General Info
RICE is a community feedback event made by editors, for editors.
The categories & the videos that apply to them are decided through voting during the event by the participants.
That means the only people who vote, review, and judge entries are the editors who submitted something to it.
You must be a member of the server to participate in RICE.
If you are not already in the server, you can click here to join.
The Basics
- RICE is an annual event with the same dates every year. (See: Schedule)
- To submit a video, you must be in the server by 30 November, before RICE starts
- Anyone can be a spectator, regardless of when they joined
- RICE uses blind submissions, meaning no one should know who created which video.
- All participants are encouraged to review all videos and provide feedback or constructive criticism.
- Award categories are decided by peers after seeing all the videos for that year
- Videos can use any source (live-action, animation, etc.)
- Minimum video duration of 30 seconds
- Submit two videos as long as 5 minutes each or a single video up to 10 minutes
- Submitted videos must follow content restrictions
Read this before submitting (tap to expand)
RICE is a feedback event first.
We want everyone to leave as much constructive criticism as feasible.
- You can leave a public note in the submission form detailing what feedback you would like to receive.
- You can upload additional materials, like side-by-side comparisons of no effects vs. effects or parodies vs originals, etc.
RICE is intended for BentoVid regulars.
- Anyone can be a spectator, but people who submit videos must have joined by 30 November.
- It is a mostly casual environment with people who are already familiar with one another.
- Accessibility is a focus (CWs, VPR, captions, etc.).
These are not required to submit but may be applied to your video.
(Your video files will not be changed.)
The coordinator might submit a video.
- The coordinator's video is unblinded after category finalization.
- No one is able to nominate the coordinator's video for any awards - it is completely removed from voting.
- The purpose of the coordinator entering a video is only to receive feedback from other participants.
When RICE ends, your videos are unblinded and displayed on the RICE Event History page.
- Downloads are available through an indirect link.
- This website is not indexed by search engines.
The finalist & awards show is pre-rendered, publicly viewable on YouTube, and uses the following settings:
- 23.976 fps
Submissions not at the framerate will be played at this framerate and may stutter. - 1920x1080p
Larger submissions will be downscaled.
Smaller submissions will be scaled up to fit as much as possible without cropping. - All videos have lower thirds added to them
The graphics are 155px high and remain on the video through its entire run.
Submissions with text will be shrunk so the graphic does not cover it.
These only apply to the finalists and awards shows. During the actual event, your videos remain in their natural state.
If you are uncomfortable with any of the above, consider spectating instead.
Spectators do not submit a video and cannot vote, but they can view and comment on all videos and suggest categories.
Spectator signup has the same window as video submission: January 1 - February 1.
2026 Umami
The Passage of Time
The changes in our world, seasons, body, and/or mind
The Umami is the theme for that year's RICE.
It is changed every year and is announced at the end of the previous year's RICE Awards video.
Participation in the theme is optional, but it is the only (genre-related) category announced before the event starts.
New for 2026
(Click to reveal)
Deadline time changes
All deadlines were changed from 12PM Noon EST (17:00 UTC) to 10AM EST (15:00 UTC).
The dates remain the same.
Membership age minimum
People who intend to submit a video must have joined no later than 30 November.
However, anyone can be a spectator.
Rule changes
- The content restrictions were modified and clarified.
- The rule about subtitles, watermarks, etc., was removed.
New category scaling
≤ 49 videos → 8 7 categories
50 - 70 videos → 10 9 categories
71+ videos → 12 11 categories
New permanent awards
- Wandering Samurice is now its own separate award independent from other categories.
- If there are 10+ spectators, the spectators can give their own award named Ozaku.
New video amount & duration rules
- You can submit two videos with a max length of 5 minutes each (down from 5:30) OR
- You may submit a single video up to 10 minutes long
Category suggestion changes
- Spectators can suggest categories, but not vote on them
- The word "Best" is banned from category names
- You must list 3 example videos that will fit in your category when you suggest it
The Coordinator might submit a video
- No one is able to nominate the coordinator's video for any awards - it is completely removed from voting
- The coordinator's video is unblinded after category finalization
- The purpose of the coordinator entering a video is only to receive feedback from other participants
General website update
The RICE pages were redone & updated for (hopefully) easier navigation & understanding.
Your videos are unblinded & accessible for download via an indirect link after the event
This is not new. It has been declared on the submission form since RICE 2022.
Since many people have missed this declaration, it has been added to the new "Read this before submitting" section and this notice.
The submission form opens on January 1, 2026.
All submissions must be received by 10:00am EST (15:00 UTC) on February 1, 2026.
Submit to RICE
If you have any questions, please DM @standardquip (Vars) on Discord.