The World Water Film Festival curates’ films of all genres from all over the world that explore our personal, societal, cultural, and environmental connection with water. Festival events bring people together and address some of the most significant challenges and exciting prospects we face when it comes to humanity’s relationship with water. Connected to UN Water organizations, we aim to amplify water issues and solutions...connected by film and the power to inspire.
We are aligned with UN Water and in particular are looking to highlight films relevant to each year's World Water Day (March 22 2026) and World Toilet Day (November 19) themes. While rooted in NYC, our events travel the globe! On deck to 2026 we've been to Chicago for Chicago Water Week, will be in Rotterdam June 22 for the UN Decade of Restoration Swimmable Cities event with the community film night, and a new flagship event in Buenos Aires November 2025.
In NYC, the Columbia Climate School serves as our host, and since our 2023 NYC event in partnership with NY Water Week and the UN Water Conference, we've held satellite events in Wellington New Zealand, London, multiple cities in Tanzania, Guangzhou China with more events in the works for 2025 and beyond.
OUR GOAL
In creating this platform our goal is to leverage the power in the medium & art form of film to enhance relationships between filmmakers, organizations, and the entire human population to build championship and activism in water-related matters. We curate films from around the world to audiences around the world that explore our personal, societal, cultural and environmental relationship with water.
BEST WORLD WATER DAY 2026 THEME: Gender and Water
BEST WORLD TOILET DAY: Themes of WASH & SanitationBEST CALL-TO-ACTION
BEST SOCIAL JUSTICE
BEST SHORT FEATURE
BEST NARRATIVE COMEDY
BEST NARRATIVE DRAMA
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
BEST ANIMATION / MUSIC VIDEO
BEST STUDENT FILM
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR EACH CATEGORY
2025 FOCUS LENS: BEST PLASTICS AND WATER