- The theme
- What we're looking for
- Specs
- Rules
- How you'll be judged
- Prizes and key dates
- How to submit
- Tips for a strong 30-second film
- The fine print
The theme
Take something real about Kuwait. A place, a tradition, a person or a value, and imagine where it goes next.
Every film answers one question: what does Kuwait's tomorrow look like when it carries its yesterday?
Your film can be heritage, sci-fi, emotional, funny or poetic. It can live in 1950, 2026 or 2080. What matters is the connection: something we recognise from Kuwait, carried into a future you imagine.
The story is yours. The future is yours to imagine.
What we're looking for
One idea, told well. A 30-second film that makes us feel something beats a 30-second showreel of effects.
Sparks to get you started
Take one, twist one, or ignore them all.
- A pearl diver's song carried into the Kuwait of 2060
- A diwaniya conversation, 50 years from now
- Failaka Island, past and future, in a single shot
- A grandmother's recipe, cooked by her great-granddaughter on Mars
- The sound of the old souq, rebuilt in a city that doesn't exist yet
What wins
- A clear character or point of view
- A beginning, a turn and an ending, even in 30 seconds
- A detail only someone who knows Kuwait would think of
- Sound and music that carry emotion
What to avoid
- Drone-style flyovers of skylines with no story
- A montage of landmarks one after another
- Flags waving as the whole idea
- The generic "AI look": shiny, random, and about nothing
Specs
Thirty seconds is the hard limit. Anything longer is disqualified, so check your export before you submit.
| Length | Up to 30 seconds, including titles and credits |
| Format | Vertical 9:16 (portrait) |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 minimum, 4K welcome |
| Frame rate | 24, 25 or 30 fps |
| Submit as | A YouTube link, Unlisted or Public (not Private). Shorts links are fine |
| Subtitles | Any language. Non-English dialogue or voiceover needs burned-in English subtitles |
| Branding | No AI-tool watermarks. No need to add festival or sponsor logos |
| Original file | Keep your MP4 or MOV export. Finalists send it for the NEXUS screening |
Rules
Use any AI tool you like, keep your process files, and keep it original and respectful.
AI rules
- Any AI tools are allowed: image, video, voice and music.
- At least 80% of what we see on screen must be AI-generated.
- Editing, colour grading, sound design and typography by hand are welcome.
- Keep your prompts and project files. If you are shortlisted, we will ask for proof of your process within 48 hours.
Content rules
- Original work, made for this brief, not published or awarded before.
- No real, identifiable people: no public figures, officials or celebrities, and no deepfakes. Your own likeness, or people who gave you consent, is fine.
- No copyrighted characters, brands, logos, film clips, or music you don't have the rights to.
- Respect Kuwaiti law, public morals and religious values. No political, sectarian or offensive content. National symbols must be shown with respect.
Who can enter
- Anyone living in Kuwait, any nationality, aged 18 or over.
- Solo, or in a team of up to 3 people.
- Up to 2 entries per person, each submitted separately.
- Not eligible: staff of MCG and NEXUS, the jury, and their immediate families.
How you'll be judged
Every eligible film is scored by a jury from MCG and NEXUS on four criteria. Story counts most.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look for |
|---|---|---|
| Story and concept | 30% | A clear idea and a real feeling, landed in 30 seconds |
| Brief and meaning | 25% | Genuinely about Kuwait, connecting then, now and next |
| AI craft | 25% | Consistent characters and look, clean motion, strong sound |
| Originality | 20% | A take we haven't seen before |
The top 10 films become the Official Selection. The top 3 are revealed live at NEXUS. Jury decisions are final.
Prizes and key dates
KD 1,000 in cash prizes, plus a premiere on the NEXUS stage for the winners and an Official Selection laurel for the top 10.
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | KD 500 |
| 2nd | KD 300 |
| 3rd | KD 200 |
| Official Selection (top 10) | Screening at NEXUS + laurel to share |
| Every eligible entrant | Certificate of participation |
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submissions open | 29 October 2026 |
| Submissions close | 16 November 2026, 11:59 PM Kuwait time |
| Official Selection announced | 22 November 2026 |
| Winners revealed live at NEXUS | 27 November 2026, The Arena Kuwait |
How to submit
Put your film on YouTube, post it on Instagram, then send us both links. All steps are needed for your entry to count.
- Export your film to the specs above and check it's 30 seconds or less.
- Post it on Instagram from a public account. Tag @mcgroupkw and @nexustechkw, and use MCGAIFilmFest. Keep the post up until the winners are announced.
- Go to aifilm.mcgmasters.com and tap Submit your film.
- Fill in the form: your details, film title, a one-line logline, the AI tools you used, and the link to your Instagram post.
- Upload your film to YouTube as Unlisted (or Public) and paste the link. Not Private, or we can't watch it. Keep it up until the winners are announced.
- You'll get an entry number on screen and by email. Keep it: that's your proof of entry.
Stuck? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll sort it out.
Tips for a strong 30-second film
The films that win are planned before anything is generated.
- Write it first. One sentence for the idea, then 4 to 6 shots on paper before you open any AI tool.
- Hook in the first 3 seconds. The jury, and the audience at NEXUS, decide fast.
- Frame it for vertical. Keep faces, action and text in the centre of the frame, away from the edges.
- One character, one world. Keep faces, costumes and colours consistent from shot to shot. Reference images help.
- Sound is half the film. Music, ambience and silence carry the emotion. Don't leave it to the last hour.
- Land the ending. Save your strongest image or line for the last 5 seconds.
- Watch it on a big screen. Finalists are screened on stage, so glitches that hide on a phone will show.
The fine print
Your film stays yours. We just need permission to show it.
- You keep full ownership of your film.
- By entering, you allow MCG and NEXUS to screen, post and share your film, always with credit to you, to promote the festival for 2 years.
- Winners agree to appear in photos and videos from the NEXUS finale.
- Late entries, films over 30 seconds, or films that break the rules are disqualified.