Though Lars von Trier might take a “Vow of Chastity” never to alienate his film temporally or geographically in accordance with the rules of Dogme 95, the A.V. Club just wants all entrants in their film competition to include the sound of a popping bottle—but the bottle must be off screen.
That’s just one of the specific rules for the A.V. Club’s short film competition, “Parameter,” presented by Grolsch. Thematically, each film must deal in some way with an escape from everyday existence. For the rest of the parameters, you’ll have to check out the asterisks on the contest site. Whoever can follow the rules and still create something original and creative (no boring character by the end!) will receive $10,000 and a trip to Chi-town. And all aspiring directors living in Hollywood are excluded—the winner can’t be a legal resident of California.