THE HILDI AWARDS
The Hildi Awards is a Final Fantasy XIV machinima and film festival! We want to spotlight new talent as well as challenge experienced creators in an event that will collectively improve our craft!This project was started by a group of passionate machinima artists who desired to see a dedicated event for our medium. We want to reach everyone who has ever considered making a FFXIV video to challenge, inspire, and grow the community!We will be releasing more information regarding where to upload finished projects as we approach the submission deadline, so be sure to follow on socials to stay up to date.
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A Note From the Creators...
After the 2023 Fan Fest video contest, Dragomaki found himself searching for a similar event—something that truly celebrated the art of machinima and storytelling within the community. When his search came up short, he approached Ohsighres with an idea: what if they created a festival of their own? Before they knew it, there was a Discord server buzzing with excitement, a dedicated team forming behind the scenes, and even trophies in the works.Once the vision was set in motion, we hit the ground running. Our first priority was finding passionate and talented individuals who not only appreciate machinima and storytelling but also share the drive to bring this art form into the spotlight. With their help, the festival has grown into something truly special. We now have multiple videographers creating stunning advertisements to build excitement, skilled housing designers crafting a breathtaking venue for an unforgettable night of celebration, and custom-made awards designed by Ohsighres himself—keepsakes to ensure this moment stays with you forever.Looking back, we couldn’t have asked for a better team or a more supportive community to help bring this dream to life. This event isn’t just about showcasing talent—it’s about celebrating you, the creators and dreamers who make this community what it is. We’re honored to host this festival and can’t wait to share this experience with all of you.
- Dragomaki & Ohsighres
RULES
Please read the rules carefully! Submissions that do not comply will be disqualified from judging :
Submissions must be 1-8 minutes in length. (Entries that are animations may be between 0:30 - 8mins).
No personal information (PII), personal attacks, or harassment allowed.
No NSFW content or violations of Twitch/YouTube's terms of service.
AI voices can only be used if they are provided with proper consent under a license agreement.
No generative AI images or video may be entered.
Collaborative works are allowed, as long as the contestant submitting the work is the primary creator.
Video entries must not have been previously released to the public prior to submission (clips/sneak peaks are permitted).
Entries may be shared publicly after they have been submitted.
Team productions are permitted as long as they are submitted as a team (e.g. Magitek Productions, Channel 14, Kupo Studios, Luv Buns etc.) You can have other creators featured as stand-ins or characters in your work, but you must have created the video submission yourself.
Creators have complete freedom over their content and are encouraged to submit their best work.
Additional details on sign-ups, judging, and the event schedule will be provided soon. This festival promises to be a celebration of creativity, community, and the power of storytelling!
JUDGES
Be sure to click or tap the judge's image to view their profile:
CloudieXiV
Celestial Celaia
Noob Adventurer
JoleeXIV
Saucey Noodles
Lil Raskal
SensusYT
The Categories
Listed below are the categories we are considering for judging! When you enter your project be sure to pick one the best represents your video!
Audience Choice
This award is decided by the audience via ballot, honoring the film that resonates most with viewers. All entries are automatically entered in this category.
Best Action
Highlights films with outstanding action sequences, fight choreography, and adrenaline-pumping storytelling.
Best Art Direction
Recognizes exceptional visual design including sets, color grading, costumes, and overall aesthetic cohesion.
Best Cinematography
Honors outstanding visual storytelling through camera work, lighting, framing, and movement.
Best Comedy
Celebrates the funniest and most entertaining film that successfully uses humor to engage the audience.
Best Live Action
Recognizes outstanding performances and storytelling in live-action films, focusing on directing, acting, and production quality ( IE: Skits, Cosplays or even full re-enactments).
Best Music Video
Recognizes the most compelling use of music and visuals to tell a story or convey a mood, celebrating creative direction, performance, and editing techniques.
Best Narrative
Honors films with the most compelling and well-structured storytelling, focusing on character development, dialogue, and emotional depth.
Best 2D Animation
Celebrates excellence in 2D animated storytelling, character design, and visual style.
Best 3D Animation
Honors exceptional 3D-animated films that showcase technical precision, artistic design, and engaging narratives.
The Prize!
One winner from each of the 9 judged categories will be recieving one Hildibrand statue with their winning category and year printed on it.The top 3 winners in the audience choice award will also be winning a Hildi in a gold, silver, bronze ranking!
