The Houston Futures Film Race is limited to 30 teams, organized into three competition cohorts.

Cohort

Teams

Eligibility

Texas Southern University

10

Teams representing Texas Southern University

University of Houston

10

Teams representing the University of Houston

Third Ward Cultural District & Community

10

Open to high school students, community filmmakers, independent filmmakers, and students from other colleges and universities throughout Greater Houston and the surrounding region

The Third Ward Cultural District & Community is open to high school students, community and independent filmmakers, and students from other colleges and universities throughout Greater Houston, including the University of Houston–Downtown, Houston Community College, Rice University, the University of St. Thomas, and the surrounding region.

Registration is limited to the available spaces within each cohort.

Every team consists of exactly three registered filmmakers:

Writer/Director
Director of Photography
Editor

These three filmmakers constitute the official competing team and are the individuals recognized by the Houston Futures Film Race for selection, awards, prizes, credentials, and other official competition recognition.

Teams may work with additional collaborators, including actors, sound personnel, production assistants, composers, designers, hair and makeup artists, and other cast and crew. These collaborators may be credited in the completed film but are not members of the official three-person competition team.

The three-person structure is an intentional creative constraint. Lean teams move and make decisions quickly during a 48-hour race, help level the field between experienced and first-time filmmakers, and keep the competition focused on ideas, storytelling, and imagination rather than headcount.

Teams may prepare the people, equipment, and general production infrastructure they will need before the race begins.

Before the official kickoff, teams may:

• Form their three-person filmmaking team.

• Recruit and organize additional cast and crew.

• Secure and test cameras, sound equipment, lighting, editing systems, and other production equipment.

• Arrange transportation and general production logistics.

• Prepare general release forms and production documentation.

• Familiarize themselves with the competition rules and technical submission requirements.

• Familiarize themselves with filmmaking, editing, and other production tools they may choose to use during the race.

Teams may not develop their competition film before the official race begins.

Teams may not pre-write a script, develop the film's story or concept, storyboard the film, create shot lists, select or scout filming locations for the competition film, shoot footage, record production audio, generate AI content intended for the film, or create other material specifically for the competition film before the official kickoff.

The Houston Futures Film Race begins with a live virtual kickoff on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM Central Time.

At kickoff, teams will receive two required challenge elements that must be featured in their completed five-minute film.

The challenge elements will remain confidential until the official kickoff. Teams may not develop, create, or prepare material specifically intended to satisfy the challenge elements before they are revealed.

Instructions governing the use of the challenge elements will be provided at kickoff.

Once the challenge elements are announced:

The 48-hour clock begins.

The submitted film must be created during the official 48-hour race period.

Creative work that must occur during the race includes:

• Story and concept development

• Screenwriting

• Storyboarding and shot planning

• Location selection and scouting

• Rehearsals

• Production-specific costume, prop, and set decisions

• Principal photography

• Performances

• Original footage and production audio

• Editing and post-production

• Sound design

• Original music created specifically for the film, if applicable

• Titles and graphics created specifically for the film

• Visual effects created specifically for the film

• AI-generated material created specifically for the film, if applicable

• Final rendering, export, and submission

Existing equipment, software, costumes, props, legally licensed music, sound effects, fonts, stock assets, and other general production resources may be used, provided their use complies with these rules and applicable rights and licenses.

The film—not the filmmaking infrastructure—must be created in 48 hours.

Production Window

48 hours

Film Runtime

Maximum 5:00

End Credits

Up to an additional :30

Maximum Total Runtime

5:30

Genre

Open

Challenge Elements

Two required elements revealed at kickoff must be featured in the completed film

Submission Format

MP4

Minimum Resolution

1080p

Screening

Selected films premiere at Houston Futures Fest

Opening titles and opening credits count toward the five-minute film runtime.

Teams may use up to 30 additional seconds exclusively for end credits. The additional credit period may not contain additional story content.

Films may be science fiction, documentary, comedy, horror, romance, animation, musical, experimental, hybrid, or any other genre.

The Houston Futures Film Race rewards imagination, storytelling, and creative execution—not production budget.

The Center for Africana Futures understands artificial intelligence as a tool in the creative process, not as a creative author.

The Houston Futures Film Race, therefore, permits the use of generative and assistive AI while requiring clear human authorship, creative responsibility, and appropriate disclosure.

The Writer/Director, Director of Photography, and Editor remain the recognized filmmakers responsible for the team's creative work. AI systems may not be credited as members of the filmmaking team or substituted for the creative responsibility of the registered filmmakers.

Permitted Use

AI may be used for creative or technical purposes during the official 48-hour production window, including applications in writing, image creation, sound, music, visual effects, editing, and other aspects of production.

Any AI-generated material created specifically for the competition film must be created during the official 48-hour race period.

Teams may learn, test, and familiarize themselves with AI tools before the race. They may not pre-generate scripts, images, video, music, storyboards, dialogue, or other AI-generated material intended for their competition film.

Disclosure & Credit

Any use of generative AI that substantially contributes to a film's creative content must be disclosed.

Teams must identify:

• The AI tool or platform used.

