Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Seven Issues Film Festival, a global platform dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the creative voices of young filmmakers addressing the most important global issues. With a focus on impactful storytelling, the festival features animated, fiction, documentary, and experimental short films from talented creators aged 18 to 30.

The Seven Issues Film Festival highlights seven pivotal global topics of the International Youth Media Summit: Discrimination, Environment, Health, Poverty, Violence, Women’s Rights and Youth Empowerment.

Our mission is to raise awareness, inspire action, and provide a platform for young filmmakers to present their perspectives on these pressing issues. In one screening day, the festival will showcase 28 short films – four outstanding works for each category – selected by a committee of seven acclaimed young filmmakers and storytellers.

Why Submit?
- Be part of a global movement for change under the umbrella of the International Youth Media Summit.
- Have your film screened in front of an engaged and socially-conscious audience.
- Gain recognition with official selection laurels and certificates.

Eligibility
- Open to filmmakers aged 18 to 30.
- Films must address one of the seven issues and not exceed 15 minutes.
- Animated, fiction, documentary and experimental films are welcome.
- Non-English films must include English subtitles.

One of our Seven Issues is poverty, so we take access seriously. That’s why our early submission window is free. After that, we introduce a small submission fee to help us manage the volume of entries responsibly. This fee is not about profit. It allows us to ensure that every film can be reviewed with care and equal attention.

For more details on the submission process and festival guidelines, please visit our official website, www.iyms.org.

Join us in using the power of film to spark conversations, challenge perspectives, and inspire action. We look forward to seeing your stories on the big screen!

(The 1st edition of this festival was co-funded by the European Union (European Solidarity Corps, Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.)

Awards & Prizes

• Grand Prix
• Audience Award
• Best Film (Discrimination)
• Best Film (Environment)
• Best Film (Health)
• Best Film (Poverty)
• Best Film (Violence)
• Best Film (Women's Rights)
• Best Film (Youth Empowerment)

Rules & Terms

1. General Information
- The Seven Issues Film Festival is organized by the Teen International Media Exchange.
- The SIFF aims to spotlight films addressing critical global issues, categorized under Discrimination, Environment, Health, Poverty, Violence, Women’s Rights and Youth Empowerment.
- The festival is open to filmmakers worldwide, aged 18 to 30 at the time of submission.
- Submissions can be in the form of animated, fiction, documentary or experimental films.
- Individuals can submit an unlimited number of films.
- The festival will feature one screening day, showcasing 28 short films (four films per category).

2. Eligibility Criteria
- Age: Open to filmmakers aged 18 to 30.
- Originality: The film must be the original work of the entrant and not infringe on the rights of any third party, including AI.
- Film Duration: Submissions must not exceed 15 minutes in length, including credits.
- Completion Date: Films must have been completed after January 1, 2024.
- Language: Non-English films must include English subtitles.
- Categories: Each film should address at least one of the festival’s seven issue topics.

3. Submission Process
- Platform: Films must be submitted through the official festival submission platform, FilmFreeway.
- Deadline: All submissions must be received by April 16, 2026.
- Entry Fee: One of our Seven Issues is poverty, so we take access seriously. That’s why our early submission window is free. After that, we introduce a small submission fee to help us manage the volume of entries responsibly. This fee is not about profit. It allows us to ensure that every film can be reviewed with care and equal attention.
- Materials: Per request, the entrants must provide a high-quality digital copy of the film, a completed submission form, and promotional materials (e.g., a short synopsis, film poster, and filmmaker bio).

4. Selection and Notification
- A selection committee consisting of young filmmakers and their mentors specializing in the festival’s categories, will evaluate the submissions.
- Films will be judged based on thematic relevance, creativity, technical quality and storytelling.
- Official selections will be announced by June 7, 2026.
- Selected filmmakers will be contacted via email.

5. Screening and Rights
- Screening Rights: By submitting a film, entrants grant the festival non-exclusive, royalty-free rights to screen the film during the festival and use excerpts, stills, and promotional materials for marketing and publicity purposes.
- Archive Rights: By submitting a film, entrants grant the festival the rights to store the film in their own film archives for protection and preservation.
- Withdrawal: Selected films cannot be withdrawn from the festival program after official confirmation.

6. Awards and Recognition
- The festival does not include monetary prizes but provides official laurels and certificates of selection.
- The festival gives out 9 awards: Grand Prix, Audience Award, Best Film (Discrimination), Best Film (Environment), Best Film (Health), Best Film (Poverty), Best Film (Violence), Best Film (Women's Rights) and Best Film (Youth Empowerment).

7. Terms and Conditions of Entry
- By submitting, entrants agree to abide by these rules and certify that all information provided is accurate.
- Entrants must ensure all necessary permissions for music, images and other copyrighted materials included in their films.
- The festival is not responsible for any copyright infringement or unauthorized use of intellectual property in the submitted films.
- The festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission that violates the rules or is deemed inappropriate.
- In case of rightful disqualification, the festival is not obliged to refund the entry fee.

8. Contact Information
For any questions or concerns regarding submissions, please contact info(a)iyms.org.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Lazar Jovanović

    Wow, what an experience this was. Every person I met was so friendly, so kind, and full of positive spirit. The team was not only welcoming and nice but also very organized and professional which made the whole festival run like clockwork, making it seem as it was the 50th edition, and not the first ever!

    The screening of my film Breaking Point was probably its best screening so far in terms of visual and audio quality, I had never experienced my film like that before! It was a joy to watch all the other films in that environment as well. The theater Kino Edison is really on another level.

    I am very honored and thankful that my film was chosen to be the winner of the first ever Seven Issues Film Festival, it means so much to know that there are festivals that care for socially engaged stories and problems in society! These subjects are becoming increasingly relevant with each passing day and I hope that this noble spirit of the festival will inspire many more editions to come!

    Thank you again for inviting me and making this wonderful event happen. I will treasure this experience for years to come and I hope we will see each other again next time!

    Love from Serbia!

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Annaëlle MAILLOT

    it was a real pleasure to be invited ! A nice festival ! I will Entries my future project for the next edition !

    August 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much! We're really glad you enjoyed being part of the festival, even from afar. Your support means a lot and it’s great to hear you're thinking of submitting again. We can't wait to see what you’re working on next!