“Great Pepe Wars,” “JUST SAY SOLANA” and “ROLL EVERYTHING” are heading into a film awards race.

The three titles are nominees for the Rekt Award, a category dedicated to satire, comedy and musicals about finance, markets and crypto at the inaugural Lumara Film Festival, presented by MoonPay and Venice.

They are part of a wider competition that attracted more than 700 films from filmmakers worldwide, according to the organizers’ October 16 announcement. Seven awards carry a combined $100,000 in cash and 10 million Venice credits, with the finalists set to screen at New York’s Roxy Hotel Cinema on October 26.

The lineup brings together independent filmmakers, generative filmmaking tools and the internet culture that has long surrounded crypto. Alongside the competition, Gossip Goblin will present an exclusive preview of his upcoming feature, Gods Don’t Give Gifts.


Six finalists compete for the top prizes

The Lumara lineup names six films competing for the $32,000 Grand Prize, which includes 3.2 million Venice credits, and the $20,000 Jury Selection award, accompanied by 2 million credits:

  • Black Thunder — Ryan Lightbourn

  • Candy — Jiaze Li

  • Gabriel — T Zhang

  • Killabears – The Broadcast — Mikael Tyrsen

  • Living with a Merman — Chris Capel

  • Mianmian — Yingjie Chen

Entry was free and open worldwide, with submissions accepted from July 24 through September 15. Filmmakers could use any available AI filmmaking platform.

That distinction gives the competition a broader scope than a showcase for one provider’s software. Although Venice co-presents the festival and has a dedicated award, the main competition was open to creators working with other tools.

Organizers say judging focused on the idea, the storytelling and how effectively each filmmaker used AI.

Crypto gets its own comedy category

For Blockster readers, the Rekt Award is the most direct connection to the culture of digital money.

Its three nominees are “Great Pepe Wars” by Aiden Guo, “JUST SAY SOLANA” by Yassine Le Gall and “ROLL EVERYTHING” by Ashanth Phillips. The winner will receive $8,000 and 800,000 Venice credits.

The category gives filmmakers room to turn finance, markets and crypto into satire, comedy or musicals. It also puts that work alongside experimental films, short films and stories for younger audiences.

The full award pool breaks down as follows:

  • Grand Prize: $32,000 and 3.2 million Venice credits — Best overall film.

  • Jury Selection: $20,000 and 2 million Venice credits — Jury runner-up.

  • Terminal: $12,000 and 1.2 million Venice credits — Experimental film.

  • Serenissima: $12,000 and 1.2 million Venice credits — Film made with Venice.

  • Get Shorty: $8,000 and 800,000 Venice credits — Film under two minutes.

  • Mouse: $8,000 and 800,000 Venice credits — Film for children or young adults.

  • Rekt: $8,000 and 800,000 Venice credits — Finance or crypto satire, comedy or musical.

Across the five category awards, organizers announced 16 nominations. Black Thunder appears both among the six top-prize finalists and in the Serenissima category.


From internet creators to the cinema

The jury combines filmmakers and creative technologists with figures familiar to crypto audiences.

It includes Chris White, executive producer of A24’s Backrooms; Gossip Goblin; Voidstomper; JBoogxCreative; Heavy Pulp; SÜNDERMANN; and BLVCKL!GHT. Ansem and FaZe Banks, co-hosts of Market Bubble, are also judges.

Gossip Goblin’s Gods Don’t Give Gifts preview adds a feature-film element to the evening. According to the announcement, the AI-made film is slated for a wide theatrical release at the end of 2026.

That planned release gives the festival a question beyond who wins: how will work created with these tools play for a cinema audience?

For MoonPay, Lumara puts its name in another part of the AI economy. In Blockster’s recent interview with Halsey Huth, the company’s Global Head of AI and Ecosystems discussed agents handling payments and everyday purchases. Here, its involvement centers on filmmakers and creative work.

Where to watch

The six finalists will screen in full at the October 26 screening and awards night at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in New York, where winners will be announced. The program will also include category-winning films and previews of new work from jury members.


Category winners will be announced on MoonPay’s and Venice’s channels. The winning films are scheduled to premiere online on X and YouTube on October 27, bringing the festival beyond the New York screening room.

Reporting by Lidia Yadlos

Moonpay