Texas • July – August 2026

The
Quest

Family Adventure Film Competition
Write it. Shoot it. Live it.

Families Welcome 4-Week Competition Live Screening & Awards
Enter the Competition Learn More
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4
Weeks to Film
$75
Entry Fee
3–8
Minute Films
Aug
Live Screening

What Is The Quest

Make a Movie.
Go on an Adventure.

The Quest is a 4-week family filmmaking competition held right here in Texas. Your team has one month to write, shoot, and edit a short adventure film. The film will then premiere live for an audience and compete for awards.


Think Goonies energy. Stranger Things stakes. Jurassic Park scale, on whatever budget your family can pull together. This isn't a kids' program. It's a real film competition built for families who want to make something they'll remember forever.


Register Your Team
Family standing at sunset with a film reel in the Texas hill country

The Process

How It Works

1
🎟

Register

Sign up your family team online. All skill levels welcome — from first-timers to seasoned filmmakers.

›
2
🎯

Get the Brief

On July 14th, every team receives the same required element. This is your creative spark — the thing every film must include. Then the clock starts.

›
3
🎬

Make Your Film

You have 4 weeks. Write the script, cast your crew, shoot your adventure. Your finished film (3–8 minutes) gets submitted online before the deadline.

›
4
🏆

Screen & Compete

Every film screens live at our Texas event in late August. Judges award prizes. Families celebrate. Your film gets its moment on the big screen.

Who Can Enter

Built for
Families Who
Make Things

You don't need a film school degree or a production company. You need a story worth telling and a family willing to tell it.

  • ✓ Teams can be any size (family, friends, neighbors — all count)
  • ✓ Any camera works — phone, DSLR, or cinema rig
  • ✓ Films must be original, 3–8 minutes, and include the required element
  • ✓ Genre: family adventure — keep it PG. One cuss word allowed. Make it count.
  • ✓ Texans and out-of-staters both welcome
Family built for adventure filmmaking

Awards & Recognition

Something Worth
Competing For

Every film that screens is a win. But some teams walk away with more than memories.

🥉
Best Adventure
TBD

Awarded to the film that best captures the spirit of the adventure genre — heart, stakes, and forward motion.

🏆
Best Film
TBD

The top prize. Best overall film as judged across story, performances, direction, and production. The one they'll talk about.

⭐
Rising Star
TBD

Awarded to the standout kid performer under 18 whose presence on screen you can't look away from. The one who made you forget it was a competition.

Additional award categories and prize values to be announced. Sponsor prizes added as partnerships are confirmed.

Key Dates

Mark Your Calendar

Now Open
Registration Opens
Secure your spot. $75 per team. Limited entries accepted.
July 14, 2026
Kickoff & Required Element Revealed
All teams receive the shared required element at the same time. The 4-week competition officially begins. Cameras roll.
Mid-August 2026
Film Submission Deadline
Upload your finished film before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Late August 2026
Live Screening & Awards Night
All films screen in front of a live Texas audience. Awards presented. Exact venue and date announced to registered teams.

Questions

Frequently Asked

No prior experience required. This competition is open to all skill levels. Some of the best entries we expect will come from first-time filmmakers. What matters is the story and the effort you put into telling it.
Your team can be any size and include anyone — parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, family friends, neighbors. Whoever helps you make the film. You don't have to be blood-related.
Every competition, we reveal a shared creative element that all teams must include in their film. It could be a specific object, a line of dialogue, a location type, or something else entirely. It's the same for everyone — it's revealed on July 14th, and how you use it is completely up to you.
You can film wherever you want. Texas-based or out-of-state, all teams are welcome to compete.
Whatever you have. A modern smartphone shoots more than good enough footage. DSLR, mirrorless, cinema camera — all fine. No equipment requirements. The story is what matters.
Per team. One $75 entry covers your entire team's registration, no matter how many members you have.
Yes. Screening tickets for the awards night are available to the public. Registered teams receive 2 free general admission tickets. Additional tickets can be purchased separately. Details announced closer to the event.

Ready to Make Something?

Your Family's Film
Starts Here.

Registration is open now. Kickoff July 14. Screening late August.
Limited spots available.

$75 / per team
Enter The Quest →