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VVfd_X9xVwi5nce6U-Bsvd4uAp1XqGG7?usp=sharing) Other AI and creative tools **may be used** as part of your production workflow. AKOOL may request additional information about how AKOOL was used in the creation of an entry. Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary rights or permissions for music, footage, images, voices, likenesses, characters, trademarks, or other third-party material included in their submission. ## What are we looking for? Every eligible submission will be judged using the following criteria: ### 30% — Story **Does it pull us in and make us want to know what happens next?** A great trailer gives us enough of a story to become invested without giving everything away. ### 20% — Originality **Show us a movie we haven't seen before.** We're looking for fresh ideas, unexpected worlds, interesting characters, and creative concepts. ### 20% — Creative execution **Strong ideas deserve strong execution.** We'll consider visual quality, editing, pacing, sound, atmosphere, and overall craft. ### 15% — Use of AKOOL **Show us how AKOOL helped bring your idea to life.** We're looking for thoughtful, meaningful use of AKOOL as part of your creative process—not simply the number of AKOOL features used. ### 15% — The “I'd watch that” factor **When it ends, do we wish this movie actually existed?** Sometimes a trailer simply leaves you wanting more. That's what we're looking for. Judges' decisions are final. ## Awards ### Up to $500,000 in total awards AKOOL team will recognize standout filmmakers and their work across multiple award categories. ### Grand Prize **$50,000** Includes: - Cash Award - AKOOL Membership / Credits - Official AKOOL Creator Recognition - Featured Filmmaker Spotlight - Featured Case Study ### Best Story $25,000 ### Most Original $15,000 ### Best Creative Execution $2,500 ### Audience Favorite $2,500 ### AKOOL Picks (8 winners) $2,500 Additional standout filmmakers may be selected as **AKOOL Picks** and receive cash awards, AKOOL credits, memberships, promotional support, or other recognition as specified in the final prize structure. The complete prize structure and approximate retail value of non-cash prizes will be published as part of the final contest terms. ## Featured creators & finalists You don't have to win the Grand Prize to get noticed. Throughout COMING NEVER, AKOOL may feature standout trailers and filmmakers across its social channels, website, community, newsletters, marketing, and other promotional channels. AKOOL may also announce **featured creators, semifinalists, finalists, Audience Favorites, or other selections** during the challenge. Being featured does not guarantee advancement or a prize unless explicitly stated. ## Multiple entries Creators may submit more than one eligible trailer, provided each submission represents a **distinct original movie concept** and independently satisfies all contest requirements. **Only one primary prize-winning entry may be awarded per creator.** AKOOL may recognize additional work from the same creator through features or non-prize recognition. ## Creator rights ### You retain ownership of your work. By entering COMING NEVER, you grant AKOOL a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to feature, display, reproduce, distribute, publish, and promote your submitted content in connection with the challenge and AKOOL's marketing and promotional activities. This may include use across: - AKOOL's website and product - Social media - Digital advertising - Newsletters - Press and PR - Presentations - Events and screenings - Creator showcases - Case studies - Future promotional materials related to AKOOL and the challenge AKOOL may resize, crop, excerpt, caption, or otherwise make reasonable formatting edits necessary to present submitted content across different channels, without materially altering the underlying creative work. AKOOL will provide creator attribution whenever reasonably possible. By submitting an entry, you represent that you own or control the rights necessary to submit the work and grant these permissions. ## Use of AI & third-party tools AI-generated content is permitted and encouraged. Creators may use AKOOL alongside other AI, editing, audio, design, or production tools. However, **AKOOL must be meaningfully used in the creation of the final submission.** Entrants are responsible for ensuring that their use of any third-party tool, model, asset, music, voice, image, likeness, or other material complies with the applicable terms and rights associated with that material. ## Disqualification AKOOL reserves the right to disqualify any submission that: - Violates these Official Rules. - Contains false or misleading information. - Does not meaningfully use AKOOL. - Infringes the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights of another person or organization. - Contains prohibited, illegal, or inappropriate material. - Is substantially copied from another creator's work. - Uses fraudulent, purchased, automated, or manipulated engagement. - Attempts to manipulate voting, judging, or the submission process. - Uses bots, spam, or other deceptive methods to gain an advantage. - Is submitted after the deadline. - Otherwise fails to satisfy the contest requirements. AKOOL reserves the right to determine whether a submission satisfies the eligibility and qualification requirements. ## Winner verification Potential winners may be required to verify: - Identity - Age and eligibility - Ownership or authorized use of submitted content - AKOOL account information - How AKOOL was used in the production process - Compliance with these Official Rules Failure to provide requested verification may result in disqualification and selection of another winner. ## General terms No purchase is necessary to enter. AKOOL reserves the right to modify, extend, suspend, postpone, or cancel the challenge when reasonably necessary due to circumstances affecting the integrity, security, administration, or operation of the competition. Prizes are non-transferable unless otherwise approved by AKOOL. Cash and non-cash awards may be subject to applicable taxes, fees, withholding, or reporting requirements. **Taxes and reporting obligations are the responsibility of each prize recipient.** By participating, entrants agree to comply with these Official Rules and accept the decisions of AKOOL and the judging panel as final. Participation is void where prohibited by law. ## Questions? Need help with your submission or have questions about COMING NEVER? **Contact the AKOOL Creator Engagement Team** [info@akool.com](mailto:info@akool.com) We're excited to see the movies that don't exist. ### Make us wish they did.