Thematic Guidelines:

• Tension & Atmosphere: Build suspense, dread, or intrigue through pacing, sound, lighting, and what is left unseen.

• Dark Themes with Care: Dark subject matter is welcome, but must follow the Community Standards and avoid gratuitous harm.

• Craft & Technical Execution: Judged on mood, pacing, sound design, visual storytelling, and overall polish.

Technical Requirements

• Format: Any aspect ratio is eligible

• Length: At least 2 minutes in length

• Language: All languages are eligible, however dialogue must be subtitled OR voiced in English for judging

• Judging Link: Submitted via a web hosted link that's publicly accessible, not unlisted, private, nor password protected

• Download Link: Must include a download link to the submission

Eligibility

• Submission: Can only be submitted once to a single category

• Tool Awards: By tagging the tools you implemented and providing proof, you will be automatically eligible for additional cash prizes

• Prize Eligibility: Submitter must be over 18 and from a non-sanction country

• Ownership & Permissions: Submission must be the submitters' original work. Contains only Music, IP, Footage, and Likenesses that the submitter has explicit permissions to use.

• Community Standards: Submissions must prioritize human-led storytelling and respectful, authentic representation. We have a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, harassment, and insensitive depictions of protected groups.

• Optional: Share your submission on social media, tag the Chroma Awards and the tools you used, and submit your link for a chance to be featured as our Submission of the Day