Early submissions are now open for the Oklahoma Teen Film Festival, a contest put on through coordination between the University of Central Oklahoma’s (UCO) Department of Mass Communication and dead-Center Film, according to a press release from UCO.
This is the second year of the contest, and it’s open exclusively to high school students in Oklahoma. The early bird submission deadline is Jan. 18, 2026. The regular deadline is Feb. 8, and there is a late deadline of March 2. The festival will take place on March 28.
“The festival provides a level playing field for emerging filmmakers to share their stories and compete with peers from across the state,” the press release said.
According to the festival website, it will have screenings of short films submitted by students, with discussions and Q&A sessions with winning filmmakers. There will also be workshops hosted by UCO, dead-Center, OCCC and Rose State. Everyone who submits a film will receive a free ticket for the festival Those interested can submit work in six categories -- Animation/Stop Motion, Documentary/Broadcast, Comedy/Romantic Comedy, Micro Film (less than three minutes), Horror/Thriller/Crime and Drama, according to the release. There will also be an Indigenous Filmmaker Award sponsored by Cherokee Film.
First and second-place winners in each category will receive a cash prize. A grand prize winner will also receive two passes to the deadCenter Film Festival in June. For more information or to submit a film, visit filmfreeway.com/OklahomaTeenFilmFestival.