15TH ANNUAL ONE EARTH YOUNG FILMMAKERS CONTEST
Submissions Open Through Jan 15
Empowering the Next Generation of Environmental Storytellers.
Open to youth filmmakers worldwide from grade 3 through age 25. Win cash awards up to $1,000, see your film premiere on Chicago cinema screens, and inspire community climate solutions.
A journey along the Passaic River, its industrial past and the communities working to restore it. Followed by a discussion with local environmental advocates.
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Step-Free Entrance✓ CTA Brown Line
Watch the top short films created by young directors from Chicago, California, Kenya, and Taiwan tackling plastic pollution, renewable energy, and wetland restoration.
Browse the sample schedule by neighborhood, date or topic.
Showing 5 of 5 screenings
FRI, APR 23 · 7 p.m.Booking open
Davis Theater · North Side (Lincoln Sq)
American River
A gripping aquatic voyage uncovering the toxic legacy of the Passaic River and the grassroots organizers turning it back into a community treasure.
86 minWater & JusticePanel Q&A
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Step-Free Route✓ Brown Line
SAT, APR 24 · 10 a.m.FREE EVENT
Davis Theater · North Side (Lincoln Sq)
Global Contest Awards Celebration
Celebrate premier environmental short films by youth directors from Chicago and around the globe. Live presentation of jury awards and filmmaker interviews.
120 minYouth VoicesAll Ages
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Step-Free Route✓ Assistive Listening
WED, APR 21 · 6:30 p.m.OPENING NIGHT
Chicago Cultural Center · Loop (Cassidy Theater)
The Power of Community
How resilient neighborhoods are creating decentralized renewable energy grids and urban micro-farms to withstand extreme climate disruptions.
52 minClean EnergyKeynote Panel
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Street Elevator✓ CTA Red/Blue
THU, APR 22 · 6:30 p.m.Booking open
Oak Park Public Library · Western Suburbs
Between the Rains
Filmed over four consecutive years during record drought in northern Kenya, tracing a young shepherd caught between traditional pastoral life and shifting climates.
82 minIndigenous ActionCommunity Q&A
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Step-Free Route✓ Green Line CTA
SAT, APR 24 · 2 p.m.Booking open
Columbia College Chicago · South Loop
Feeding Tomorrow
Farmers, healthcare workers and educators explore how the food we grow affects soil, health and local economies.
78 minFood & AgricultureTasting Reception
Access at this venue
✓ Open Captions✓ Elevator Access✓ ASL Interpreted
Year-Round Environmental Action
The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest
Each year between festivals, we invite youth and emerging directors from elementary school through age 25 to create short films that spark environmental awareness and inspire community action.
2026–2027 SUBMISSION WINDOW
Submit Your Environmental Short Film
Submissions are free and open worldwide. Winning films receive cash awards up to $1,000, matching sustainability grants for their school or non-profit, and a premiere at the One Earth Film Festival.
Missed a screening during festival week? Watch acclaimed past OEFF documentaries on Kanopy (free with your Chicago or suburban public library card), PBS, and our recorded discussion archives.
Kanopy (Free Library)
American River
Passaic River restoration and grassroots organizing in New Jersey. Featuring music by Mary Lee Kortes.
We believe film alone cannot change the world—but communities moved by stories can. Our three-step framework turns passive moviegoers into active neighborhood stewards.
Door 1 · Cinematic Art
1. Watch
Experience compelling, independent environmental documentaries in neighborhood historic theaters, cultural centers, faith spaces, and parks. Every screening is presented with burned open captions for universal accessibility.
Standard: 100% open captions · Normalized audio · Free or $8 suggested donation.
Door 2 · Community Dialogue
2. Meet
Screenings are never just movies. Each film is paired with a facilitated 30-minute dialogue with the filmmaker, issue experts, and your neighbors, creating a safe space for questions and authentic connection.
Standard: Expert facilitators · ASL interpretation available upon request · Diverse panels.
Door 3 · Grassroots Action
3. Act
Before you leave your seat, scan the on-screen QR code or visit our Take Action Hub. Connect directly with over 50 local environmental partners to sign petitions, plant trees, or volunteer this weekend.
Standard: Tiered mobile action cards · 1–2 immediate civic steps · Verified local impact.
Grassroots Network
Bring One Earth to Your Community
Our festival happens across 22 neighborhood venues because local librarians, faith leaders, educators, and park organizers host screenings right where they live.
FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS
Host a Neighborhood Screening
Whether you represent a public library, congregation, community college, or park district, we provide public performance film rights, open-caption screening media, facilitator packets, and marketing materials.
Engage students from elementary through high school with free environmental documentary screening licenses and standards-aligned (NGSS) educational curriculum kits designed to fit within standard class periods.
Founded in Oak Park in 2012, One Earth Film Festival has grown to become the Midwest's premier environmental film festival, connecting thousands of Chicagoans to sustainable action.
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