Steps away from the White House and the Renwick Gallery, the George Washington University Film Festival seeks to empower the world's youth by providing them with a stake in filmmaking. The stories that each individual aspires to share with the world, can only make a difference in the lives of the people they are shared with. GWFF allows high school and college level filmmakers, both domestic and international, with the opportunity to showcase their work in the nation’s capital.

Awards & Prizes

Awards*:
- Foggy Bottom Film of the Year
- Best Art House
- Best Short Story
- Best Documentary
- Best Domestic Film
- Best International Film

Prizes will be announced on/near the notification date.

*Prizes and awards are subject to change at any time w/o notice.

Rules & Terms

Submissions will be allowed from any high school, college, or equivalent international level students, and films will be scored and evaluated based on categories by age group. You MUST be an enrolled student in a high school or collegiate institution when the festival takes place, verification may be required in some circumstances.

Films must fit into three categories: art house, short film, documentary.

Art House and Short Story films must be under 30 minutes, while documentaries must be under 80 minutes.

ALL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STUDENTS (HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE) ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A SUBMISSION FEE WAIVER. PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO REQUEST A DC STUDENT FEE WAIVER: https://forms.gle/xVvAysQqYP67h1Dd7

Need-based fee waivers are available for both domestic and international students. If you're a domestic student, please use this link to apply for a need-based fee waiver or email us with a statement of need: https://forms.gle/MzjbZAxfjnxvLp6a6

International students should email the festival with a short statement of need. Please make sure to include your name, email address, and the title of your submission in the email.

Festival submission fees are non-refundable.