A new festival bringing together elite athletes, top cinematic storytellers, and digital-first creators
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Shade Studios announces Dynasty, the world’s pioneering sports film festival
A new festival unites premier athletes with acclaimed filmmakers and digital native creators
FESTIVAL SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 22-25 IN SOUTH BEND, IN
Registration is now open at Dynasty Sports Film Festival
NEW YORK, NY, July 20, 2026 — Shade Studios, a prominent digital-first native media company, revealed today the launch of the sports film festival Dynasty (the “Festival”). This first-of-its-kind, multi-day gathering will merge new projects from up-and-coming filmmakers, panels and podcasts featuring athletes and celebrities, anniversary screenings of iconic American sports films, and fan-focused experiences. Dynasty will run from October 22-25, 2026 in South Bend, IN.
Dynasty stands as the first film festival honoring the intersection of athletic drive and cinematic narrative. It also marks the first festival to openly welcome competitive content from the new generation of digital native creators on social platforms. Dynasty will feature competitive categories judged by panels to be revealed later. Television and episodic entries are accepted but will screen outside of competition. Awards will be presented in these categories:
Narrative Feature for sports-focused full-length films
Feature Documentary centered on sport and sports culture
Short Film – All formats ranging from 5 to 40 minutes
Brand Film – Agency and Commercial work, any duration
Social & Digital – Creator Social and Digital Content, both long and short-form accepted
Student Film – Currently enrolled students (all formats)
Submissions open today on Film Freeway.
The iconic location of South Bend, IN serves as a natural setting for a festival celebrating the human spirit’s triumph, as captured in the cherished film Rudy—a cornerstone of American sports cinema filmed near The University of Notre Dame. Drawing on the region’s deep athletic heritage, Dynasty strives to deliver an unforgettable experience for fans nationwide, beginning with the local community. Dynasty is presented in collaboration with Visit South Bend Mishawaka, Downtown South Bend, and the Momentum Entrepreneurship Hub.
Supporting Dynasty is the Content and Production division at Octagon, a worldwide sports marketing leader. To showcase Dynasty’s dedication to fostering student athletes’ personal brand development for future success, Octagon and Dynasty have partnered with RALLY, the Notre Dame marketing and production services group, to secure local talent for festival events. Additionally, the organizers aim to build a long-term alliance with a network of filmmaking programs across the area’s many universities.
Festival content, including exclusive podcasts, interview and Q&A sessions, will stream exclusively on ShadeTV’s YouTube channel, the official digital hub of the Dynasty Sports Film Festival.
Marissa Hill, President and Co-Founder of Shade Studios stated: “As a collegiate athlete who also built a career as a digital creator and film critic, I’ve observed sports and cinematic storytelling increasingly overlap. Dynasty is my effort to establish a dedicated space where those realms can connect and thrive. A world where athletes and filmmakers partner, and where digital native creators are acknowledged as serious talents with meaningful contributions to the cinematic conversation.”
“South Bend is thrilled to welcome the first Dynasty Film Festival and to host athletes, filmmakers, and storytellers in our city,” said Kristopher Priemer, President of Priemer Consulting in South Bend. “At its peak, sports go beyond competition and emerge as a powerful form of cultural narrative. Dynasty provides a unique platform to explore that junction, uniting athletes who have lived extraordinary stories with filmmakers skilled at translating them to the screen. South Bend is an ideal setting for this kind of gathering, and we’re honored to collaborate on the dialogue, connections, and creative energy it will generate.”
For additional details on programming and to register for tickets, visit Dynasty Sports Film Festival
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