$5,000 TikTok Micro-Series Challenge

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About this opportunity

Sundance Institute runs Sundance Collab, its online platform for filmmakers and screenwriters, and has partnered with TikTok on a global challenge built around the micro-series: a serialised story told in episodes of roughly one to three minutes. An industry jury picks five finalists, and each one receives an unrestricted $5,000 grant, a Sundance Collab course package, and a live online pitch of their series to the TikTok team. Applying is free and open to anyone aged 18 or over anywhere in the world, provided the work is written in English.

What you get:

$5,000 as an unrestricted grant, shared between you if you apply as a team of two
A Sundance Collab course package, with one for each member of a two-person team
A place in an exclusive online workshop with a Sundance Collab advisor to sharpen your pitch
The chance to pitch your series live online to the TikTok team and a selected jury of TikTok executives

What you'll do:

Submit a micro-series concept package: title, genre, logline, character bios of up to 500 words, a full series synopsis of up to 500 words, and a series bible of one to three pages
Write the script for your first 30 episodes, up to 45 pages in standard screenplay format, submitted as a PDF
Design for the vertical format, aiming at a series of 60 to 80 episodes that each run about 60 seconds to three minutes
If you are selected as a finalist, join the online pitch workshop on November 3 and pitch to TikTok on November 6, both held virtually on Zoom

Key dates:

Submissions opened August 19, 2026
Applications close September 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT
Finalists notified October 30, 2026
Online pitch workshop November 3, 2026
Finalists pitch event November 6, 2026

More information:

Full official rules, judging criteria and prize terms sit on the Terms and Conditions tab of the challenge page
Sundance Collab answers questions on word limits, teams, file links and the TikTok first-look on the FAQ tab
Accessibility accommodations are arranged by email at accessibility@sundance.org
Sundance Collab offers a free on demand course, From Script to Screens: Writing Your Micro-Series, as optional preparation

Who can apply

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission
Open to applicants anywhere in the world, international and United States alike
The application and all supporting materials must be in English, and the programme is conducted in English
All submitted material must be your own original work, and must be unpublished and unproduced
One entry per person or team, and multiple entries result in disqualification
Co-writers and co-creators may apply as a team of up to two, submitting a single application together
No generative AI may be used to create, develop or revise the submission
A free Sundance Collab account is required in order to apply
College and university students are eligible
Employees, officers, directors, agents and immediate family of Sundance Institute and TikTok are not eligible
Submissions cannot be edited, amended or supplemented once sent
Screenwriters, filmmakers and creative teams of up to two people working in short-form vertical storytelling, who have an original series concept that has not been published, produced or shared publicly.

About this opportunity

What you get:

$5,000 as an unrestricted grant, shared between you if you apply as a team of two
A Sundance Collab course package, with one for each member of a two-person team
A place in an exclusive online workshop with a Sundance Collab advisor to sharpen your pitch
The chance to pitch your series live online to the TikTok team and a selected jury of TikTok executives

What you'll do:

Submit a micro-series concept package: title, genre, logline, character bios of up to 500 words, a full series synopsis of up to 500 words, and a series bible of one to three pages
Write the script for your first 30 episodes, up to 45 pages in standard screenplay format, submitted as a PDF
Design for the vertical format, aiming at a series of 60 to 80 episodes that each run about 60 seconds to three minutes
If you are selected as a finalist, join the online pitch workshop on November 3 and pitch to TikTok on November 6, both held virtually on Zoom

Key dates:

Submissions opened August 19, 2026
Applications close September 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT
Finalists notified October 30, 2026
Online pitch workshop November 3, 2026
Finalists pitch event November 6, 2026

More information:

Full official rules, judging criteria and prize terms sit on the Terms and Conditions tab of the challenge page
Sundance Collab answers questions on word limits, teams, file links and the TikTok first-look on the FAQ tab
Accessibility accommodations are arranged by email at accessibility@sundance.org
Sundance Collab offers a free on demand course, From Script to Screens: Writing Your Micro-Series, as optional preparation

Who can apply

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission
Open to applicants anywhere in the world, international and United States alike
The application and all supporting materials must be in English, and the programme is conducted in English
All submitted material must be your own original work, and must be unpublished and unproduced
One entry per person or team, and multiple entries result in disqualification
Co-writers and co-creators may apply as a team of up to two, submitting a single application together
No generative AI may be used to create, develop or revise the submission
A free Sundance Collab account is required in order to apply
College and university students are eligible
Employees, officers, directors, agents and immediate family of Sundance Institute and TikTok are not eligible
Submissions cannot be edited, amended or supplemented once sent
Screenwriters, filmmakers and creative teams of up to two people working in short-form vertical storytelling, who have an original series concept that has not been published, produced or shared publicly.

$5,000 TikTok Micro-Series Challenge

About this opportunity

Who can apply

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$5,000 TikTok Micro-Series Challenge

About this opportunity

Who can apply

AI Verification

Good to know

Worth checking yourself

Sources checked