• The type of material generated or substantially modified.

• How the generated material was incorporated into the film.

Substantive generative AI contributions must also be appropriately acknowledged in the film's end credits.

Routine assistive functions such as stabilization, noise reduction, transcription, automatic captioning, color correction, or similar technical processes do not require individual screen credit unless they materially generate or alter creative content.

Authorship & Responsibility

AI may assist the filmmakers. It does not become the filmmaker.

The registered team remains responsible for the creative decisions, direction, selection, arrangement, editing, and final form of the submitted film.

Films substantially generated through automated processes without meaningful creative authorship by the registered filmmaking team may be deemed ineligible for competition.

Teams remain responsible for ensuring that their use of AI tools and generated materials complies with applicable licenses, terms of service, intellectual property requirements, and these Official Rules.

Filmmakers retain copyright ownership of their films.

Each team is responsible for ensuring that it has the right to use all materials included in its submission, including music, performances, photographs, artwork, sound recordings, stock or licensed materials, locations, and other copyrighted or protected material.

Teams may use original, properly licensed, public-domain, or otherwise legally authorized materials.

Teams are responsible for obtaining appropriate releases and permissions from cast, crew, location owners, and other individuals whose authorization is required.

The Houston Futures Film Race may request documentation of rights or permissions before publicly screening a film.

Participants under the age of 18 must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate.

Teams using minors as cast or crew are responsible for obtaining appropriate parent or guardian consent and complying with applicable requirements governing minors during production.

Teams are responsible for their own equipment, transportation, production expenses, locations, permits, insurance when applicable, and other production needs.

All filmmaking must comply with applicable laws, regulations, property rules, and safety requirements.

Participants may not trespass, interfere with traffic, enter restricted or unsafe areas, or place cast, crew, members of the public, or themselves at unnecessary risk.

Safety comes before the clock.

The official Houston Futures Film Race ends:

Saturday, September 12, 2026
6:00 PM Central Time

Films submitted by this deadline are eligible for official selection, juried awards, and prizes, provided they meet all other competition requirements.

The Houston Futures Film Race submission form will remain open for a 24-hour late-submission period following the official deadline.

Films received during the late-submission period may be reviewed and considered for screening at Houston Futures Fest, but are not eligible for juried awards or prizes.

Films received after the 24-hour late-submission period will not be accepted.

Teams are responsible for allowing adequate time for upload and submission. The timestamp of the completed submission, rather than the time an upload begins, determines whether the official deadline has been met.

At submission, the registered filmmakers will certify that:

• The submitted film was created during the official 48-hour race period.

• The film incorporates both required challenge elements announced at kickoff.

• The submission complies with the Official Rules.

• Required AI use has been appropriately disclosed and credited.

• The team has the necessary rights or authorization for the materials contained in the film.

• Information provided with the submission is accurate.

Teams may be required to provide a final cast and crew list and applicable releases or rights documentation.

Eligible films will be evaluated by a jury of filmmakers, artists, media professionals, and/or industry professionals.

Criterion

Weight

Storytelling

30%

Creativity

25%

Future Vision

20%

Emotional Impact

15%

Technical Execution

10%

Judging recognizes that teams will enter the race with different levels of filmmaking experience, equipment, and financial resources.

The Houston Futures Film Race rewards what you imagine and what you do with what you have.

Judges' decisions are final.

Submission does not guarantee selection for public screening.

Selected films will be notified on or about September 24, 2026, and will premiere during:

Houston Futures Fest
Saturday, October 3, 2026

Awards may include:

• Best Film

• Best Vision of the Future

• Audience Choice

• Additional awards announced by the Houston Futures Film Race

Cash prizes and other awards are subject to available sponsorship and funding.

Selection for screening and selection for an award are separate determinations.

Late films may be selected for screening, but are not eligible for juried awards or prizes.

Filmmakers retain ownership and copyright in their films.

By submitting a film, the team grants the Center for Africana Futures and Houston Futures Fest a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publicly screen the submitted film as part of Houston Futures Fest and related Houston Futures Film Race programming.

Teams also grant permission to use the film title, filmmaker and team names, still images, and brief excerpts from the film for promotion and documentation of the Houston Futures Film Race, Houston Futures Fest, and related programming.

Submission does not transfer ownership or copyright to the Center for Africana Futures or Houston Futures Fest.

Any permanent public archive or future exhibition of a complete film beyond the Race and Festival will be governed separately.

The Houston Futures Film Race welcomes imaginative, challenging, critical, joyful, speculative, and provocative storytelling.

Films may engage social, cultural, environmental, political, historical, or community issues.

Submissions must comply with applicable law and may not unlawfully infringe another person's copyright, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights.

The organizers reserve the right not to screen a submission when necessary for legal, safety, eligibility, or festival-programming reasons.

By registering for and participating in the Houston Futures Film Race, each team agrees to follow these Official Rules & Terms.

The organizers reserve the right to interpret these rules, resolve questions of eligibility, and make reasonable administrative modifications necessary to conduct the Houston Futures Film Race.

Any substantive changes made after registration opens will be communicated directly to registered teams.