One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest Global Awards Celebration

During the past year, One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest received 400 submissions from 55 countries and 36 states. Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Poland, and United Kingdom will be represented among winners, along with the U.S. states of California, Florida, Illinois and Virginia.

The Global Award Celebration will take place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago OR online virtually anywhere in the world. A special screening for those in Asia/Pacific is also available. Adam Joel, an improv comedian, will host this special event, introducing the winners before their films premiere. Reserve tickets at tinyurl.com/yfc24awards

“Once again there is a variety of wonderful films, from emotional and poignant to humorous and hopeful,” said Founding Director Sue Crothers. “From environmental justice, to appreciating the beauty of nature, these films tell us that we are all responsible for where we are but also for where we can be. Change is possible!”

Local recognition will go to Loyola University for teaching young people on the Pacific island of Kiribati how to tell their own stories about impending sea level rise. Another Chicago-area recognition will go to University of Chicago Lab School student Edith Zhou Huffman for her film “Magicicada,” about the recent emergence of both 17-year and 13- year cicadas.

The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest asks students from age 8 to 25 to create a 3- to 8- minute environmental film that inspires change or action. Animated or stop-motion films can be a minimum of 45 seconds long. The deadline next year is May 25, which gives individuals and school groups the entire academic year to submit their film projects. Beginning in January 2025, a jury of 31 film and/or environmental experts started evaluating 18 films each, on average. Learn more about our jury and reserve tickets here. The call for entries for 2025 is open on Film Freeway.