Oneness of Humanity
Micro-Short Film Contest
2025

Sponsored by Spiritual Life TV Channel

Thank you to the nearly 700 creators who entered the 2025
Oneness of Humanity: Love, Kindness, and Joy Micro-Short Contest

View the winning 2025 Oneness of Humanity micro-shorts below!
Click Here to Watch the 57 People’s Choice Nominees!

Thank You to our Esteemed 2025 Jury

Chaz Ebert

Louie Schwartzberg

Xiye Bastida

Be sure to join our mailing list to be the first to know about the 2026 Oneness of Humanity Micro-Shorts Contest!

The Oneness of Humanity: Love, Kindness, and Joy Micro-Short Film Contest

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
  • • Submitted through the ILLUMINATE Film Freeway
  • • Music is encouraged; film creators must have secured the music rights
  • • AI is permitted as long as it is disclosed in the submission information
  • • Films with dialog must be in English or include English subtitles
  • • Micro-Shorts Contest Terms and Conditions

● Exhibition

Finalists were announced 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.