PRIZE FEST IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Replay the Food Prize Finalist Chef Announcement Live!
We just unveiled the six finalist chefs advancing to Come and Get It this October at Prize Fest. You won’t want to miss it! Watch via the link below!
Check out the Music Prize Finalist profiles and hear their tunes online!
The Music Prize 2025 Finalists are here! Wondering what the bands sound like? Start here to find new favorite acts and learn the lyrics so that you can shout them from the front of the stage — or from the VIP Lounge!
Watch the final episode of Prize Cast before the Festival!
The show that took the internet by storm in 2020 is back! PrizeCast has returned, bringing you the inside scoop on everything Prize Fest 2025. Join us live each Wednesday at 11AM Central for breaking updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and a few surprises along the way. You never know who’s going to show up. We’ve got special guests lined up from across the Prize Fest universe — but you’ll have to tune in to find out who they are.
Tune in live to the Film Prize Awards Ceremony!
You watched, you voted, now it’s time to find out who won best actress, best actor, and who will take home a filmmaking grant, and who will walk away with the largest cash prize for a short film in the world and an Oscar-Qualifying screening package!
Tune in live on Sunday, October 19th at 11:00 a.m. Central Time.
Deadline to Enter Film, Music, and Comedy Prize
Explore the Prize Competitions
Film Prize: 20 Short Filmmakers compete for up to $50,000 cash!
Filmmakers from all over the world travel to Louisiana to make short films to win the world’s largest cash prize for a short film: $50,000 cash! Many will enter, but only twenty finalists are selected to play the festival. Do you have what it takes to win it all?
Music Prize: Talented musicians take the stage and $10,000 cash!
Musicians take the stage to perform and take a seat to gain mentorship from industry professionals. From the entries, 30 musicians are selected for the semi-finals which will be streamed online. From the streaming vote, the finalists will emerge and play at Prize Fest this fall!
Comedy Prize: best standup set wins $2,500 and more!
Standup comedians sling their best material live on stage to win laughs and votes as they try to grab the $2,500 cash grand prize from a panel of celebrity comedy judges!
Louisiana Food Prize: Chefs create unique dining experiences!
This spring and summer, local chefs create original dishes for the Society of the Golden Fork which votes on their favorites to advance to Louisiana Food Prize Prize Fest in the fall. Don’t miss your chance to meet our community’s next great culinary artists!
Taco Wars: Taquerias Battle for the Best Taco and Salsa!
We love Latino culture and we know you do too. To celebrate amazing local businesses and culture, Louisiana Food Prize recruits local taquerias who will sell tacos and compete for the coveted Golden Taco and Best Salsa. Taste as many salsas as you like, and pick your favorite!
Film Prize Junior: Student Film Competition for Middle and High School
Film Prize Junior is a statewide youth film education program and competition that allows students to tell their own stories through the exciting art of filmmaking. Since 2016, Film Prize Junior has transformed the lives of thousands of Louisiana students, making them more skilled, confident, and engaged learners, and your students could be next!
Explore the Prize Fest Main Attractions
With more events than ever, Prize Fest 2025 is delivering an amazing experience that simply can’t be missed!
Don’t forget to check out the party schedule in the section below!
Celebrity Chef BBQ feat. Top Chef Tristen Epps!
Friday, October 17
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
700 Block of Texas Street
Get some BBQ… Prize style. Three Celebrity Chefs — including Top Chef Winner Tristen Epps — unite with four local chefs to create unique, down home BBQ mains, sides, and dessert just for you and 200 of your closest friends — from protein to fixins, we’ve got it all! Don’t miss the opportunity to savory the flavors of these celebrity chefs. Tickets are limited!
Film Prize: 20 Short Filmmakers compete for up to $50,000 cash!
Thursday-Sunday, October 16-19
Screenings Friday and Saturday Only
Various Venues Across Downtown Shreveport and Bossier City.
Filmmakers from all over the world traveled to Louisiana to make short films, now they will premiere their work and vie for your vote to win the coveted Louisiana Film Prize of $50,000 cash! See all 20 films Friday and Saturday and then vote for the winner! Attend the Red Carpet on Thursday evening and watch the awards ceremony Sunday!
Comedy Prize: 8 Standup Comedians! Two Shows!
Thursday, October 16
7:00pm and & 9:00pm
Prize Garage (211 Market St)
Eight standup comedians take the stage for two two shows at the Remington Garage to make you laugh your ass off as they try to win $2,500 cash from a panel of celebrity comedy judges! Both shows have ALL comedians! This event will have two shows, 7:00pm and 9:00pm. Go to both shows to see all ten!
Food Prize: Come and Get It Premium Culinary Experience!
SOLD OUT!
Wednesday, October 15
6:00-10:00pm
Remington Suite Hotel & Spa
Six local chefs will team up with 6 celebrity chefs from across the country. Together, they will create amazing bites for you! Taste their dishes and then sip specialty drinks by three of our community’s best cocktail artists, then vote for your favorites during this high-end event culinary event!
Music Prize: 10 Musicians play for $14,000 in Prizes!
Friday-Saturday, October 17-18
6:00 p.m. – midnight
Prize Garage (211 Market St)
10 musicians of all genres compete for $10,000 cash. Five acts play on Friday night and another five acts play on Saturday night. Enjoy two nights of music, dancing, drinks, food and fun. Plus vote for the Audience Choice winner!
