Submissions Open : 3/23/2026

• Past Festivals

Past Festivals

• 2025

2025

• WINNERS

• NOMINEES

WINNERS 2025

Best comedy
1st audience choice

WALL TO WALL

Francine Souther

Best Action
2ND AUDIENCE CHOICE

Lightning Cast Shadows

Fioh Sion

3RD audience choice

When the Sky Began to Burn, Azem's Final Days

Keira Sakura

Best 3d animation

Black Mage Training

Buryo Chuuni

best 2d animation

IMAWANOKIWA / iyowa

V

Best cinematography

TV Finally Comes to Eorzea

Alpacalipsffxiv

Best Live action

literally the worse video in the hildi's live action cause peter ran out of time

Peter Spak

Best art direction

Who Are You Now

Prim

best narrative

Under the Moonlight 2

Bloodlines

best music video

TICKING AWAY

Coffee Cat

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

Please read the rules carefully! Submissions that do not comply will be disqualified from judging :

• For further clarification on the rules listed above please check our guidelines here!

Be sure to click or tap the judge's image to view their profile:

Be sure to click or tap the judge's image to view their profile:

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!

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!

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!

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:

Participants may not use generative Ai in their submitted works. The use of generative Ai in the form of visual and audio assets are prohibited and will lead to disqualification.Example: If your project makes use of Ai voice actors, Ai generated music, or Ai generated graphics/media. If we suspect a project of using Ai, the creator will be reached by staff and their entry may be removed from the event.We are dedicated to ensuring that the focus of our festival remains on the human machinima artists, animators, and cinematographers.

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!

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:

[email protected]

Our team will discuss all inquiries and respond in a timely manner to ensure you are up to date and ready to create!

literally the worse video in the hildi's live action cause peter ran out of time

Peter Spak

Mango Manderville

Personal Assistant