Overview
The All Voices Film Festival was a short-film competition launched by Amazon Prime Video in April 2019, in partnership with Amazon Studios and IMDb. The festival was designed for US-based filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds, with a grand prize of $25,000 and four runner-up awards of $10,000 each. The inaugural (and only confirmed) edition ran from June 3 to June 24, 2019, with winning films featured on Prime Video. The festival accepted short films up to 40 minutes long that were created by or featured people from marginalized communities, including people of color, ethnic, gender, and religious minorities, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities. The festival's domain (allvoicesfilmfestival.com) is no longer active, and no subsequent editions have been confirmed since 2019. Filmmakers seeking similar opportunities should consider the programs listed in the See Also section below.
History
The All Voices Film Festival launched in April 2019 as a short-film competition by Amazon Prime Video, in partnership with Amazon Studios and IMDb. The festival emerged at a moment when streaming platforms were competing to build cultural relevance through diversity initiatives, following the #OscarsSoWhite movement and increased pressure on studios to invest in diverse storytelling. Amazon Studios had already released Manchester by the Sea (2016), the first streaming-originated film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Latasha Gillespie, then head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Amazon Studios, framed the initiative: "We created this opportunity because we wanted a way for underrepresented voices to be heard." The inaugural edition ran from June 3 to June 24, 2019. The festival has not been confirmed to have run beyond this single edition. The festival's domain is no longer active, and Amazon has not publicly announced subsequent editions as of July 2026.
Typical Award Size Range
The All Voices Film Festival awarded $65,000 in total prize money across five winners:
- Grand Prize: $25,000 royalty bonus plus a paid trip to visit Amazon Studios in Culver City, California
- Four Runners-up: $10,000 royalty bonus each
- Distribution: All five winning short films received a marketing package and were featured on Prime Video, available to stream for US Prime subscribers
- Industry events: Special events in Seattle and Los Angeles showcased the winners and included panels on diversity in filmmaking and content distribution with industry leaders
A panel of judges from Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and IMDb selected winners based on customer engagement (viewership on Prime Video) and artistic merit. Latasha Gillespie, then head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Amazon Studios, was one of the judges.
Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money
The inaugural edition selected five winning films:
- Grand Prize Winner: "Mr. & Mrs. Kim" - a 15-minute short starring Joshua Kim, Steve Park, Alexandra Chun, and Lola Wayne Villa. The film went on a festival run around the world before being submitted to the All Voices competition.
- Runner-up: "South of Sunset Fake Mexicans"
- Runner-up: "Monday"
- Runner-up: "Thriving with Cerebral Palsy: The Cordell Brown Story"
- Runner-up: "The Critic" - written and directed by Stella Velon, also starring Velon opposite Alan Smyth
All five films were made available on Amazon Prime Video following the festival.
Eligibility (2019 Edition)
The eligibility requirements for the 2019 edition were:
- Filmmaker location: US-based filmmakers only
- Underrepresented communities: Films must be created by or feature people from marginalized communities, defined as "people of color and ethnic, gender and religious minorities, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities"
- Film length: Up to 40 minutes
- Distribution: Filmmakers self-published their shorts to Prime Video, where US subscribers could view the submissions during the competition window
- Completion date: No specific completion date restriction was published
The festival accepted both documentary and narrative fiction shorts. There was no entry fee - filmmakers uploaded their work directly to Prime Video for consideration.
Payment Structure
The All Voices Film Festival paid awards as royalty bonuses rather than traditional grants. The grand prize winner received a $25,000 royalty bonus, and each of the 4 runners-up received a $10,000 royalty bonus. Winners also received a paid trip to visit Amazon Studios in Culver City, California. All 5 winning short films received a marketing package and were featured on Prime Video for US subscribers. The $65,000 in total prize money was paid upon winner selection. No milestone-based installments were required.
Application Process
The All Voices Film Festival used a self-publishing model rather than a traditional festival submission platform like FilmFreeway:
- Self-publish to Prime Video: Filmmakers uploaded their short films directly to Amazon Prime Video via Prime Video Direct (formerly Amazon Video Direct).
- Customer engagement period: Films were available for US Prime subscribers to watch during the competition window (June 3 to June 24, 2019).
- Judging: A panel of judges from Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and IMDb evaluated the top-performing titles based on customer engagement metrics (viewership, ratings, reviews).
- Winner selection: Judges selected one grand prize winner and four runners-up from the top-performing titles.
This model was unusual - most film festivals use a curation panel or jury that reviews all submissions, whereas All Voices used audience engagement data as a primary filter before artistic judgment was applied.
What Makes an Application Competitive
The All Voices Film Festival used an unusual selection model:
- Audience engagement: Films were self-published to Prime Video, and customer engagement metrics (viewership, ratings, reviews) served as a primary filter before artistic judgment was applied. Films that built audience momentum early had an advantage.
- Underrepresented representation: Films must be created by or feature people from marginalized communities, including people of color, ethnic, gender, and religious minorities, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.
- Short format: Films up to 40 minutes were eligible. Both documentary and narrative fiction shorts were accepted.
- No entry fee: Filmmakers uploaded their work directly to Prime Video via Prime Video Direct. No submission fee was required, making the festival accessible to first-time filmmakers without representation.
- Artistic merit: A panel of judges from Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and IMDb selected winners from the top-performing titles based on artistic quality alongside engagement data.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The All Voices Film Festival has not been confirmed to have run beyond its inaugural 2019 edition. The festival's standalone website is no longer active, and Amazon has not publicly announced subsequent editions as of July 2026. Filmmakers who encounter this listing should verify whether the festival has been revived before planning a submission. The 2019 edition awarded $65,000 in total prize money: a $25,000 grand prize and four $10,000 runner-up awards. The festival used a self-publishing model rather than a traditional festival submission platform. Filmmakers uploaded their shorts directly to Prime Video, where US subscribers could view them during the competition window. This model meant filmmakers did not need a festival premiere status or industry connections to compete. The barrier to entry was low, and selection was partly driven by audience engagement. If the festival remains inactive, consider alternative programs for underrepresented filmmakers, including the NewFest New Voices Filmmaker Grant ($25,000 unrestricted grants to LGBTQ+ directors), Rising Voices by Hillman Grad Productions, and 100 Voices of Florida (up to $5,000 for Florida-connected filmmakers).
Watch
See Also
For similar active opportunities, see the NewFest New Voices Filmmaker Grant and Rising Voices. For understanding how festival strategy fits into a distribution plan, see Film Festival Strategy. For modeling revenue from streaming distribution, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For a broader list of grants for underrepresented filmmakers, see Film Grants and Funding. To compare distribution deal structures, use the Distributor Comparison Tool.
