OpenArt Ad Awards 2026 · Guide

How to win the OpenArt Ad Awards.Thirty seconds, fifteen awards, one platform to make it on.

The first call closed on 30 September 2026 and the winners are due on 12 October. No second call is announced. Here are the rules, the awards, including a $5,000 Seedance Award with BytePlus, and how to prepare an ad now, with the script and the storyboard in ScreenWeaver. The footage itself must be made on OpenArt.
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  • Entries closed 30 September
  • Winners due 12 October
  • $5,000 Seedance Award
Voidborn · Episode 0

Independent guide. ScreenWeaver does not organise these awards and is not affiliated with OpenArt, BytePlus or the other partners. Rules read on 1 October 2026. Official page

Available today in ScreenWeaver: free screenwriting, and a storyboard generated from your screenplay with Storyboard Beta, $9.99 a month.

Rolling out: video generation of each shot, powered by Seedance, with the Filmmaker plan. Footage made in ScreenWeaver does not count here, since the awards require visuals created on OpenArt.

The rules on one card

What the awards asked for.

OpenArt presents the awards with Alibaba, BytePlus, MiniMax, Machine Cinema and Wonder Studios. The page calls the entry four steps, all required, and says a missed step makes the entry invalid.
Prize pool
$50,000 across 15 awards
Ad of the Year
$15,000
Seedance Award
$5,000, with BytePlus
Entries
Closed 30 September 2026, 11:59 PM PDT
Winners
Announced 12 October 2026
Length
30 seconds to 2 minutes
Made on
All AI visuals created on OpenArt, any model
People on screen
No real face or voice, yours included

Source: the awards page and the official rules on OpenArt's Notion, read on 1 October 2026. The page is a summary and the Notion rules win if they differ. No entry fee or jury is stated, and no 2027 call is announced.

Key dates

Twenty days to enter, then a wait.

The window was short. <b>If a second call follows, expect the same pace</b> and prepare before it opens.

  1. 10 Sep 2026

    Entries opened

    The submission form opened at 10:00 AM PDT.

  2. 30 Sep 2026

    Entries closed

    The deadline was 11:59 PM PDT, with no late submissions.

  3. 12 Oct 2026

    Winners announced

    All fifteen awards are announced on this date, according to the page.

  4. Not announced

    A next call

    Nothing is published about a 2027 edition. Follow OpenArt's channels, and treat this page as a rehearsal.

How ads are judged

Seven criteria, no weights.

The organiser lists seven things and gives no points. Read the order as a checklist for a 30 second film: the idea first, then whether it sells, then the craft.

  • Strength and originality of the idea

    One thought a stranger can repeat after a single view. In an ad, the concept is the product. Write it as a sentence before you open any tool.

  • Advertising effectiveness

    Would the ad make someone want the thing, or remember the name? Show the benefit in the first ten seconds and keep the brand mark where a fast scroll still catches it.

  • Quality of execution

    Clean faces, hands that hold a product, no melting text. AI video still garbles small writing, so keep words on screen to a few large ones.

  • Storytelling and communication

    Thirty seconds can still have a beginning, a turn and an end. A tiny story beats a catalogue of beautiful shots.

  • Visual and creative craft

    A held look: one palette, one lens feel, one kind of movement. Editing, grading, sound and typography can be finished anywhere, so finish them well.

  • Appropriate use of AI and OpenArt

    The only criterion that names the platform. Use AI for what a shoot cannot do, and make the process verifiable, since Model Award finalists are checked through your OpenArt links.

  • Overall impact

    The feeling after the last frame. A strong final image and a clean sound ending decide this one.

Category-specific considerations may also apply. The Machine Cinema Award is judged on direction, shot design, visual language and motion. The Wonder Studios Award is judged on storytelling.

The awards

Four ad categories and a model award.

Each entry competes in exactly one ad category and may also take one Model Award. Under each, the angle we would take for a fictional brand.

  • 01

    Best UGC Ad

    Creator-led, social-first advertising: talking to camera, testimonials, demonstrations, direct response. $3,000.

