SHREVEPORT — Filmmakers across Louisiana will have the opportunity to show their work to large audiences and receive a prestigious award.

Organizers of the LA Film Prize announced Tuesday that the organization has expanded its shooting zone from northwest Louisiana to the entire state of Louisiana for the 2020 competition. This means, once registered at lafilmprize.com, any short film produced within the borders of the state and in accordance with the rules will be eligible to compete for this year’s $25,000 Louisiana Film Prize, which is the largest cash prize for a short film in the world.

To further aid independent filmmakers during this health crisis, the Louisiana Film Prize is extending its deadlines for rough cuts to from July 11th to August 11th. Louisiana Film Prize projects must be narrative short films with a runtime between 5-15 minutes and be able to prove they were shot in the state of Louisiana during the competition window. Registration and full rules can be found at lafilmprize.com.

The Top 20 films chosen to compete in the Film Prize 2020 will be announced on Friday August 28th. 

These twenty films will be shown during Prize Fest which is scheduled for October 2-4, 2020 in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Festival organizers are already working on plans to adhere to state and federal guidelines and provide festival attendees with choices of how they experience the festival safely.

Through the years over 800 short films have been created using over 6,000 local cast and crew, the equivalent of nearly 100 feature films. 

The Prize has also brought $20 million in economic impact to northwest Louisiana.