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EVENTS & AWARDS > ILLUMINATING MACHINIMA FILM FESTIVAL > 2026 FESTIVAL ARCHIVE > CURSED GROUNDS
2026 OFFICIAL ENTRY
Cursed Grounds
By: NOVA
A chilling short-form horror film following a group of social media streamers who venture into an abandoned location in search of their next viral video. As strange events unfold and the line between curiosity and terror begins to blur, they discover that some places never let their visitors leave.
JUDGE SCORES
This film was independently scored by 9 judges using our official judging criteria
Creativity & Originality
OUT OF 10
7.11
Visual Craftsmanship
6.67
Technical Execution
6.33
Use of SLEA7 Environment
7.00
Overall Impact
5.44
FINAL AVERAGE SCORE
32.56 / 50
FINAL RANK
11
TH
PLACE
Judged independently by 9 judges.
No judge discussion or committee vote was used.
Results determined by combined point totals.
JUDGE COMMENTS
Judges comments are anonymous.
Good story, but felt unresolved. I like the dialog, and that it seemed to have been voiced by real people and not AI. I wish there had been a resolution to the story.
I enjoyed how this entry combined character-driven storytelling with exploration of the SLEA7 environment.
The sound design quality on this film was very impressive. There was a moment I thought footstep noises were missing for the old man, but that was intentional.
Had a great start. Music set the mood, but the end felt as if it came too fast. If this was remade with a more polished ending, I'd be eager to watch it again.
Great voice acting. Little things stood out, for example the eating sounds. It was a nice touch.
SCORE BAR GUIDE
9-10 / OUTSTANDING
8-9 / EXCELLENT
7-8 / VERY GOOD
6-7 / GOOD
BELOW 6.0 / FAIR
Second Life resident since 2014
I fell in love with machinima. Now I create stories, music videos, dance videos, and short films that I hope people connect with long after the screen fades to black. This is only my beginning.
FILM DETAILS
Genre:
Length:
Filmed On:
Release Date:
Tools Used:
Horror
5:25
SLEA7 + Offsite
June 22, 2026
Black Dragon/Adobe
Premiere
ABOUT THE ILLUMINATING MACHINIMA FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 2025, and created for machinima directors of all experience levels, the Illuminating Machinima Film Festival celebrates original films, creative vision, and the artists who bring the virtual world of Second Life to life. More than a competition, the festival shines a spotlight on the remarkable creativity of the Second Life community, celebrating its filmmakers, preserving its stories, and inspiring future generations of machinima creators.
ILLUMINATING
FILM FESTIVAL
2ND ANNUAL SLEA7
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