    A human voice is the hardest thing to fake, and real people are not allowed. Make the character invented and consistent, and keep lines short.

  • 02

    Best Fashion and Beauty Ad

    Fashion, beauty, skincare, cosmetics, fragrance, accessories, luxury. Judged on concept, styling, art direction, movement and quality. $3,000.

    Generative video is strong on fabric, light and slow movement. Art direction is the entire brief, so storyboard the palette first.

  • 03

    Best Product Ad

    Advertising where the product is the focus, judged on presentation, concept, execution, product accuracy and commercial quality. $3,000.

    Product accuracy is the trap. A fictional product must look the same in every shot, so fix its design in a reference before you generate.

  • 04

    Best Brand Commercial

    A brand, service or idea where story, emotion or message matters more than showing a product. $3,000.

    The natural fit for a narrative film maker. One small scene with an emotion and a brand line at the end.

  • 05

    Seedance Award

    Presented with BytePlus. Seedance must be the primary video model, and you add your OpenArt generation links. $5,000.

    A Brand Commercial made mainly with Seedance can compete for Ad of the Year, the Seedance Award, both partner awards and People's Choice. Tag BytePlus in your post.

From script to screen

Voidborn: how a shot gets planned.

An ad is a short film with a sale at the end. This is a scene from Voidborn, episode 0, an anime pilot made by the ScreenWeaver team, not for OpenArt. It shows the method: the screenplay page, then each shot as a storyboard frame and as the final image.

Logline. Every seven years, the Rift opens and swallows the world’s dreams. A swordsman sworn to a blind seer escorts her through its levels, toward a promise they made to a girl left behind.

Screenplay · episode 0 · English subtitles

EXT. RUINS OF THE FIRST LEVEL - NIGHT

Broken towers under a violet sky. SIM, a swordsman in a black cloak, walks beside LADY MARIA, blindfolded, all in white.

SIM

Tell me, Maria... do you think Leia believes we are still alive?

MARIA

We made a promise... the two of us.

A line of white automatons rises from the ruins.

AUTOMATON

The Rift will wait for no one.

SIM

What are machines doing at this level?

One automaton steps forward. Its face is blank.

AUTOMATON

We must return to the surface.

Its eyes ignite red.

SIM

I am Sim, guardian of Lady Maria... and I will proceed with your execution.

Steel meets steel. Lightning runs down the blade.

CUT TO:

  1. A swordsman in a black cloak and a blindfolded woman in white walk through ruins at night
    Storyboard frame of the wide shot, in grey
    01

    Wide · the pair

    Wide shot, a bald swordsman in a black cloak and a blindfolded red-haired woman in white walk through night ruins

  2. Medium two-shot of a bald swordsman and a blindfolded red-haired woman
    Storyboard frame of the two-shot, in grey
    02

    Two-shot · the promise

    Medium two-shot, the swordsman and the blindfolded seer side by side, violet night sky, broken towers

  3. Three white humanoid automatons stand in night ruins
    Storyboard frame of the automatons shot, in grey
    03

    Wide · the machines

    Wide low angle, three white humanoid automatons standing in the ruins, cold blue moonlight

  4. Close-up of a white automaton with a smooth blank face
    Storyboard frame of the blank face close-up, in grey
    04

    Close-up · the blank face

    Close-up on an automaton's smooth faceless head, black eye slots, cables at the neck, ruins behind

  5. A white automaton's eyes glow red
    Storyboard frame of the red eyes close-up, in grey
    05

    Close-up · the red eyes

    Same framing, the automaton's eyes ignite red, the swordsman's shoulder out of focus in the foreground

  6. A swordsman strikes with a katana wreathed in lightning and sparks
    Storyboard frame of the clash shot, in grey
    06

    Action · the clash

    Dynamic low angle, the swordsman strikes with his katana, lightning running along the blade, sparks, cape flying

Voidborn, episode 0 runs 13 minutes. An ad would use a 45 second cut of the same method: one hook shot, a character who stays the same, one clear final image. The film took 1st Place Silver and 2nd Place Dreamina at the Mondial Chroma Awards. It was not made on OpenArt and cannot be entered. Watch it in the player to see the sequence in motion.

