Guidelines 2026

• Everyone is encouraged to participate.

• To participate, you must produce at least one, true documentary about your life. 

• Your documentary must consist of video-journal entries –– uploaded daily to a public, video-sharing platform like Vimeo or YouTube.

• Once complete, your video-journal is ready for cinematic editing –– yielding an episode ("Episode"). All Episodes will ultimately be audited for accuracy.

• Episode duration must be greater than 60 and less than 61 minutes of total runtime. 

• Episodes must include full confessions from their central cast-members.

• Hecho 8 must grant final approval before any Episode can be seen publicly, which includes online screenings. Approval of any Episode will be granted after its first screenings by the Festival de Cannes ("Festival"). 

• 100% independent of other organizations, Hecho 8 still recognizes the Festival's theological importance, therefore, all Episodes must adhere to the Festival's rules found here: https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/take-part/submit-a-film/.

Important Deadlines:

• March 7, 2026 (Hecho 8 Initial Review)

• March 13, 2026 (Festival's Registration for Selection)

• March 20, 2026 (Festival's Submission for Selection)

• April 9, 2026 (Festival's Selection Announcement)

• May 12 – 23, 2026 (Festival's 79th Edition)

Production Steps

These 12 steps are designed to help you a successful Episode. Some of these steps will take minutes, others months. Please thoughtfully and truthfully complete each step to ensure success:

• Step 1: Write down your bucket list. While doing so, imagine you have six months to live, thereby avoiding pursuits such as money and material possessions.

• Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20, Verses 1-17).

• Step 3: Set up your technology. Start deciding how you'll Video Record (smartphone, tablet, DSLR camera, Digital Cinema Camera), Publish Videos of Dailies (Vimeo, Youtube), and Store Data (iCloud, Google, external SSD, internal SSD, SD card).

• Step 4: Record and publish your confession to a sharing platform – using any title you wish for the upload. The important thing here is the video is timestamped and publicly available for a future audit.

• Step 5: Book your bucket list trip. Given new situation(s), the time spent for each leg of your trip will vary. To remain nimble, consider flexible travel options such as one-way flights, varying transportation methods, valid passport(s), etc.

• Step 6: Open up your calendar.

• Step 7: Begin your journey, recording your local environment wherever you may be. Whether on a  flight or in the mountains, capture the journey with the first take, shooting horizontally, and thereby cinematically, while gathering b-roll so the audience sees what's around you too. Whenever something peculiar happens nearby, capture and upload it by the end of each day. For example: Dailies (Mar. 2018 - Nov. 2021). 

• Step 8: Document changes to your health.

• Step 9: Compile your footage in an external SSD, or another local hard drive, so you can begin editing your Episode without needing internet access.

• Step 10: Begin to edit your film. Start by Downloading Video Editing Software (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premier, iMovie). Some of these options are free; others offer free trials. You may decide to hire a professional editor, but expect to pay a substantial amount of money for what you otherwise could edit for free.

• Step 11: Add a soundtrack. Ask a musician for permission to use their songs in your Episode. Not only will you promote their artistry, but you'll have an opportunity meet new people, scout upcoming talent, and gather footage from unique locations. Note: Musicians may also score their own Episodes.

• Step 12: Write the credits. Leave space for the Director credit –– and additional credits. Unlike other genres of cinema, Synoptics Episodes acknowledge one (1) shared Creator of the universe (" يَهوه "). This name must follow the phrase "Directed by" in every Synoptics credit. No longer impossible, seeing this Director with your own eyes ("Beatific Vision") will confirm your credit as producer ("Producer") of Synoptics.

• Step 13: Submit your Episode for review. Once you have a final cut, upload it to your sharing platform and email a link to download all of your dailies to: hechoeterno [at] gmail [dot] com. You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 24 hours. 

• Step 14: Wait for next steps.

What Happens Next?

Over the coming weeks, other Producers will watch your movie, review your dailies, and perhaps follow up with questions to establish the authenticity of your Episode. In certain

cases, you may be requred to re-edit portion(s) of your Episode. Hecho 8 may choose to add 

" يَهوه ", Producer credits, and French subtitles. Next, you can expect: 

• One (1) Screening: Producers will screen the final cut of the Episode together with you.

• Upon agreement on a web-call, you may receive a link to download your completed Episode, and by doing so agree to upload email it to the Festival's filmmaker's portal.

• Cost: $60 EURO (Paid directly to the Festival).

• Festival Deadline: March 13/20th 2026.

• Festival Response: by April 9, 2026.

• If selected, you will be required to travel to France sometime May 12 – 23, 2026. You will be required to provide a trailer, so for reference, a samle is provided here:

Official Trailer: "Luc" (2026)