Submit Your Film – Mental Health Short Film Competition

Serious Mental Illness Competition

Our competition is currently open for submissions until March 17 2024. 

Learn more about the competition and how to apply here.

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Open call to submit film projects, up to 5 minutes in in length, of any genre, using Serious Mental Illness as the point of interest. Film topics may either be interpretive of Serious Mental Health, or address it directly. Films should cover one of the follow topic focuses; Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Bipolar Disorder.

Submitted films will be reviewed during April and May. We will announce the three winning films at our Voices With Impact Festival in June 2024.

We do not place any formal restrictions on submissions, and will consider all genres and types of short films, including submissions utilizing original footage, shared footage, photo stills, music, essays, screenplays, original art work and more. There is no fee for submissions. We advise you read the full competition guidelines here.

Rules + Submission Guidelines

Length and Content:

  • We only accept submissions through Film Freeway.
  • Submissions must either be interpretive of Serious Mental Illness, or address it directly to be eligible for this competition.
  • Submissions must be 5 minutes or less. Films longer than five (5) minutes will be disqualified.
  • Submissions may not advertise any product, service, brand, or other commercial interest.
  • Submissions that are music videos may only portray original music that you own rights to.

Language and Location:

  • There are no geographic limitations on entries — we accept short films made anywhere in the world!
  • If a submission is not in English, a translation or subtitles in English must be accessible through your Vimeo video (Closed Caption CC options turned on)

Process:

  • You must make sure your video is set to a privacy setting that we can see it. If there is a password, you must provide it.
  • Participants may submit multiple entries, however, a separate Entry Form must be completed for each submission.
  • Film jurors from our Advisory Board who are also filmmakers may submit work, but they must step down from any jury duty.

Content Rights:

  • Filmmaker agrees that all submitted films may be used by Art With Impact for educational and outreach activities and the winning filmmaker will sign a license agreement to Art With Impact that will allow both AWI and and affiliated organizations in any relevant programming in perpetuity.
  • Filmmakers are responsible for securing any and all necessary licenses for any third party content, including footage, music, fonts, artwork, and any other asset used in film production.

Jurying Procedures

  • Films will be judged by our Voices With Impact team and members of our advisory board, which comprises filmmakers, mental health professionals, and college students.
  • The jurors will access the submissions using the criteria found here.
  • Art With Impact reserves the right to not award a prize ($2,000 cash) if submissions do not meet the jury’s standards for both content and production value.

We advise you read the full competition guidelines before applying.