Guidelines
Category Submissions:
Participants may submit entries in up to two separate categories, but only one video may be submitted per category. Each video must be unique and cannot be submitted in multiple categories.Example: If you wish to compete in two categories, you must create two distinct videos—one for each category. This rule encourages careful planning and specialization, ensuring your submission aligns with the scoring criteria for the chosen category.For those aiming to take home more than one award, excelling in multiple categories is both an admirable and challenging goal. It requires deliberate effort and strategic planning to maximize performance across categories. Participants may also choose to submit just one video in a single category, which is completely acceptable. Ultimately, success depends on your ability to create exceptional content within your chosen category.
Team Participation:
Participants may form teams or production groups to submit entries. Teams are allowed to submit up to two videos in separate categories just like singular individuals. However, by submitting as a team, all members forfeit the right to submit work individually.For example, if "Team Rocket" submits any videos as a group, no individual member of “Team Rocket” may submit separate entries. To be clear: If “Team Rocket” consists of Jessie, James and Meowth. All three of them are now considered a team. Those three individuals will forfeit their right to enter the festival solo. This ensures fair competition and equal opportunities for all participants.If a team is determined the winner of a category, only one “Hildi Award” will be presented to the entire team. It is up to the team to determine ahead of time who will be the representative of said team and will be receiving the award on their behalf.
Mod Usage:
We embrace creativity and acknowledge that filmmakers use various tools and platforms to bring their visions to life. Therefore, the use of mods—whether for visual enhancements or tools such as Cammy or Brio—is fully permitted.Given the diversity in software and workflows, we believe imposing limitations on creative tools would be counterproductive. Instead, we encourage participants to leverage available resources to produce the highest quality content possible.
AI Usage:
We recognize the growing role of AI in content creation and wish to set clear guidelines for its use. AI-generated voice work is permitted, provided proper licensing and permissions are granted.For example, platforms like Eleven Labs Studio offer voices with explicit permission for use, which we consider acceptable. Unauthorized use of someone’s voice without their knowledge or consent, however, is strictly prohibited. AI-generated visual content and artwork, however, will not be accepted.This festival is dedicated to celebrating the art of filmmaking, emphasizing content that is filmed, directed, and produced by the participants themselves. We expect all visual components of submissions to be original and created without AI assistance. If suspected of stealing authentic voices from unwilling participants the judges will review and you may be disqualified from the festival.
Hate Speech Policy:
We are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment. Hate speech of any form will not be tolerated. While we support freedom of expression, this does not equate to freedom from consequences. Any submission containing direct forms of hate speech, with a clear intent to insult, harm, or demean individuals or groups, will result in immediate disqualification. We expect all participants to contribute positively to the festival’s atmosphere and respect the dignity of others.
Audience Choice Award:
The Audience Choice Award is entirely vote-based and determined by popular vote. Judges will not influence the outcome of this category. It represents the voice of the audience and highlights the most favored submission based on public opinion.This is also the only category in which the Judges and Staff of the Hilidi’s Festival are permitted to participate. To ensure impartiality and eliminate any concerns regarding favoritism, we decided that Judges and Staff would refrain from entering other categories where their involvement might raise questions of fairness. This approach allows our esteemed judges to enjoy and actively participate in the festival without compromising the integrity of the competition.Additionally, the Audience Choice Award does not require registration. All films submitted to the festival are automatically eligible for this award, regardless of the category they were originally entered in. By submitting your film to the festival, you are automatically considered for the Audience Choice Award—no additional steps are required.This category also provides even more opportunities to be recognized, as it is the only category that includes second- and third-place winners, giving more chances to walk away with an award.
Final Notes:
This festival is about showcasing talent, creativity, and dedication to the art of filmmaking. While there is a trophy to be won, the primary purpose of this live event is to celebrate machinima making and content creation. It will be a tribute to the work of all participants, providing an engaging and visually stunning experience for the community.We encourage participants to embrace the challenge, push their creative boundaries, and produce work that inspires and captivates audiences. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your submissions!
Our Staff!
Contact Us
For any questions regarding submissions or the event you may reach us through our open DMs across The Hildis social media accounts. Furthermore you can reach us via email at:
Our team will discuss all inquiries and respond in a timely manner to ensure you are up to date and ready to create!