AICP has announced the call for entries for the 2026 Camp Kuleshov trailer competition for emerging creative artists. Nicknamed Camp K, the annual editing, graphics, music score and sound design competition challenges editing entrants to take an existing film (or films) and transform it into a trailer for an entirely new film in a completely different genre. Aspiring sound designers are asked to reimagine a section of an existing film, while young composers are asked to score a section of a film that never had music. And finally, emerging talent in visual effects and graphic design can create the opening title sequence to a film that never had one. The deadline for entries is September 18. Full details, including rules and the film list, can be found by clicking here.
“The up-and-coming talent in postproduction has a very different road to travel than when I came up,” noted Chris Franklin, founder/editor at Big Sky Editorial, and a member of the Camp K Committee who spearheads the film selection for the competition. “The opportunities for moving your career forward can be hard to find, so Camp K is a great chance for them to challenge themselves, and to show the community what they’re capable of.”
Camp K is a bifurcated competition with entrants competing regionally–East, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. The first-place winners in each category at the regional level move on to compete for the grand prize–The Lev–in their category.
In addition to a trophy and bragging rights, winners of the Lev receive a $1,000 gift card provided by AICP partner Musicbed + Filmsupply. Additionally, winners receive gift cards (valued at $500 each) to use on the Musicbed and Filmsupply sites. Lev winners are presented at the AICP Awards in Chicago, happening this year on November 19.
Camp Kuleshov–and its top honor–is named for the legendary Russian film theorist Lev Kuleshov, whose early 20th-century experiments demonstrated how the order and juxtaposition of shots could shape audience perception–a concept known as the “Kuleshov Effect.” His work laid the foundation for modern film editing.
Camp K categories include: Editorial, Graphics, Sound Design, and Music Score. The competition is open to editorial and audio assistants, junior graphic artists, junior creatives, admin assistants, and entry-level employees at AICP member postproduction and production companies. Students and interns who are actively engaged with a member company may also enter Camp K. The competition is also open to assistants and junior-level employees at companies that are members of the Association of Music Producers (AMP).
The 2026 Camp K film list
There is no magic formula to a winning Camp K entry. “There are no common themes, it’s just great work,” noted Franklin. “When we go through the work in judging, it’s all editors, mixers, sound designers and visual effects artists with decades of combined experience looking at all the entrants’ work. I can speak for all to say that it’s an incredibly inspiring experience to see these young, hungry craftspeople laying themselves out there. It’s a hard thing to do, and we all have tremendous respect and admiration for anyone who gives it a shot.
The source films for each Camp K category run the gamut from the obscure to the mainstream, and span many decades. The list is curated to give entrants a variety of genres, styles and tones to ensure success. A sampling of the films on the 2026 roster include: “Rashomon,”; “The Man Who Fell to Earth”: “Air Bud”; “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”; “West Side Story”; and “Eyes Wide Shut.”
“We try to mix it up [the film selection] as best we can from 100 years of cinema,” explained Franklin. “We do work in some invisible threads throughout to help with creating a spark.”
The Camp K coaching process
Camp K is designed to encourage rising talent to hone their creative instincts and problem-solving skills, while connecting them with more seasoned artists. Any Camp K entrant can avail themselves of a “Coach” who provides guidance and evaluation as an
entrant is crafting their piece. Entrants are paired with coaches from different regions.
For example, if you’re based in New York, your Camp K coach may be based in Chicago or Los Angeles.
The 2026 Coaching Line-up includes:
● Pete Crimi, Mixer & Sound Designer, Sound Lounge, New York
● Megan Marie Connolly, Editor, Cosmo Street Edit, Chicago
● Mark Tyler, Editor, Northern Lights, New York
● Chris Franklin, Founder/Editor, Big Sky Edit, New York
● Joe O’Connell, Principal Mix Engineer & Sound Designer, Sonic Union, New York
● Mike Wolfe, Editor, Session City, Venice, CA
● Jay Nelson, Founding Editor, Cut + Run, Los Angeles
● Valerie Lasser, Editor, Big Sky Edit, New York
● Matt Nelson, Managing Director, Storefront Music, New York
● Ben Winter, Editor, Optimus
Franklin works with his fellow Camp K committee members who structure the competition and plan all the events. In addition to Franklin, the committee includes: Yvette Cobarrubias, Cosmo Street; Justine Cortale, Sonic Union; Chris Gipson, Republic; Kacie Gomez, Cosmo Street; Lauren Hertzberg, Cut+Run; Robby Hurd, Musicbed + Filmsupply; Katelyn Lanigan, Optimus; Valerie Lasser, Big Sky Edit; Matt Nelson, Storefront Music; Susan Munro, Hybrid; Jay Nelson, Cut+Run; Jaclyn Paris, Cosmo Street; Jody Peters, Northern Lights; Gloria Pitagorsky, Heard City; Ron Rendon, Jogger ; Ethan Robertson, Cosmo Street; Dianne M. Rodriguez, Cosmo Street; Starr Session, Hybrid; Kate Smith, Flavor; Dana Villarreal, Sound Lounge; and Ben Winter, Optimus.
Supporting all Camp K competitions is Avid, which will present certificates for Media Composer or Pro Tools to the first-place winners in each chapter, and Musicbed and Filmsupply, an AICP Partner, which is making selections from its production music
library available to entrants.
