See all past submissions

Current Submissions

The films on this page have been submitted this month to our competition. Next month, they will be viewed and scored by a panel of jurors. These films are not a part of AWI’s permanent collection. To view the films in our collection, please visit our OLIVE Film Collection page.

Current Competition Submissions for:
April 2023 Short Film Competition

02/1/2023 - 02/28/2023

Hide
Hide
James A Friesen
Music video for the song HIDE by Jonny Dylan Hughes (from the album "New Mind"). Used with permission. The song is about closing oneself off from what/who in your life that is good and loving, in this case God, due to that preemptive defensive mech...
Winding roads
Winding roads
Daniel Bisuano
Breaking intergenerational trauma through dance and community.
Dear Future Me
Dear Future Me
Jocelyn Liu
A teenage girl, diagnosed with depression, writes a letter to her future self.
Healing Prayer
Healing Prayer
Uzo Nwankpa
This is a 40day non religious prayer and affirmation that practices indigenous ways of connecting to source energy and self through movement in nature. This is a depiction of an African diasporic woman saying a prayer dancing in nature for healing.
QueridoMexico
QueridoMexico
Pablo Schettino
A short film made in light of the suicides in the Palo Alto School District caused by toxic academic competition and parental expectations. It contrasts my (Pablo Schettino) personal experiences in the differences of cultures between my hometown, Mex...
The Tea Party
The Tea Party
Arianna Goarley
Alice becomes anxious when her friends arrive early to her tea party. As her anxiety peaks, it triggers the characteristics of her ADHD to take on the form of characters from Alice in Wonderland. Will Alice be able to find the coping skills to make h...
Catalyst
Catalyst
Andrew Ryan Sanford
A radical new form of therapy, called Death Simulation, hopes to provide a clear path to personal growth.
Me
Me
Maria Judice
The "ME" short film was a collective effort with the Empowering Black Youth Program; all EBY interns helped our leading actresses to develop the short film on Mental health and self-identity. Throughout this film, Lex explores the ideology of self-un...
What is a jinn problem?
While experiencing a vivid hallucination, I envisioned my father as the Muslim mastermind behind 9/11. In 2001, he was on a plane flying from Toronto, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta. The plane got re-routed to Vancouver. When he arrived home, we watched...
Smiling Through Depression
Jeremy Liew talks about his fight with depression. He recounts his experience and hopes that his film educates audiences about his, and many other's experience.
IM FINE
IM FINE
CardiacPoet254
I'm Fine, is a witty sales pitch fused with word play where the protagonist tries to sell all that brings him pain and comfort. It was filmed during the COVID 19 pandemic where people were in quarantine, emotions were running high and we nearly lost ...
Ngozi Nyeusi [Black Skin]
Ngozi Nyeusi [Black Skin]
Joe-Francis Kiaga
Ngozi Nyeusi, the director's native language Swahili translated to "Black Skin" is a self exploratory experimental poetic film that utilizes music, experimental editing and poetry to communicate the thoughts of writer, director undergoing among the m...
Weight of Expectation
Our video captures a student's real anxieties in today’s world. We devised “The Weight of Expectation” to symbolize the toll on students to perform well academically. Together we can reduce the stigma of stress and create a safe space for thos...
Regenesis
Regenesis
Cameron S. Mitchell
When Niall Coulter wakes up, he discovers that he has undergone an experimental surgery to fix his ability to walk. The changes may or may no be welcome…
Intrusive Thoughts (OCD)
Intrusive Thoughts (OCD)
Rebecca Chiafullo
Intrusive thoughts are personified through a character who represents OCD. Every person who suffers from mental illness doesn’t have the same experiences but this is to help bring awareness about one part of OCD some experience.
Is Something Missing?
For a long time I've struggled with lost memories due to trauma. I cannot remember most of my early teen years, and I made this short film to help myself heal. Through working on this, I was able to realize that even though I can't remember much and ...
BUG
BUG
Lily Giannoni
An anxious young woman is plagued by a noisy cricket in her home.
New Beginning
New Beginning
Feyintola Johnson
Short silent film about a high school student grieving over her friend.