One Earth Film Festival is the Midwest’s premier environmental film festival, creating opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability, and the power of people. This hybrid festival is screened online nationally and internationally and at select in-person locations in the Chicago area, including top museums and community centers. The One Earth Film Festival showcases top-issue, thought-provoking films that explore the intersection of climate change and environmental justice. Professional facilitators lead audiences in interactive post-film discussions with expert panelists from top scientific and community-based organizations and filmmakers – you could be one of them! Focused on solutions, the Film Festival offers concrete actions people can take to address the most pressing environmental issues of our time. One Earth Film Festival is a production of One Earth Collective.

We are looking for films that present a compelling story about environmental issues, that offer solutions, and that have the potential to transform viewers’ thinking and motivate them to take action or change their behavior.

If your film is selected, we pay a screening fee and promote your film on our website and other One Earth promotional tools. Additional activities include an invitation to our Filmmakers’ Toast and Opening Night Launch Party, interviews for our blog and social media accounts, and an opportunity to be on a post-film panel after the screening of your film.

Our last festival ran from March 4-13, 2022. Several thousand attendees viewed and participated in virtual and in-person screenings of more than 20 feature-length and short documentary films. This year’s festival promises to expand its reach, attendance and impact.

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Mission:

Through sustainability-themed films and facilitated discussion — educate, raise awareness, and inspire the adoption of solution-oriented sustainable actions.

Vision:

Stimulate, energize and activate communities through deep involvement in the One Earth Film Festival, maximizing citizen reach and expanding the movement.

Goals:

1) Create thought-provoking, transformative opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability, and the power of human involvement.
2) Pack an intensive education & awareness punch through rich film stories, interactive discussions, and experiences.
3) “Expand the movement” by attracting people not generally involved in or already committed to “green” activities.

If you are a young filmmaker (25 and under) looking to submit a 3 to 8 minute short film or a 45 second minimum animation, please check out our Young Filmmakers Contest: filmfreeway.com/OneEarthYoungFilmmakersContest.

Rules & Terms

1) All submitted films must tell a rich story, present a theme related to sustainability or the environment, and offer compelling solutions to the problems posed in the film. Areas of particular interest include: Architecture/Green Building, Environmental films for children ages 3-8, 9-13, 14+, Climate Change, Conservation, Energy, Environmental Advocacy, Food/Agriculture, Health & the Environment, Historical Perspectives, People & Culture, Social Justice, Transportation, Waste & Recycling, Water, Wildlife

2) We accept films from around the world and especially encourage Spanish language films.

3) ​​Films with non-English soundtracks must be submitted with embedded English subtitles.

4) ​​If available, open captioning for ALL films is encouraged.

5) ​​All entrants whose films are selected for our 2023 festival grant One Earth Film Festival the right to use stills and portions of the selected film for promotional purposes.

6) ​​We will accept films ranging from 10 to 100 minutes in length but are most interested in films with a screening time of 60 minutes. If you are 25 or under and wish to submit a 3 to 8 minute short film or a 45 second minimum animation, please check out our Young Filmmakers Contest: filmfreeway.com/OneEarthYoungFilmmakersContest.

7) ​​All submission screeners must go through a screening process to qualify for selection.

8) ​​The screening link will be accessible through March 13, 2022 to allow up to 15 members of One Earth’s film review team, other staff, event facilitators and program panelists to view.

9) ​​Entry fees are nonrefundable except with respect to an event that is canceled by the Festival.

10) ​​We offer a limited number of submission fee waivers to filmmakers for whom the entry fee presents a barrier to submission. Please contact travis@oneearthcollective.org with:
- A detailed explanation as to why you are requesting a fee waiver.
- A 250-word minimum explanation of why you feel your film is a good fit for our festival. Please specifically address how your film is an environmental film. Please note that One Earth Film Festival is an environmental film festival, and we select films that closely match our mission.
The availability or number of fee waivers is not guaranteed.

11) ​​The Filmmaker (as defined in the FilmFreeway Terms and Conditions) hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

12) ​​The undersigned shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless One Earth Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and court costs) arising out of or involving the submission, including but not limited to claims involving copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights, defamation or right of publicity.

13) ​​Exceptions to the festival regulations must be authorized by the Festival Director of the One Earth Film Festival.