Tucumcari Film Festival

Paying homage to Tucumcari’s legendary and rowdy original nickname, "Six Shooter Siding," this is our unique short film challenge! Lock, load, and unleash your creativity. To compete in the [S6] bracket, your film must strictly adhere to the following three rules: 1. The 66-Second Runtime Your narrative footage must run for exactly 66 seconds. (Note: Opening titles and closing credits are exempted from this count). 2. The Six-Shot Limit Your film must consist of exactly 6 shots. No more, no less. Every cut matters! 3. The Western Tropes You must clearly incorporate at least 2 classic Western tropes into your film. You can play them straight, subvert them entirely, or transplant them into a different genre (like sci-fi or horror). Trope Inspiration: High Noon Standoff, Tumbleweed, Lone Drifter, Mexican Standoff, Close-up on Eyes, Spurs Clinking, Ghost Town, Stagecoach, Desperado. Official Competition Rules & Technical Guidelines (The Fine Print) To ensure fairness and a smooth screening process, all submissions to the Six Shooter Siding Six Shot Short Film Competition must adhere to the following technical definitions and legal guidelines. I. Runtime and Pacing Limits Narrative Strictness: The core story of the film must run exactly 01:06:00 (one minute and six seconds). Films that run 65 seconds or 67 seconds will be disqualified. Credit Caps: While titles and credits do not count toward the 66-second narrative limit, they must not exceed a combined total of 15 seconds. II. The Definition of a "Shot" Continuous Capture: A shot is defined as a continuous, unedited sequence of frames captured from the moment the camera starts recording until it stops (or is cut in post-production). No Hidden Cuts: "Invisible cuts" designed to hide a transition and artificially extend a shot are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, whip pans disguised as transitions, morph cuts, object-wiping transitions, or digital compositing used to stitch two separate takes together. III. Thematic Requirements Trope Visibility: The 2 required Western tropes must be distinctly recognizable to the jury and audience. Local Inspiration (Optional but Encouraged): We highly encourage filmmakers to draw inspiration from the actual local lore and regional history of Tucumcari, New Mexico. IV. Format and Delivery Resolution: Minimum 1080p Full HD (1920x1080). 4K submissions are accepted and encouraged. Aspect Ratio: Standard 16:9 is preferred, though anamorphic/cinemascope aspect ratios will be accepted if properly letterboxed. File Type: Submissions must be delivered as high-quality .MP4 or .MOV files. V. Clearances and Content Copyright: All music, sound effects, visual assets, and archival footage must be wholly original, fully owned, or legally licensed by the filmmaker. Audience Rating: Films should aim for a general festival audience (equivalent to a PG-13 rating). Submissions containing excessive gore, explicit sexual content, or gratuitous violence will be disqualified at the jury's discretion. (See general submission guidelines as well) VII. Prizes and Awards Prizes are tentatively a trophy, and t-shirt Cash Prize variable on future sponsors.