The script

A 45 second ad in five beats.

The window is 30 seconds to 2 minutes. At 45 seconds you can tell a small story. That is about 12 to 15 shots of 3 to 4 seconds, which is a short storyboard.

  1. 0:00 to 0:03

    The hook

    A strange image or a question. On a feed, the scroll decides here.

  2. 0:03 to 0:12

    The problem

    Who has the problem and what it looks like. Establish the character and the look.

  3. 0:12 to 0:30

    The idea at work

    The product, service or idea solves it. This is the longest beat, so spend your best shots here.

  4. 0:30 to 0:40

    The payoff

    The change, in one gesture or one face.

  5. 0:40 to 0:45

    The end card

    The brand line and logo of the fictional brand. Keep words short.

A post on Instagram, X or LinkedIn is part of the entry. Cut a version that works without sound for the feed, and use English subtitles or an English voice-over if the language is not English.

Step by step

Prepare before the call opens.

There is no deadline to count to, only a window of twenty days last time. Everything except the generation can be done now, for free.
  1. 01

    Until 12 October

    Study the winners

    When the fifteen winners are announced, watch each twice. Note the length, the hook and how the brand shows up.

  2. 02

    October

    Invent three fictional brands

    No real brand IP is allowed, and entries are unlimited but each ad must be distinct. Write one logline per brand and choose a category for each.

  3. 03

    November

    Script and storyboard

    Write the 45 second script free in ScreenWeaver, then generate the storyboard from it. Fix the product or character reference before any footage.

  4. 04

    December

    Test on OpenArt

    Open an OpenArt account and generate a few shots with the model you want to enter with. Learn what Seedance does with your product, and keep the generation links.

  5. 05

    When the call opens

    Generate, edit, post, submit

    Generate on OpenArt, finish the edit anywhere, post publicly with @OpenArt and #OpenArtAdAwards, tag the model partner, then submit the form with your post link.

Disqualification traps

Eight ways to void an entry.

The page says it plainly: miss one step and the entry is invalid. Check each against the Notion rules.

  • Visuals made off OpenArt

    All AI-generated visuals must be created on OpenArt, with any model. Footage from another generator, including ScreenWeaver, does not qualify. Editing and sound can be done anywhere.

  • A real face or voice

    Do not use the face or voice of any real person, including yourself. People and voices in the ad must be fictional and AI-generated.

  • Brands, religion, politics, adult content

    The rules ban real brand IP, religious, political and NSFW content, and anyone's likeness or voice. An invented brand is the safe route.

  • The wrong place to post

    The ad must be posted publicly on Instagram, X or LinkedIn, tagging @OpenArt with #OpenArtAdAwards. A post on any other platform alone is not eligible.

  • A Model Award without proof

    You must tag the model partner, select the Model Award on the form and add your OpenArt generation links. The model must be the primary video model.

  • Outside 30 seconds to 2 minutes

    Under 30 seconds or over 2 minutes is outside the rules.

  • Recycling one ad

    Unlimited entries are allowed, but each needs its own post and must be a distinct work. Resubmitting the same ad with small changes creates no extra entry.

  • No English for another language

    Any language works, with English subtitles or an English voice-over. An ad in another language alone misses the requirement.

Why ScreenWeaver

The footage goes on OpenArt. The ad is made before that.

These awards lock the generation to OpenArt. ScreenWeaver does not replace that step. It covers the idea, the script and the storyboard, where most ads are won or lost.

  • A script made for 30 seconds

    A short film script and a spot script are different jobs. Write the beats with a timer, and cut every line that does not sell.

  • A storyboard that locks the product

    Every shot is tied to its scene before you generate. You arrive on OpenArt knowing which fifteen frames you need, and which reference keeps the product the same.

  • The same model family

    ScreenWeaver's footage pipelines run on Seedance 2.0 and 2.5, the model behind the Seedance Award. For these awards, the Seedance footage must come from OpenArt.

