Is this really the FOURTH year for the DIRECTORS CHOICE AWARDS???? You bet your warp core it is! GLEN L. WOLFE and DAN REYNOLDS, co-owners of WARP 66 STUDIOS in northern Arkansas, are once again hosting one of the two annual fan film competitions where the judges are a panel of fan filmmakers themselves. (The other contest is the SHOWRUNNER AWARDS, but they don’t happen for another six months.)
The call for entries begins today (November 1, 2024) and continues through January 11, 2025. Fan filmmakers can submit their film(s)—a maximum of three fan films per director—for a cost of $10 per film entered. Here’s the entry form link:
https://thefederationfiles.com/?page_id=1407
The Directors Choice Awards are open to any fan film from any genre (NOT limited to only Star Trek) that was released onto YouTube or any public media for the first time in calendar year 2024. The $10 entry fee includes submitting the film for consideration in up to seven of the following specialty categories in addition to being considered for Best in Fest (which carries a $250 cash prize). The categories are…
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Original Costuming
Best Make-up/Hairstyling
Best Cinematography
Best Original Music
Best Audio Mixing
Best Lighting
Best FX Make-Up
Best CGI FX
Best Green Screen
Best Composite Shot
Best Screenplay
Best Parody/Comedy
Best Portrayal of an Existing Character
Best Animated Fan Film
Best Editing
Most Canon Award
Best Ensemble
Best On-Location Scene
Best Plot Twist
Best Use of Improvised Sets
Best Choreography
Best Trailer
Best Poster
The last two categories are brand new for this year’s awards. Glen asked me to clarify that the poster must be for a fan film that premiered in calendar year 2024. However, the trailer can be for a fan film that hasn’t been released yet. The only requirement is that the trailer itself must have been publicly posted for the first time during 2024.
As with the three previous years (and in line with the name of the contest), the fan films will be judged by the directors themselves. Each director will be e-mailed a ballot for each film they submitted . A director cannot vote for any fan film they themselves directed, and all ballots will be due no later than March 15. If a judge fails to return their completed ballot in time, their film submission(s) will be disqualified.
Once again, here is the link to enter, with the final deadline for submissions being January 15, 2024…
https://thefederationfiles.com/?page_id=1407
Winners will be announced on First Contact Day: April 5, 2025.