Food Prize: Battle for the Golden Fork Final Cookoff
Saturday, October 19
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
700 Block of Texas Street
Three finalist chefs, which were selected at Wednesday’s Come and Get It event will face off Chopped-style, live and in-person right in the heart of downtown Shreveport. Cheer on your favorites.
Prize Fest Parties and Special Events
This festival is more than creative competitions, it’s a celebration of community. Join us for these free events throughout the festival.
Film Prize University: Industry Panel Discussions sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development
Thursday, October 16
11:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas Street
Mentor Judges from Film Prize will host panel discussions and Q&As discussing the independent film industry, next steps to grow your filmmaking career, and more. This event is free and open to the public.
Film Prize Red Carpet Event and Party
Thursday, October 16
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Prize Island, 700 Block of Texas Street
Join the filmmakers and the stars of this year’s Louisiana Film Prize on the red carpet. This event, open to all, will feature photographers, a filmmaker speed date, big toast with special drinks and more, all in the middle of Texas Street in downtown Shreveport.
Red Carpet Afterglow Party
Thursday, October 16
9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Prize Island, 700 Block of Texas Street
The party doesn’t stop after the red carpet cameras stop clicking! Join us into the night with special drinks, mocktails just steps away from the red carpet!
Prize Fest Friday Night Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party
Friday, October 17
9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Stray Cat, 222 Travis Street
The Prize Fest After Party goes full NYE— toasts, auld lang syne and a party that won’t quit. Celebrate like it’s almost midnight all night long!
Live DJ at Prize Island
Saturday, October 18
7:30pm — 9:00pm
Live DJs spin the ones and twos live at Prize Island!
Prize Fest Closing Party
Saturday, October 18
10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
The Noble Savage, 417 Texas Street
Close out Prize Fest in style with a special closing party event featuring food and drink — both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. You won’t want to miss this event!
Prize Fest "Big Exhale" Closing Toast!
Saturday, October 18
at 11:00 p.m.
The Noble Savage, 417 Texas Street
Come raise a glass with the biggest, baddest barbaric YAWP ever as we bring home the final night of Prize Fest!
Film Prize 2025 Awards Ceremony
Sunday, October 19
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Find out who won Film Prize 2025 and celebrate an amazing festival year with all of the filmmakers and Prize staff. In-Person attendance is by invitation only, but you can stream online for free here at prizefest.com, on Facebook, and on our YouTube channel!
Golden Lens Photography Competition Sponsored by Bossier Parish Commmunity College
September 27th thru October 19th
This exciting photography competition invites photographers of all levels, from beginners to professionals, to capture the unique essence of Shreveport and Bossier City. Through your lens, we invite you to explore our vibrant community, iconic landmarks, and the spirit of our festivities.
Prize Fest is more than contests.
We love a good contest. We love a good festival. Prize Fest are both of these and so much more. Throughout the preparation period in the spring and the festival in the fall, the Prize Team attracts creative individuals who desire to elevate their craft and create opportunity for themselves to realize their artistic and economic dreams. The festival is not just an exhibition for adoring audiences, it’s also a space for learning, networking, and so much more.
Root for these creative individuals, they are an important spice in our community!
Elevating creatives, building community.
At the Prize, we make opportunities for creatives to grow and elevate their careers in filmmaking, culinary arts, music, and standup comedy. Every Prize competition is a chance to meet working professionals in your industry and to make the very connections that could change the trajectory of your life.
After competing at Prize events, our creatives have started companies, signed deals, opened retail businesses, and traveled the world — you could be next. The only question is: Are you in?
Big Cash Prizes
Sure, we have some of the largest prizes for our creative competitions in the world. One major difference between Prize Fest and other competitions is that we speak green. All of our grand prizes are cash money. You can take that to the bank. Our commitment to prize money doesn’t end at cutting a check, however. Our mentors are available to offer you advice on how to invest your winnings back into your creative endeavors. After all, “it’s called show business, not show art” as actress Jean Seberg would say. Building a successful career doesn’t stop at winning — in fact, it’s just the beginning
An Engaged Audience
Between 6,000 and 10,000 people attend Prize events throughout the year, culminating in our largest event — Prize Fest — which takes place in Shreveport, Louisiana each October. People from across the world come to (and stream) Prize Fest events. But it’s not just about the size of the audience, it’s about how they interact with the artists. Each attendee gets to vote in the competitions, meaning they have a direct impact on the outcome of the festival. And because each audience member has attendance requirements they have to meet in order to vote, they are incentivized to get to know you work better than any festival audience on the planet.
Industry Mentorship
Lots of festivals and competitions have judges and panel discussions with guests. Sometimes those panels are disconnected from the competitors, seated high up on a stage and available only for short conversations afterward. Not at Prize. We have built a network of working industry professionals who have been where you are and want to see you succeed. We make our mentors available to the creative competitors before, during, and after the competition so that you can not only ask them questions, but so you can get to know them and they can get to know you. When you put in the work, who you know can be an incredibly powerful tool.
Real Community
One of the biggest parts of building a career and making moves in this world is building a community around you. Yes, our audience is engaged in your success. Yes, we bring mentors and we write big checks. The biggest thing you can take from Prize, however, is a connection with other artists like you who are driven to succeed. Prize is like summer camp: You will make friendships, find collaborators, and raise glasses screaming to the heavens in celebration of what you have all accomplished individually and together. Beyond all of that, you will carry it forever. In the end, the Prize gives to you what you put in, just like life.