30th Anniversary Commercial Competition for Creators

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), produced by Nice Crowd, is launching a special competition in celebration of its 30th anniversary, which will be held in June 2026 in Miami Beach. This competition, known as the 30th Anniversary Commercial Competition, is part of a broader commemorative effort to honor ABFF’s legacy as a platform that has championed Black filmmakers, storytellers, and on-screen talent for three decades. The initiative invites emerging and established content creators to reflect the spirit and cultural significance of ABFF in a compelling 30-second commercial. The festival, well regarded for its contributions to elevating Black voices in film and television, frames this competition as both a nostalgic look back and a visionary leap forward. Entrants are expected to craft a commercial that captures the themes of community, creativity, emerging talent, and the enduring influence of the festival. Submissions must strictly adhere to technical and thematic guidelines, including the inclusion of the official 2026 festival dates (June 3–7, 2026), the campaign tagline "ABFF 30th Anniversary — 'The Homecoming'," and alignment with ABFF’s mission and core themes. Eligible formats are high-resolution MP4 or MOV files at 1920 x 1080 resolution. The festival organizers have emphasized originality and authenticity as central judging criteria, encouraging entries that are emotional, humorous, or uniquely artistic. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who are 21 years of age or older. Employees and immediate family members of Nice Crowd, its affiliates, and promotional partners are not eligible. Entrants must ensure they have full rights and ownership of all content submitted. This includes signed release forms for all talent, locations, and music used, as well as a required Participant Release and Licensing Agreement. Each submission must also be accompanied by a brief creative statement, no longer than 150 words, outlining the conceptual and artistic direction of the commercial. The competition opens on May 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM PST and closes on July 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST. Following this period, a judging panel composed of ABFF’s internal and industry stakeholders will evaluate submissions from August 1 through August 31, 2025. Up to five finalists will be notified by September 12, 2025, and may be required to conduct up to two rounds of revisions based on feedback, with final edits due by October 6, 2025. The final announcement of the Grand Prize Winner and two runners-up will take place on or before October 10, 2025. The Grand Prize includes a $10,000 cash award, an all-expense paid trip to the 2026 ABFF in Miami Beach, and two DECO Passes granting access to festival programming. Two runners-up will each receive $2,500 in cash and two DECO Passes. Winning commercials will be featured in ABFF’s official promotional campaigns across digital and broadcast media in the lead-up to the festival. Contact information for submission and updates is managed through ABFF's page on FilmFreeway. Email updates can be subscribed to via their website, and further questions or assistance regarding submissions are facilitated by Constant Contact through their newsletter services. Entrants are encouraged to check the ABFF website for updated documents and deadlines as the competition progresses.