The 4th Annual Youth Across America Film Challenge supports student filmmakers in producing short film content (30-90 seconds) to practice their craft and further develop their storytelling capabilities in telling stories featuring hope and resilience.
To qualify, you must be enrolled in high school or middle school, work with a mentor at your school, and submit a video.
The mentor can be any trusted adult at your school: teacher, counselor, administrator, coach, etc.
The Hope Film Grant Winner will receive $1,000 to be split between the Student ($500) and their Mentor ($500).
The Hope Givers Storytelling Award Winner will receive $500 to be split between the Student ($250) and their Mentor ($250).
The Blackmagic winner will receive a copy of Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve Software. DaVinci Resolve is a color grading, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production video editing application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, developed by Blackmagic Design.
What are we looking for?
Short answer is everything!
Examples?
- Anxiety - Body Image
- Bullying/Anti-Bullying - Rural Stories
- Depression - Self-care
- Disability Inclusion - Gun Violence
- Substance Misuse & Recovery - Grief & Loss
- Athletes / Mental Health
- Youth Entrepreneurship / Resilience
EXAMPLES OF WINNING FILMS
SAMPLE FILMS: These student films below appear in our Hope Givers Season 2 Youth Across America segments
Example 1: Hope Givers S2, Episode 1: Levi Waters (Disability is Not Inability)
Example 2: Hope Givers S1, Episode 3: Mabelen Bonafacio (Better Late Than Never)
Example 3: Hope Givers S2, Episode 3: Giselle Corona (Escaping Reality)
Example 4 : Hope Givers S2, Episode 2: Trey Stakland (Music)
2025 Youth Across America Film Challenge Timeline:
Submissions open:
March 10, 2025
Submissions close:
April 26, 2025
Finalists announced:
May 2025
Awards Ceremony :
TBD in Atlanta GA
