How To Play

Kick The Ladder
One Minute Film
Your film must never exceed one minute.
Made within one week
Create the film within one week of receiving the film prompt.
Join the Archive
Every week, a new batch of one-minute micro-shorts is released.

This Week’s KTL Film Prompt:

Runtime 1-minute (or less)
Time to make it 1-week (or less)
#KTL52L
Exactly 5 props
and all shots must be locked-down/stationary.
Prompted Sep 7, 2026
Submission deadline Sep 14, 2026 · 11:48 AM
Submit your film

Weekly online 1-minute film challenge

Submit your KTL Film

Kick the Ladder is a weekly online film challenge. A random filmmaking prompt drops every Monday — you have 1 week to submit a 1 minute film.

1

Create an account

2

Make a one-minute film

You have within a week to make it once the prompt is generated.
Follow the prompts to the best of your interpretation.
Upload your film to YouTube.

3

Submit your YouTube link before the deadline

Paste your YouTube link into the form.
One film per player per week.

Submission Deadline

Monday, September 14th, 2026 · 11:48 AM EDT

4

Your film goes live

Monday at 11:48 PM ET, every film goes live with a batch of other films that followed the same prompt — the same instant next week’s prompt drops.

Watch the most recent batch →
Watch films

The rules (there aren’t many)

A KTL film is one minute or less, made within a week of the prompt — that’s the default. Some prompts change it: a different required length, or an earlier deadline. Either way, only two things are ever enforced:

  • One minute or less. The site won’t accept a film that runs more than a few seconds past 1:00 (or past whatever length the prompt sets).
  • Beat the deadline. Once the submission deadline passes, that week is closed — you can’t submit. Some prompts set an earlier deadline than the usual weekly cutoff.

Everything else in the prompt is subjective, and up to your interpretation. Play it the way the audience would expect, find a creative loophole, or just follow it to the best of your understanding — it all counts. The only things we regulate are how long your film is and when it’s submitted.

The golden rule: if there’s no rule that says you can’t, you can.

Can I shoot on my phone?
Yes. There’s no rule that says you can’t — phone, DSLR, webcam, whatever you’ve got.
Can it be a music video, a documentary, animation…?
Yes — any style, any genre. If there’s no rule against it, it’s fair game.
Can I shoot anywhere — out of state, out of the country?
Anywhere you like. There’s no location rule.
Can I work with a team, actors, a crew?
Of course — solo or a full crew, your call. There’s no rule that says you can’t.
Can I use footage I filmed before?
Yes. There’s no rule that says you can’t — shoot fresh, use footage you already had, or mix both.
Can I make an extended cut?
Yes. There’s no rule that says you can’t. Your KTL entry is the one-minute film, but a longer cut is yours to make and share however you like.
How long can my film be?
One minute or less. The site won’t accept a film more than a few seconds past 1:00.
What if I miss the deadline?
Once the submission deadline passes, that week is closed and you can’t submit that film. But a fresh prompt — and a fresh deadline — drops every Monday.
Why YouTube?
Because you own and control your film. You upload it to your own YouTube channel and paste us the link — we just embed it here, so every view still counts on your video. KTL is really an archive of YouTube links: if you ever want to take your film down, for any reason, at any time, you can. It also keeps our costs low and lets us build playlists.