  • A free first step

    The Screenwriter plan costs $0 with no end date, enough to write and polish your ad script. At $9.99 a month, Storyboard Beta adds the storyboard, and the Filmmaker plan brings video generation.

Real productions

International festival-recognized films have been written and produced with ScreenWeaver.

ScreenWeaver is already being used as a creative workspace for real AI film productions, from cinematic shorts to animated series pilots selected, nominated, and awarded by international festivals.

  • Video thumbnail for VOIDBORN

    VOIDBORN

    AI animated / cinematic short

    Festival recognition

    • 1st Place Silver

      Mondial Chroma Awards

    • 2nd Place Dreamina

      Mondial Chroma Awards

    • Award Winner

      Seoul International AI Film Festival

  • Video thumbnail for Les Fils du Vinnana

    Les Fils du Vinnana

    AI short film

    Festival recognition

    • Honorable Mention

      Top Quark Film Festival

    • People's Choice Nominee

      Illuminate Oneness of Humanity

    • Nominee

      ALTFF Supershort

  • Video thumbnail for Lost Garden

    Lost Garden

    AI animated series pilot

    Festival recognition

    • Finalist

      AI London Festival

See what creators are building

The pipeline

Write. Board. Produce.

  1. ScreenWeaver screenplay editor: acts, sequences and beats above the formatted script of The Yellow Umbrella

    01The screenplay, enriched

    An industry-standard screenplay editor, and more: a visual outline and beat editor, your writing inspirations (notes, photos, audio) kept next to the page, and an AI researcher to support your writing, not replace it.

  2. ScreenWeaver storyboard: shot S3 of The Yellow Umbrella with characters, shot settings and the script beside it

    02The storyboard, made easy

    Shot breakdown generated from your screenplay, manual control over every shot (frame, angle, movement, duration), and generative AI previsualization in one click.

  3. ScreenWeaver production canvas: shots S3 and S4 as connected nodes carrying their storyboard panels and prompts

    03AI production, with finesse

    Footage generation pipelines connected to your screenplay and storyboard. Optimized out of the box, fully editable workflow.

More AI film festivals

Guides for other festivals

Go further

Guides for ad and contest films

FAQ

The OpenArt Ad Awards, your questions

How do you win the OpenArt Ad Awards?
Ads are judged on seven criteria with no published weights, led by the strength of the idea. Make an original 30 second to 2 minute ad for a fictional brand, generate the visuals on OpenArt, post it on Instagram, X or LinkedIn, and submit the link. A tight concept beats a pile of pretty shots.
Can I make my ad with ScreenWeaver?
For the script and the storyboard, yes. For the footage, no: all AI-generated visuals must be created on OpenArt. ScreenWeaver's footage pipelines run on Seedance, but footage made in ScreenWeaver does not qualify for these awards.
Are the awards still open?
No. Entries closed on 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT and late submissions were not accepted. Winners are announced on 12 October. Nothing is announced for a second round.
What is the Seedance Award?
A $5,000 award presented with BytePlus. Seedance must be the primary video generation model of your ad. Tag the partner in your post, select the award on the form and add your OpenArt generation links so the model can be verified.
Can one ad win several awards?
Yes, within limits. An ad can be in one ad category and one Model Award. A brand commercial made mainly with Seedance can be considered for Ad of the Year, Best Brand Commercial, the Seedance Award, both partner awards, People's Choice and an Honorable Mention.
Can I use my own images and characters as references?
Yes. Your own images, footage and 3D models can be references and do not need to be made during the contest. You cannot use the face or voice of any real person, yourself included.
Who judges, and how does People's Choice work?
No jury is named. The awards grid describes People's Choice as the ad with the most positive engagement on its public post, and the rules do not detail the count. Machine Cinema and Wonder Studios pick their own awards.
Is there an entry fee for the awards?
The page states no fee. The summary says the Notion rules are the complete version, so check them if a second call appears.

The call is closed. The script is open.

Write your 45 second ad for free today. Storyboard it, then generate it on OpenArt when the next call opens.
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