48 Hours. One Theme. Total Creative Freedom. 

The MSSA Media Jam 2026 is a high-speed creation sprint where your only limit is your imagination—and a 5-minute timer. Whether you’re a filmmaker, a coder, a musician, or a digital artist, your task is to build a piece of media that captures a secret theme (revealed at kickoff) and pack that punch into a 5-minute experience. 

Experiment with a new medium, push a weird idea to its limit, and see what you can "jam" together before the clock runs out. Anything media goes!

 

Get Started

  • Assemble Your Crew: Sign up in a team of up to five, or fly solo. Need a team? We’ll help you find your match on day one.      
  • Show Up: Check-in is mandatory on both February 28 and March 1 at the ASC Second Floor.       Gear Up: We provide the snacks and the space; you provide the tools. If you're short on gear, hit up UBC’s lending libraries like Chapman Learning Commons or UBC Studios.      
  • The Sprint: You have from the opening ceremony until 11:59 PM on March 1 to create your submission from scratch.      
  • Submit: Upload your project link to Devpost before the deadline to stay in the running for judging. 

Requirements

What to Build

We aren't kidding when we say anything media goes. Whether you’re a filmmaker, a coder, or a digital artist, the canvas is yours—as long as it fits the 5-minute rule.

  • Films & Music: Short films, documentaries, music videos, or original tracks.      Digital & Interactive: Websites, apps, or interactive designs.      
  • Visual & Written Art: Visual art pieces, short stories, or digital portfolios.      
  • The 5-Minute Rule: If your media is time-based (like a video), it must not exceed 5 minutes. If it isn't (like a website), it must be designed to be fully evaluated by judges within 5 minutes.      
  • Theme Integration: Your project must effectively engage with the theme revealed at the start of the event.  

 

 

What to Submit

To be eligible for judging, you must submit your project via Devpost before the 11:59 PM deadline on March 1.

  • Project Link: A direct link to your work (e.g., YouTube, SoundCloud, or a live URL).      
  • The "Jam" Proof: All core work must be completed within the 48-hour competition window. While you can use standard templates or libraries, the primary creative output must be "jammed" during the event.      
  • Functional State: Your project doesn't need "high-fidelity" polish, but it must be functional enough for a judge to evaluate it asynchronously. 
  • No Presentation Needed: You do not need to prepare a live presentation; judges will review your Devpost submission on their own time in the two weeks following the event.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$150+ in prizes
+ other prizes
The Media Jam Grand Prize
$150 in cash
1 winner

The Media Jam Public Voting Prize
1 winner

The Public Voting Prize is designed to engage the broader community and allow the public to have a say in the competition's outcome. While the main prizes are usually decided by a panel of industry experts, this award recognizes the entry that resonates most with the actual audience.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Richard Cavell

Richard Cavell
Founding Professor of Media Studies

Elizabeth Nijdam

Elizabeth Nijdam
Assistant Professor

Jennifer Moss

Jennifer Moss

Judging Criteria

  • Form and Content
    How well your chosen medium supports the deeper meaning and adherence to the theme.
  • Strength of Idea
    Clarity, cohesiveness, and evidence of efficient teamwork.
  • Risk-Taking
    Evidence of experimentation, depth, and a clear intellectual thought process.
  • Theme Interaction
    How effectively the project engages with the theme.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Tell your friends

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.