TAKE JUAN: The JuanFlix Vertical Shorts Competition

All submitted projects shall meet all of the following conditions to qualify as eligible:

1. The TAKE JUAN: Vertical Shorts Competition is a Vertical short film competition open to all Filipino citizens living in the Philippines regardless of age, whether student, amateur, semi-professional or professional. Employees and contractual workers of the Film Development Council of the Philippines as well as their immediate relatives are disqualified from participating in the competition.
2. The completed Vertical short film may be in the following format:
   1. Short narrative feature;
   2. Documentary;
   3. Animation; or
   4. Mixed media
3. Vertical short films must be in any Philippine language, dialect, or English, with English subtitles required for wide release on streaming platforms.
4. Submissions must have a running time with minimum of three (3) minutes and maximum of five (5) minutes inclusive of opening billboard (OBB) and closing credits/closing billboard (CBB).
5. Output must be completed between January 2026 to October 2026.
6. Submitted Vertical short film may be fully or partially shot using a mobile phone or smartphone; use of professional cameras is not required. Participants are encouraged to maximize the creative possibilities of mobile filmmaking and vertical storytelling.
7. Submitted Vertical short films must not have been previously streamed on any streaming platforms, posted on any social media channels, or participated in any other local or international festivals. If the film is currently under consideration by another festival or competition, this must be declared in the submission form for assessment.
8. The submitted Vertical short film must be in a 9:16 format of at least 1080 x 1920 pixels.
9. Accepted formats - MP4, MOV.
10. Music and Copyright - any music that is royalty-free or properly licensed.
11. By entering the Competition, the participants agree to abide by the Festival guidelines and rules. The FDCP shall be indemnified of any liabilities. 
12. In case of any violation of the guidelines and rules, the organizers and the judging Committee reserves the right to disqualify the participant and their film or remove them from the program. 
13. The organizers and the selection committee reserves the right to disqualify any participant and/or to forfeit any prize from a participant who is found to have committed plagiarism or has undertaken fraudulent practice and/or activities harmful to the Competition or the Competition submission process. 
14. FDCP reserves the right to create, revoke, and modify at any time, in any way its entry requirements, rules and regulations at its absolute discretion without prior notice. Finalists and submitted entries shall be bound by any amendments or addition to the entry requirements, rules and regulations herewith. 
15. The decision of the Selection Committee is final and irrevocable. The organizers and the selection committee are not obliged to give an explanation for the results.

The TAKE JUAN: Vertical Short Film Competition is NOT available or eligible for: 

1. Films less than 3 minutes short and more than 5 minutes long. 
2. Clips, excerpts, or snippets taken from an existing short or feature-length film. 
3. Advertisements or commercials. 
4. Television series/programs. 
5. News or current affairs programs. 
6. Productions of public or live events. 
7. Projects that contain pornography, promote violence, issues that insult, offend, and/or portray the Philippines in a negative light as well as threaten national security. 
8. Films with excessive violence, political propaganda, or films sponsored by government entities. 
   • "Excessive violence" refers to graphic or disturbing depictions of harm, injury, or suf ering that are not essential to the story, theme, or artistic intent. 
   • "Political propaganda" refers to content that overtly promotes or advocates for a particular political agenda, ideology, or viewpoint, often in a biased or manipulative way, with the intent to influence public opinion or behavior. 
9. Projects based on adaptations for which the applicant does not hold the necessary intellectual property rights or permissions for adaptation 
10. Projects that infringe on existing copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights

A. Film Entry 

Interested participants must prepare the following prior to submission: 

1. Vertical Short Film. Each film submitted must be within 3-5 minutes long inclusive of opening billboard (OBB) and closing/credits billboard (CBB). It must be in a 9:16 format of at least 1080 x 1920 pixels. 
2. Film Poster and/or Thumbnail: High resolution uploaded in Google Drive or included in USB for offline submission. This must be in 9:16 format. 
3. Director's Statement: Submit a brief explanation (maximum of 200 words) detailing the vision behind the Vertical short film.
4. Behind the Scenes. Include any behind the scenes photos and/or footages showing how the entry is filmed. 
5. Accomplished Entry Form: Complete the official entry form through the google link posted on the FDCP. 
6. Copyright Clearance: If applicable, provide legal documentation for any third-party material used in the film (music, footage, etc.). 

An entry may be submitted through the following method: 

1. Online: Upload your entry to a private video-sharing platform such as Google Drive or Vimeo (with or without password protection) in a high-quality format like Apple ProRes or a similar file type. Include the access link in the submission form, ensuring it remains active and accessible until the competition concludes. 
2. Offline: Submit your film on a USB drive and send it to the FDCP office at Film Heritage Building, Sta. Lucia St., Intramuros, Manila. The courier must be prepaid by the participants and properly labeled with the subject: [NAME] Competition Entry, Your Name, Film Title.

B. Provisional Application Process 

Please note that application must undergo the following procedures and considerations: 

1. Applicants must read and understand the terms of the General Guidelines on the expectations and deliverables. 

2. To apply, applicants must complete the application form through this link posted on the FDCP website fdcp.ph and submit the required document. 

   a. Entry forms provided must be completed including the listing of all creative and technical proponents of the project. 

3. Once all documentary requirements are completed, Program Officers will submit the project to the Selection Committee for evaluation and deliberation.
4. Each applicant may submit only one (1) project per cycle. Projects that will not get selected may only be eligible to reapply for the same competition if there are evident major creative and/or financial changes from its previous application.

C. Selection Process

Submitted entries and applications will undergo the following process:

D. Evaluation

Projects will be reviewed based on the following:

• Impact of material: (30%) 
  • The emotional and intellectual influence the film has on its audience. 
• Originality of theme: (25%) 
  • The uniqueness and creativity in the film’s central theme or message. 
• Vertical Storytelling (25%) 
  • The effective and purposeful use of the vertical 9:16 format as an integral element of storytelling, including framing, composition, visual perspective, pacing, and the overall viewing experience. 
• Technical Excellence: (25%) 
  • The quality and craftsmanship in the film’s production, including aspects like cinematography, editing, sound design, and visual effects.

There shall be two tiers in the competition: from all the submitted entries, the top twenty (20) entries will be selected by a committee of seven (7) members composed of FDCP program officers and film professionals. 

Three (3) winners will then be selected by the second and final jury composed of three (3) members including professional film figures in terms of filmmaking, academe, production, promotion, and review. 

All twenty (20) finalists will be scheduled for exhibition at Cinematheque Centre Manila as part of the JuanFlix 4th anniversary celebrations in November 2026. All finalists will be streamed on the JuanFlix platform for exactly one (1) year upon its recognition, until November 11, 2027.
 

E. Selected Projects & Final Verification Process

1. Selected applicants will be notified via email after the deliberation process. 
2. All exhibition and ancillary rights of the film remain with the filmmaker. However, the filmmaker grants the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) the right to screen the film free of charge for special screenings at Cinematheques, as well as for educational purposes at schools and universities that are members of the Academic Film Society (AFS). These screenings will be made available upon request by the FDCP, within a period mutually agreed upon by both parties, not exceeding two (2) years from the film’s premiere. 
3. Streaming Platforms: The films submitted to the competition will be showcased on the JuanFlix platform for one (1) year. During this period, the films selected may not be distributed on any other commercial streaming platforms until November 11, 2027. After the specified date, distribution on commercial platforms may be permitted, subject to the film owner’s discretion and any applicable rights agreements.