Welcome to the 2nd. The International Herb Symposium Film and Photography Festival!

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FOR OUR 2nd. YEAR!

We value exceptional filmmaking that literally affects the education, conservation, production, distribution and research of native medicinal plants and trees. Including Fungi, and their habitats.

Our first ever film festival ran from June 25 – September 25, 2022.

YES, WE HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK! AND IT WAS A SUCCESS! THE ONLINE SCREENING EVENT WAS PHENOMENAL. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED!

For 2022’s inaugural festival, we received incredible submissions from filmmakers and photographers across the globe—from Brazil, to France, to Turkey, to Canada, and beyond. The final selections feature 40 films (a combination of shorts and feature-length) and seven photographers.

These works are intended to ignite a spark in all who see them—encouraging viewers to advocate for the voiceless plants and fungi that need our help.

Whether you are a new or experienced FILM MAKER or PHOTOGRAPHER we call on you to add your touch, your view and your perspective. No matter how small or large your vision is, we welcome you to the International Herb Symposium Film Festival.

Do you have a passion for plants and especially medicinal plants, educating others and addressing the many tough issues? The demand on the global plant kingdom is facing unfathomable challenges and we would like your take on this subject.

Consider producing a film or submitting a photograph with that passion that will help ignite the desire within you and others to contribute to the International Herb Symposium Film Festival.

All winners and official selections will have an opportunity to join our permanent online festival and share your film with our growing audience of IHS-FF members.

TOPICS:


Conservation & Environmental Issues
Diverse Voices / Cultural Stories
Endangered Plants
Forest Bathing / Nature Rx
Growing Herbs
Herbal Supply Chain (Harvesting/Selling)
History of Herbal Knowledge
Indigenous / Ancestral Medicine
Integrative Medicine
Legends of Herbalism
Mushrooms/Mycology indoor and outdoor
Permaculture
Plant Based Textiles
Plant Conservation
Plant Folklore
Processing Herbs
Sacred Sites
Trees as tallest Herbs
Traditional Healing

Awards & Prizes

Qualified juries, each composed of recognized figures in the herbal industry, film making, and environmental activism appointed by the Festival’s Direction, will assign official prizes.

BEST FEATURE – 46 to 120 minutes. Tell the whole story.

BEST SHORT – 5 to 45 minutes. Focus on an idea.

BEST PHOTOGRAPHY - Capture nature's art. Grand Prize STEVEN FOSTER AWARD

OFFICIAL SELECTION - Each category has a select number of Official Selections awarded.

Rules & Terms

At this time, we do not do any physical screenings or live events until further notice.

All entry fees are non-refundable. 

Multiple entries from the same submitter are accepted. For films, a separate submission and a separate entry fee must accompany each entry. Multiple photography entries from the same submitter can be included with one entry fee.

We will NOT publish any film on the IHS FF website without the permission of the owner.

All films that are not in English must have English language subtitles. 

If the film wins an award we will screen the film or photograph on our IHS FF website for the 2023 entry winner.

Unless notified by the film producers, submitting films to the International Herb Symposium Film Festival indicates acceptance that permission is granted to screen the film on our website. The International Herb Symposium Film Festival cannot offer financial compensation for screening the awarded films during this period.

Submissions are accepted only via our FilmFreeway site.

Submissions received without an online screener will not be accepted.

All winners will receive the laurels and an award certificate by email.

By submitting your project to IHS Film Festival you confirm that you own the rights to the work submitted.

Participants’ films must follow copyright laws for music, footage or any other form of material used in their films.

Talent releases are required for all on-camera interviews.

IHS Film Festival is not responsible for view copying content by any means.

All the nominations and award winners will be listed on our website.

1 Review
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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  • Cyrille Cornu

    A great festival and a wonderful and to much rare theme, plants. Very happy to be part of this year selection with Mamody, the last baobab digger. Great communication and kindness !

    October 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for the comments, Cyrille. We had many 1000's of viewers seeing the films and sending positive comments. We feel it will be a great platform to collectively get these films to an interested audience.
    GA