FilmOneFest 2026

About FilmOneFest

FilmOneFest is an international micro-short film festival organised by the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Its defining rule is simple: films must run under two minutes. That shared constraint brings fiction, documentary, animation, experimental work and other short-form approaches into the same programme.

Founded in 2008, the festival combines micro-short programming with a community-facing outdoor screening at the Atlantic Highlands Marina. The format asks whether a very short film can establish an idea, character, image or turn clearly enough to work in front of a broad public audience.

What Kind of Film Fits FilmOneFest?

The festival is broad in genre. Current routes include comedy, drama, sci-fi, horror, experimental, documentary, animation, student, New Jersey filmmaker and female filmmaker categories. All films are programmed for a mixed-age audience and follow the festival’s current family-friendly content framework. Commercial advertisements follow the organiser’s separate eligibility rules.

A strong fit depends on clarity and precision. The film needs to establish its central idea, visual language, character or dramatic turn in less than two minutes.

Current Eligibility and Technical Checks

Under the current rules, every film must run under two minutes. Films in languages other than English must include clear English subtitles. Submitters warrant that the work is their own creation and that they control the necessary rights to the film and any third-party material used in it.

The current call also includes a specific policy for AI and computer-generated material. Each new submission cycle should be checked against the organiser’s latest wording.

What Should Be Ready If a Film Is Selected?

The festival accepts secure online screeners. After selection, a downloadable link may also be required, with any password and access settings kept active for judging and screening purposes.

Accepted films may be shown on one or more occasions, and the submission terms allow festival-related promotional use of the film. Rights, screener access and promotional materials should therefore be prepared before submission.

FilmOneFest 2026

The 2026 edition took place on 12 September 2026 at the Atlantic Highlands Marina. The organiser’s current page confirms a programme using Jury & Judge, Audience Choice and Young Filmmaker Awards alongside multiple genre and filmmaker-category routes.

Making a two-minute film ready for FilmOneFest

For FilmOneFest, AD1 FILM can check the micro-short’s final runtime and rights, prepare a reliable screener and identify the relevant category when the next call opens.