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 a Synoptics episode ("Episode") ultimately to be audited for accuracy.

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

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

• Hecho 8 must grant final approval before any Episode can be seen publicly. This includes online screenings. Approval of any Episode will be granted after its first screenings conducted by the Festival de Cannes ("Festival"). While Hecho 8 is 100% independent, it recognizes the Festival's theological role, and therefore, all Episodes must also adhere to additional Festival 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 of Synoptics: Season 2. Some of these steps will take minutes, others months. Please thoughtfully and truthfully complete each step:

• Step 1: Write down your bucket list. While doing so, imagine you have six months to live, thereby avoiding items like money or material things.

• 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 cards).

• Step 4: Record and publish your confession to a sharing platform. You can use any title you wish for the upload. The important thing here is the video is timestamped and publicly available for a future audit, which will require public playlist, 

• Step 5: Book your bucket list trip. Given new, unknown 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 see what's around you too. Remember, whenever something peculiar happens nearby, capture and upload it by the end of each day. For example, you may document your physical health changes by uploading evidence of them to your sharing platform.

• Step 9: Compile your footage in an external SSD or computer hard drive, so you can begin editing your Episode.

• Step 10: Edit your film. Start by Downloading Video Editing Software (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premier, iMovie). Some of these options are free and others offer free trials. You may also 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 have the 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 the creator of the universe (" يَهوه ") as their director. No longer impossible, seeing for yourself will confirm your credit as producer ("Producer").

• Step 13: Submit your Episode for review. Once you have a final cut, upload it to your sharing platform and email it with all your daily uploads 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 " and Producer credits and French subtitles. Should it, you can next 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 Episode, and by doing so agreeing to upload the Episode 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

Sample Trailer