Connecting people to the rainforest through the powerful media of film
Submissions are now open for the 2023 Films for the Forest, an annual juried short film competition founded by Rainforest Partnership. Films for the Forest leverages the power of creative storytelling to inspire hope and reflection and move people to act on behalf of the world's forests.
The theme for the 2023 competition is: "Living Forests. Thriving Future." and challenges filmmakers to highlight the urgent need for collective action in the face of climate change, and to showcase the value of healthy, standing forests for the future of humanity and every life form on the planet.
“Protecting standing tropical rainforests is a climate solution that plays a vital role in our collective future, no matter where on the planet we live,” said Niyanta Spelman, CEO of Rainforest Partnership. “By sharing the voices and stories of forests with people around the world, our goal is to inspire hope and move people to act, because every action matters.”
Submission Deadlines and Awards
January 1 is the early deadline for submission, February 1 is the regular deadline, and March 31 is the extended deadline. Winners will be announced on May 22, 2023, International Day for Biological Diversity. Awards are given in the categories of Documentary Shorts, Narrative Shorts, Animated Shorts, Youth Films (18 years and under), and Indigenous (Indigenous People & Local Communities, IPLC) Films.
All films must be between one and 20 minutes in length, submitted in English or with English subtitles. For all rules, fees, submission deadlines, and terms please visit FilmFreeway.
About Films for the Forest
Launched by Rainforest Partnership in 2010, Films for the Forest invites filmmakers from around the world to share the voices and stories of forests worldwide, highlighting their rich biodiversity and local communities, their immense beauty and importance to the entire planet, the threats they face, and the opportunities for renewal.
Since 2012, the winning films have been shared with audiences in community screenings during the international SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas.
Winning films have been shown as part of the SXSW Community Screening in Austin, Texas, USA every March since 2012 and most recently were shown at a special Films for the Forest screening in Tokyo, Japan. Films in the past have been screened as part of a global livestream during World Rainforest Day, and at other events.
The 2022 Films for the Forest judges included five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater; Welsh actor, singer, and activist Iwan Rheon; Colombian filmmaker Juan Sebastián Mesa, director of “Los Nadie” and “La Roya”; Ecuadorian filmmaker Frida Muenala, director and writer from the Kichwa community; and British activist and youth speaker Lucy Houliston.
Visit filmsfortheforest.org for more information or contact Andrea Builes Vélez, andrea(at)rainforestpartnership.org.