Young Filmmakers Contest
Details 2025
 

Watch our 2-minute video above, giving a quick overview of the Young Filmmakers Contest, while introducing some previous winners. Corinne Chapman and former contest winner Adam Joel of Aggressively Compassionate directed the film; Abby Lyons composed and performed the score (note: see her latest musical release at right).

Young Filmmakers Contest submissions, from students from grade 3 up through age 25, are due by 11:59 p.m. CDT USA on May 25, 2025. There are no submission fees. All winning films will premiere on September 21, 2025, and some will be selected for the One Earth Film Festival in April 2026. Questions? Please contact Lisa Files at lisa@oneearthfilmfest.org.

Starting in 2023, the Contest began accepting submissions from students living outside the U.S. Additional information for International Entrants is detailed in #12 of the full contest rules.

Eligible Grade Level Categories

To enter the Contest, entrants must be in one of the following grade level categories at the time of submission. There will be one winner in each of the following seven (7) categories. Occasionally, there will be a tie, allowing for two winners in a category.

• Elementary (grades 3, 4, 5) (or ages 8 to 11)

• Middle School (grades 6, 7, 8) (or ages 11 to 14)

• High School (grades 9, 10, 11) (or ages 14 to 17)

• Senior Year + University (grade 12 or active, enrolled university students) (or ages 17 to 25)

• Post-Graduate (recent university graduate) (or ages 22 to 25)

• Animation/Stop-Motion (grade 6 to Post-Graduate) (or ages 11 to 25)

• Sally Stovall Planet Warrior Prize for Creativity (grade 12 to Post-Graduate) (or ages 17 to 25)

Note: students who have completed grade 11 and submit an entry before commencing grade 12 will be considered entrants for grade 12.

Contest entries may be submitted by an individual, or by a group of any size (ex: a group of friends, an after-school program, or an entire class). In the case of group submission, the appropriate entry level is the age/grade of the oldest group member. One prize will be awarded to the entire group as a whole.

Topic Categories

Topics differ based on age. Students in grade 11 and younger should choose one or several of the following topics on which to focus the theme of the film.

• Climate

• Energy

• Food

• Transportation

• Waste

• Water

• Wildlife and Ecosystems

Entrants will then be judged on their ability to address the topic(s) of choice by being engaging, informative, inspiring, and creative through their film. All submissions must show a strong (research-supported) understanding of the topics and related issues. Submissions must share and highlight solutions to the issues discussed in the chosen sustainability topic(s). The film entry’s theme must be solution-based. The film should talk about an environmental/sustainability problem and then discuss what could be a potential solution to this problem. For example, consider a film that discusses over-logging and deforestation and then elaborates on how paper-based product industries can change their methods to harvest sustainably. We look forward to viewing your entries that talk about a current problem and how you propose we solve this problem as a community with the goal of sustainability.

Students in grade 12 and above have more freedom with content/topics. Their submissions should be environmental films that motivate viewers towards behavior change or activism.

Film Length

Entrants may submit a film of no shorter than 3 minutes and no longer than 8 minutes.

Sponsor will accept and consider short animated films. The minimum length for animated submissions is 45 seconds. Animation/stop-motion films can present a solution or motivate viewers towards awareness or behavior change for one of the seven topics. In other words, animations from those in grades 11 and younger are not required to show a problem and solution within this shortened time frame, as they are required to do with live action films.

Prizes

Winners in each category will receive the following prizes:

1)    Screening of their film at a special event in September, and possibly an additional screening at the One Earth Film Festival in April and at other related and subsequent educational and non-profit events hosted (or co-hosted) by Sponsor. These screenings may occur in person and/or online (recorded or streamed).

2)    Posting of their film on the One Earth Film Festival website. (Note: Sponsor reserves the right to utilize submitted films for any promotional materials and online media, at its sole discretion.)

3)    Cash prize or scholarship: Each winner will receive a cash prize pertaining to the relevant grade level category. All cash prizes in the U.S. will be awarded in U.S. dollars. See #12 below for details about international contestant prize money:

• Elementary (grades 3, 4, 5) live action or animation: $100 cash prize + $100 matching grant

• Middle School (grades 6, 7, 8) live action or animation: $200 cash prize + $200 matching grant

• High School (grades 9, 10, 11) live action or animation: $350 cash prize + $350 matching grant

• Senior Year + University (grade 12 or enrolled university students through age 25) live action: $1,000 college scholarship + $1,000 matching grant

• Middle School + Post-Graduate (grade 6 through age 25) animation/stop-motion: $1,000 college scholarship or cash prize + $1,000 matching grant

• Senior Year + Post-Graduate (grade 12 or enrolled college students or beyond through age 25) live action or animation/stop-motion, Planet Warrior Prize for Creativity, in honor of Sally Stovall, co-founder of Green Community Connections: $1,000 university scholarship or cash prize + $1,000 matching grant

• Post-Graduate (recent university graduate through age 25) live action or animation/stop-motion: $1,000 university scholarship or cash prize + $1,000 matching grant

As a reminder, while a group of people (ex: a class or a group of friends) may submit an entry together, only one prize will be awarded to the group as a whole. Prizes are subject to change without notice. 

4)    Matching Grant: In addition to the cash prize or scholarship, each winner will receive the privilege of selecting the recipient of a matching grant. The grant will be donated to a non-profit organization or community sustainability project that the winner chooses, subject to Sponsor’s approval. Matching grant criteria are different for international students. See #12 below.

Judging Criteria

Sponsors and its judges will check for adherence to these Rules, including eligibility, compliance with all terms (legality, conduct, etc.), film length, format, etc. Films will be judged by One Earth Collective volunteers based upon quality and content of the film and its ability to educate, inspire, and raise awareness of the film’s chosen topic.

We also stress that films from students in grade 11 and under will be judged on their ability to address a problem and propose a solution to that problem. Films should state a current environmental/sustainability problem regarding one or more of the topics listed above and propose a solution that can help solve/lessen that problem.

Films from students in grade 12 and above will be judged on their ability to educate, inspire, and raise awareness of the film’s chosen topic.

How to Enter – Submission Rules/Guidelines

1. Enter your film on Film Freeway. Simply click the button above, upload your film and fill out the online form.

2. Be sure to complete the customized oath and permission form within Film Freeway.

3. For group entries, send an email to lisa@oneearthfilmfest.org. explaining that you are submitting as a group. She will send an electronic oath and permission form which each additional entrant (and as appropriate, parent/guardian) must complete.

 The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest is partially funded by a grant from the Manaaki Foundation.