2026 THEME:
"We Are More Alike Than Unlike"

The 2026 Edition of the Frame Forward Student Video Festival honors the ties that bind us. Drawing inspiration from Maya Angelou’s Human Family, this year’s theme encourages CUNY students to uncover the echoes of similarity within our many differences. Through video, students are invited to illuminate the shared emotions, challenges, and hopes that unite their campus and community experiences.
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FRAME FORWARD
My CITY, My Story
The CITY University of New York
Student Video Festival

Frame Forward Student Video Festival is the first of its kind at a CUNY college. Envisioned in 2024 by Dean Juan Carlos Mercado and Senior Advisor and
Marketing & Communications Specialist Lorena de Miranda of CCNY Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CCNY CWE), the festival offers a creative platform for all CUNY students to depict their academic journeys and perspectives, regardless of their major.

MISSION
Frame Forward listens, connects, and amplifies student voices to disrupt inequity in expression and celebrate our community’s diversity. We provide a platform for students to share their academic journeys and unique perspectives on their daily lives.

VISION
To cultivate a vibrant community where every student’s voice is heard, valued, and celebrated through the power of storytelling, fostering creativity, inclusivity, and social change.

Awards & Prizes

Winners will be selected from the following submission categories:
-CCNY: For students from City College of New York (CCNY).
-CUNY: For all students from The City University of New York (CUNY).
📝 Note: While CCNY CWE was originally listed as a separate category, awards this year will be given in the CCNY and CUNY categories only.
🏆 In addition to the above, one film will be selected as the Category-Winner of All — the highest-rated film across all submissions, regardless of category.

Each winner will:
-Have their video screened at the Frame Forward Festival, to be held in summer 2026 (date TBA) at the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CCNY CWE).
-Receive a FFSVF trophy recognizing their achievement.
-Receive a $800 gift card.
-Be Gifted a goody bag with items from the festival's sponsors.

Only the student who submits the video is eligible to receive the prize.

Videos selected for the Official Selection will also be screened at the Frame Forward Festival in summer 2026 (date TBA) at CCNY CWE.

Rules & Terms

1. Eligibility
-Open to all CUNY students: All students, regardless of their major, are eligible to participate.
-Enrollment requirement: Students who completed at least one class in Spring 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026, or Spring 2026 are eligible to submit, even if they have since finished their studies or graduated.
-Academic standing: Students must be in good academic standing.
-Collaboration: Students are welcome to work together; however, all collaborators must be CUNY students, and everyone’s contribution should be credited.
-Non-CUNY collaboration: Collaboration with non-CUNY students is not permitted.
To qualify you must have proof you are currently in full time education.

2. Submission
-Free: There is no cost for submitting a video.
-One submission per student: Each student may submit only one video, but may collaborate on other submissions.
-Submission platform: Videos must be submitted digitally via FilmFreeway (https://filmfreeway.com/).
-Length: Videos must be at least 20 seconds long and no longer than 3 minutes.
-Awards eligibility: Only the student submitting the video will be eligible to receive awards.
-Upload to YouTube: Unless the student opts out, all submissions will be uploaded to the CCNY CWE YouTube channel under the festival’s playlist for a wider audience.
-Submission Categories: Videos can be submitted under one of the following categories: include:
---CCNY: For students from City College of New York (CCNY).
---CUNY: For all students from The City University of New York (CUNY).
---🏆 In addition to the above, a third honor emerges: BEST VIDEO, awarded to the video that most resonantly captures the edition’s theme, whatever its category or technique.

3. Content Guidelines
-Original Work: The video must be an original creation made by the student specifically for the festival.
-Theme: The video must align with the festival theme, "Featuring Student Life Through the Eyes of Those Living It."
-Language: Videos with elements in languages other than English must include English subtitles.
-Creative Freedom: Videos can explore student experiences in a variety of ways and may encompass a wide range of topics and formats. Examples include:
--Reciting poetry or performing spoken word
--A day in the life showcasing daily routines and activities
--Photomontage of memorable moments during college
--Cooking tutorial using items from the college's pantry
--Commute stories, while traveling to and from campus
--Classroom tutorials explaining a concept learned in class
--One-shot videos capturing a single moment or experience
--Fast-paced vlogs or slow, reflective pieces that highlights personal perspectives
--All forms of expression are welcome!
-No Public Sharing: Videos must not be publicly shared/uploaded to any platform until the competition has finished and the winners have been announced.

4. Judging Criteria
-A panel of storytellers, academics, community builders, communicators, life-long learners, and filmmakers from CCNY’s community will select the winners. The panel will focus on the impact and clarity of the story rather than technical aspects.
-Relevance to the Theme: The video’s alignment with the edition’s theme is the primary criterion and will weigh most heavily in the judges’ evaluation.
-Creativity and Originality: Videos will be judged on how creative and unique they are, as well as how clearly they express the student’s message.
-Personal Storytelling: Judges will consider the personal stories shared in the video, valuing the diversity of experiences and perspectives within our student community.
Selected videos will be uploaded to the CCNY CWE YouTube channel under the festival’s playlist after the selection and winners are announced.

5. Rights and Permissions
-By submitting a video, participants grant CCNY CWE (CCNY’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education) the right to display and promote their work in connection with the festival.
-Participants also agree that their video may be used on CCNY CWE’s social media platforms to promote awareness of the division and its activities.
-The full video will remain on the official YouTube channel for ongoing exposure, but participants retain all rights to their original work.
-If requested by the participant, the video can be made unpublished on the official YouTube channel.

1 Review
Overall Rating
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  • Alicia Leon

    Frame Forward gave “In My Head” its first home, awarding it in the CUNY category—then it carried me to TAFFNY and the stage at the National Museum of the American Indian. It was overwhelming in the best way. I realized stories born in bedrooms can reach hearts far beyond them!!!

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Dear Alicia,
    Thank you for sharing such thoughtful reflections. We’re thrilled that Frame Forward could support "In My Head" at the beginning of its festival path, and we know it is far from over. Congratulations on all your continued success; we can’t wait to see what you create next. We look forward to the possibility of seeing you again in the summer of 2026.

    Yours,
    Lorena and the FFSVF Team