GIFs have the uncanny ability to convey or elicit an emotion in a matter of seconds — and now the looping micro videos are getting a film festival of their own. On Wednesday, August 15, Giphy and Squarespace announced the first ever Giphy Film Festival, a competition open through September 27 for content that is 18 seconds or less. That’s right, someone is going to win $10,000 for 18 seconds of GIF.
Giphy says that the micro-films popularized by social media networks can be just as compelling, entertaining and creative as the content in traditional film festivals. The Giphy Film Fest includes five different categories for the loop-able content — stop-motion, animated, experimental, narrative, and a wildcard (or “other”) category. The contest is open to GIFs with or without sound.