In partnership with Tribeca Festival
SlateShots
Create the next great micro-series.
One winner gets a $200K production.
Give your unproduced pilot or screenplay another shot. Turn it into a micro-series. Your story deserves to be told.
Why microdramas. Why now.
The audience is
already here.
Issa Rae's Screen Time pulled 150 million views in its first window. P&G, JCPenney, and Crocs are funding their own microdramas. ReelShort and DramaBox are billion-dollar apps. Vertical stories are not a side experiment anymore. They are where the audience lives.
More creators should be making them. More stories should be finding their audience. That is what this festival is for.
Views on Issa Rae's Screen Time in its first release window
Vertical media revenue projected for 2026 outside of China
Average episode length. Cliffhanger required. Every time.
The Rules
Keep it tight.
Keep it vertical.
Keep them watching.
Built for the phone
For scripted series, submit a script of at least 5 pages broken into short episodes, plus a one-pager covering your logline, genre, format, and cast (if attached). For documentary or reality projects, submit a format treatment.
Episodes should be approximately 1–2 minutes long.
Start with a compelling hook and give audiences a reason to keep watching.
Have an original idea, or an unproduced screenplay or pilot? Adapt it into a vertical micro-series.
Any genre. Stories can be developed for live action or AI production.
Writers, filmmakers, and creators are welcome. An active TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube account is required.
Slate reviews submissions and selects scripts to advance. Selected creators produce the first five minutes and upload it to Slate Shots. A production stipend is paid on delivery. AI productions welcome.
The winner is chosen by jury vote plus views and engagement on Slate Shots.
SLATE funds and produces the long-form version of your winning series, up to $200,000 USD, with distribution rights.
Mentorship and development from the best creators, producers, and partners in the space.
You keep ownership of your series.
How to Submit
Four steps.
Then it's on you.
Create your profile
Add your social handles and any links you want to share. IMDB optional. Not required.
Submit your script
Upload at least five pages of your vertical micro-series, broken into short episodes, with a one-pager. Any genre is welcome, and you can submit as many projects as you like. You can write an original concept or adapt an existing screenplay or pilot. Documentary and reality projects can submit a format treatment instead. Scripts must be human-written.
Submissions are $50 each to cover processing.
Bring your story to life
Selected scripts move to production. Produce only the first five minutes, not the full script, in live action or with Slate's AI tools. A production stipend, amount to be announced, is paid on delivery. Advancing projects receive full details.
Upload and promote your micro-series
Upload your 5-minute micro-series to Slate Shots to compete for the $200K production prize. Then promote it: tag @slate.shots and add #SLATESHOTS on every post.
You keep full ownership of your series.
Win or not, every submission stays on our radar with a six-month option to produce and distribute on Slate Shots. More details to follow.
Festival Timeline
One year.
One winner.
The Prize
SLATE funds and produces the long-form version of your winning series, up to $200,000 USD, with distribution rights. Plus mentorship and development from the best in the space.
About Slate
Slate is the transaction layer for branded entertainment. We help creators find the right brand for their story, and we help brands find the stories worth being part of.
This festival is what Slate was built to do, run at full speed.
For Small Businesses
Get your businessinto a micro-series.
Register to be considered for a brand integration, at no cost. You get written-in placement, promotion across social media, and a report on how many people watched. It is an invitation, not a requirement to compete.