The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) is the world’s premier showcase of environmental films. Through our annual festival, year-round programs, and online resources, we seek to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film. The 31st Annual Festival will be held March 16-26, 2023.
Submission Categories
Short Films
This category includes films with a running time of 40 minutes or less, including credits.
Feature Films
This category includes films with a running time greater than 40 minutes.
Please carefully read the following rules and guidelines for submission requirements.
If you have specific questions about submitting a film to DCEFF, contact samantha@dceff.org.
All submissions are eligible for award consideration.
Shared Earth Foundation Award for Advocacy
Established for the 2014 Festival, this award recognizes a feature film that inspires advocacy in response to a compelling environmental challenge. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize.
William W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers Award
Established by the Warner/Kaempfer family for the 2015 Festival in memory of William W. Warner - author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay - this award for feature films includes a $10,000 cash prize.
Eric Moe Award for Best Short on Sustainability
Established for the 2014 Festival by Julia and Richard Moe in memory of their son Eric, to honor his strong interest in film and his commitment to sustainability, this award recognizes an innovative short film that best captures efforts to balance the needs of humans and nature. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize.
The Flo Stone & Roger D. Stone Award For Outstanding Artistry in Filmmaking
Established for DCEFF's 30th Anniversary Festival with generous support from the Farvue Foundation and Wallace Genetic Foundation, this award honors DCEFF Founder Flo Stone, as well as both Flo and Roger's enthusiasm and passion for originality and innovation in filmmaking and to support an emerging filmmaker in career advancement. This award comes with a $25,000 cash prize.
The DCEFF Virtual Audience Award (Feature + Short)
The DCEFF Audience Awards for best feature and best short were established for the 2021 Virtual Festival and allow our audience to make their voices heard by voting on which films they enjoyed the most. $3,000 is awarded each year to the winner of our Best Feature category, and $2,000 is awarded to the winner of our Best Short category.
**All Award details are still subject to change**