The Mayday contest is a 24-hour film-making competition that occurs annually in Los Angeles (although people in other areas are encouraged to participate remotely, at a slight disadvantage!). The name Mayday was chosen because it both expresses the urgency of the contest and the fact that it happens in May. And also because the contest was founded by former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Much love, Nicky!
The contest is organized by Psychic Bunny, an LA production and design company. The two founders, Asa Shumskas-Tait and Doug Spice, are both graduates of the USC School of Cinema-Television, and created the contest in a pouty mood when their multi-billion-dollar feature film deals with Universal fell through the day after graduation.
If you’re still confused, this video should help set you straight: