Vertical48 Microdrama Challenge
Do you know how to hook an audience in one-episode?
Can you leave them hanging on a cliff-hanger wanting more?
Then grab a team and register for VERTICAL48 – a Koala Reels microdrama episode challenge.
All you will have to do is to write and create the first episode of a microdrama based on the challenge requirements that will be given to everyone at the opening session.
Not sure what exactly a microdrama is? Then check out the recordings for our recent forum here.
This competition is 100% online – and is open to all creatives within Australia only.
REGISTRATION FEE: $10.00 PER TEAM
Registration Dates
OPEN: 01 Aug 2026
CLOSE: 09 Sept 2026
Official Launch Session
via Zoom
4.00pm AEST
Friday, 11 Sept 2026
Submissions Due
Midnight (11.59pm)
Sun, 13 Sept 2026
Winners Announced
4.00pm AEST
Friday, 02 Oct 2026
PRIZES & AWARDS
Overall Winner – $250 Cash Prize
The team that best captures the full spirit of the Vertical48 challenge. This is the entry that delivers on every element of the brief while telling a story that genuinely connects — an opening that pulls the audience in, characters the audience feels something for, and a closing beat that leaves them needing to know what happens next. This is the microdrama that proves a complete, emotionally resonant story can be told in under three minutes.
Judged on: execution of challenge requirements, storytelling and character engagement, strength of hook and cliff-hanger, overall craft.
Best Cliff-hanger
For the team that nails the art of the hook.
This award celebrates the entry that grips its audience from the very first frame and leaves them desperate for episode two — a true masterclass in the opening-hook-to-cliff-hanger format microdramas are built around.
Judged on: strength of opening hook, pacing, impact of closing cliffhanger.
Best Use of Prop
For the team that turns a simple challenge requirement into a standout creative moment. This award recognises the most clever, unexpected, or memorable integration of the required prop into the episode — proof that the best ideas often come from the tightest constraints.
Judged on: creativity, originality, how naturally the prop is woven into the story.
Best Performance
For the actor or ensemble that brings the story to life. With just a handful of cast and 48 hours on the clock, this award celebrates the performance that made the biggest impact — believable, compelling, and unforgettable in under three minutes.
Judged on: believability, emotional range, chemistry between cast members.
Best Cinematography
For the team that makes one location feel like a whole world. This award recognises outstanding visual storytelling — camera work, lighting, and framing that elevate the story, regardless of budget or gear.
Judged on: camera work, lighting, framing, use of location.
