All Voices Film Festival

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 The festival's domain (allvoicesfilmfestival.com) is no longer active, and no subsequent editions have been confirmed since 2019.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.

Prize Structure and Awards

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.

2019 Winners

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.

Submission and Selection Process

The All Voices Film Festival used a self-publishing model rather than a traditional festival submission platform like FilmFreeway:

1. Self-publish to Prime Video: Filmmakers uploaded their short films directly to Amazon Prime Video via Prime Video Direct (formerly Amazon Video Direct).
2. Customer engagement period: Films were available for US Prime subscribers to watch during the competition window (June 3 to June 24, 2019).
3. 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).
4. 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.

Current Status

The All Voices Film Festival has not been confirmed to have run beyond its inaugural 2019 edition. The festival's standalone website (allvoicesfilmfestival.com) is no longer active. Amazon has not publicly announced subsequent editions as of July 2026. The Amazon Prime Video page that hosted the festival content (amazon.com/b?node=18338484011) may or may not still be accessible.

Filmmakers who encounter this listing should verify whether the festival has been revived before planning a submission. Check Amazon Studios' official announcements and FilmFreeway for any active listing. If the festival remains inactive, consider the alternative programs listed below.

Similar Active Programs for Underrepresented Filmmakers

If the All Voices Film Festival is no longer active, filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds should consider these alternatives:

• NewFest New Voices Filmmaker Grant (supported by Netflix) - $25,000 unrestricted grants to four emerging LGBTQ+ directors annually. US-based filmmakers who have directed at least one short film with LGBTQ+ content. Applications for the 2026 cycle closed in February 2026. Visit newfest.org/new-voices-filmmaker-grant for details.
• Rising Voices (Hillman Grad Productions, 271 Films) - discovers and invests in diverse perspectives through film. Visit risingvoicesfilms.com for current cycle information.
• 100 Voices of Florida - up to $5,000 for Florida-connected filmmakers, supporting finishing funds, festival submission fees, and production costs. Visit 100vof.com for details.
• Emerging Voices Film Foundation (UK) - two filmmakers each receive GBP 1,000 grant plus GBP 1,000 kit hire credit and mentoring. Visit emergingvoicesfilmfoundation.com for details.

Who Should Apply (If Revived)

If the All Voices Film Festival resumes, it would be relevant for:

• US-based short filmmakers (up to 40 minutes) from underrepresented backgrounds
• Filmmakers of color, LGBTQ filmmakers, filmmakers with disabilities, veteran filmmakers, and filmmakers from ethnic, gender, or religious minorities
• Filmmakers with completed shorts seeking both cash prizes and streaming distribution on a major platform
• Filmmakers whose work is created by or prominently features people from marginalized communities

The festival's self-publishing model meant that 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. This made it accessible to first-time filmmakers without representation.

Historical Context

The All Voices Film Festival launched at a moment when streaming platforms were competing to build cultural relevance through diversity initiatives. Amazon Studios had already released "Manchester by the Sea" (2016), the first streaming-originated film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The festival was part of Amazon's broader strategy to identify and platform emerging talent from communities that traditional Hollywood pipelines had overlooked. 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 festival also reflected a broader industry shift in 2018-2019, following the #OscarsSoWhite movement and increased pressure on studios and streamers to invest in diverse storytelling. Whether Amazon will revive the festival or replace it with a new initiative remains unclear.

See Also

For similar active opportunities, see the NewFest New Voices Filmmaker Grant and Rising Voices. For understanding how festival strategy fits into a film's distribution plan, see Film Festival Strategy: Getting Your Film Seen. For modeling the revenue implications of streaming distribution, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For a broader list of grants for underrepresented filmmakers, browse the full Film Grants Directory.