This June 2025, Portland becomes the epicenter of hopeful, forward-thinking storytelling with the Solar Punk Film Festival (SPFF). Hosted by Bridge City Media, SPFF brings together filmmakers, visionaries, and changemakers to celebrate creativity, sustainability, and the power of film to inspire action.

With screenings, networking opportunities, and conversations centered around sustainability and innovation, SPFF offers a unique platform for artists to share their visions of a brighter future. Whether you're a filmmaker, storyteller, or cinema enthusiast, this festival is your chance to be part of the Solar Punk movement, exploring worlds where technology, community, and nature thrive together.

Awards & Prizes

SPFF honors outstanding films that embody the Solar Punk philosophy with the following awards:

Winner: $3,000 Visa gift card
Runner-Up: $500 Visa gift card
Audience Choice Award: $300 Visa gift card
Finalists: Gift boxes featuring curated goods from Portland-based B Corporations

All finalists will have their films screened during the festival and evaluated by a panel of guest judges and the audience. Winners will be announced following the final screening.

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES
The Solar Punk Film Festival will take place in Portland, Oregon, in June 2025.

1) Submission Period
Submissions will be accepted from January 10 to May 16th, 2025.

2) Eligibility
Films must adhere to the Solar Punk theme, exploring sustainability, innovation, and community-building.
Submissions must be fictional, but may be animated or live-action.
Must be free of copyright content.
Film length: 2 to 15 minutes.
Excessive violence or nudity will result in disqualification.

3) Submission Guidelines
Films must be submitted in mp4 or mov format via FilmFreeway.
All submitted works must be the original creation of the filmmaker, with all rights and permissions secured.

4) Submission fee
All submissions are to be paid by credit card or PayPal via FilmFreeway.
The submission fee is non-refundable.

5) Selection Process
Eight finalists will be selected for screening at the festival.
Films will be judged based on creativity, storytelling, production quality, and alignment with the Solar Punk theme.

6) Screenings and Scheduling
Screenings will occur at a theater in Portland, Oregon.
The festival reserves the right to adjust the schedule as needed.

7) Promotional Rights
By submitting a film, entrants grant SPFF permission to use clips, stills, and promotional materials for marketing and event promotion.

8) Awards
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges and audience votes.
Prizes will be awarded after the final screening.

9) Festival Participation
Filmmakers of selected works are encouraged to attend the event.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By submitting, you certify that you hold all necessary rights to the film and its content.
SPFF is not responsible for lost or damaged submission materials.
Submission fees are non-refundable.
Participation in SPFF implies agreement with these terms and conditions.
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Allen Myers

    Incredibly grateful to the team behind the Solarpunk Film Festival. This is an organized, passionate group who clearly care deeply about cinema, the environment, and community. We were given the opportunity to share about our film during the awards and connect with other filmmakers. The thoughtful, well-curated filmmaker gift bag full of quality goods was an especially generous surprise. Highly recommend this festival, and I look forward to submitting and attending again in the future.

    September 2025
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  • Hernan Dvojak

    I am delighted with the reception and the great attention from the organization. I participated this year in 2025 and finally won the silver award! Very pleased with the selection and the prize for my short film.

    June 2025
    Helpful
  • BattleGround Productions

    Great people running a principled and effective Festival. Like Solar Punk, these folks seem powered by optimism, belief in a better world and sunshine. Proud to have been a finalist for their first year and hope there are many more years to come.

    June 2025
    Helpful