ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL
Micro-Short Film Contest!
Let your creativity flow, your heart open, and your cleverness shine in 90 seconds or less. Show us humanity’s essential goodness. Help us believe in ourselves, others, and the world!
The Oneness of Humanity: Love, Kindness, and Joy Micro-Short Film Contest
In partnership with The Spiritual Life TV Channel
Calling All Talented Storytellers & Creators,
This is your chance to use your imagination and creativity to celebrate some of the many ways we are connected as One Human Family in an animated or live action film in less than 90 seconds.
Let your creativity flow, your heart open, and your cleverness shine. Show us humanity’s essential goodness that is apparent, as well as the goodness that sometimes isn’t always immediately seen. Warm our hearts. Surprise us! Shine hope. Help us believe in ourselves, others, and the world! Bring us JOY in new ways and appeal to a wide audience of our extended Human Family!
Criteria
- Up to 90 seconds
- Non-promotional of any brand
- Shot in landscape (horizontal) framing
- An original creation that has not been displayed on social media, the internet, or other public online platforms
- Submitted through the ILLUMINATE Film Freeway page no later than March 2, 2025
- Music is encouraged; film creators must have secured the music rights
- AI is permitted as long as it is disclosed in submission information
Exhibition
Finalists will be exhibited at the in-person ILLUMINATE Film Festival in Santa Barbara on May 1-4, 2025, and in the virtual festival following it.
Prizes
One First Prize winner: $10,000
An additional $15,000 in prize money for Runners Up and Honorable Mentions
ILLUMINATE Film Festival will promote the winning films and seek showcase opportunities at aligned conferences, summits, and other film festivals, as well as share on our social media platforms.
Sample Films
Some samples are listed below as a taste of what’s caught our eye, but we want a lot of variety and specialness. In other words, don’t copy but create your own vision!
Note: the above examples are theme and style inspirations only; they may not reflect exact contest criteria.