Do It Your Damn Self (DIYDS) National Youth Film Festival is the longest running youth-produced festival in the country, drawing over 800 youth and adults to public screenings every year.

Founded in 1996 by six Cambridge teens who felt misrepresented in the media and wanted to do something about it, the festival is a champion of social justice in focus youth filmmakers who want to see change and make it happen.

DIYDS!! is a product of the Community Art Center’s Teen Media Program. The Teen Media Program youth understood that, “if you want something done, you gotta do it your damn self.”

Awards & Prizes

Selected Winners will experience a fun filled weekend in Cambridge Masschusetts from the perspective of our DIYDS!! teen crew members. You will receive flight and hotel accommodations generously provided by Harvard Art Museums and Cambridge Marriott. You will also spend the weekend exploring activities catered toward teens . Winners will receive personalized award certificates and trophies created especially for the festival.

Rules & Terms

Looking for, but not limited to, entries in the following categories:

• Social Justice (politics, diversity, activism, LGBTQ+, gender and race equity, etc.)
• Youth Perspectives (leadership, teen violence, relationships, family, education, etc.)
• Experimental Films that are abstract in nature but feature a perspective or voice not commonly heard from


Eligibility:

• Films playtime under 15 minutes made by TEENS aged 13-20 (DIYDS!!)
• The preferred format is an electronic submission uploaded as a 4k/high-definition video on Vimeo or Dropbox with downloadable links
• A maximum of 5 videos may be submitted by any one organization or program; only one film per group can be selected.
• International submissions are welcome.

Preference may be given to:

• Groups or filmmakers that can attend the film festival (June 6-9, 2024 in Boston & Cambridge, MA)
• Groups or filmmakers that have not been featured at DIYDS!! before
• Groups or filmmakers from low-income backgrounds or minority groups (youth of color, LBGTQ, disabled, etc.)

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email our team at diydsfilmfest@gmail.com or visit us at www.diyds.org

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DIYDS!!
Community Art Center
119 Windsor Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Rafa Brant

    An amazing experience! Incredibly well organized by people who were extremely interested in all films and in making a super fun event for the filmmakers. Would 100% recommend to other people to submit to it, a great opportunity to screen your film to many interested people and to meet other talented filmmakers!

    June 2026
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  • Lanaa Dantzler

    The best youth film festival experience I've ever had. The team at the community art center is so kind and accommodating and the cohort of filmmakers is always so diverse and interesting. You get the opportunity to not only interact with creatives but also the audience and the city of Cambridge. Cannot recommend enough!

    June 2026
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  • Thiago Tomas Landriscina

    One of the best experiences i had in my life! Thanks for making this possible for a lot of young film-makers all over the world. Everyone was awesome, i had the opportunity to meet young film-makers and the teens of the festival. Thanks for everything guys, i hope to see you soon 🫶🫶

    June 2026
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  • GM Productions None

    Had an amazing time at DIYDS!! Everyone was so generous, and it was seriously so insane to be able to be flown out and put in a hotel for free, I've never experienced such hospitality from a festival before and it was such a joy. To be able to see my film on such a huge screen at such an amazing location was so surreal, certainly the highlight of my summer. Thanks again!

    August 2025
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  • Aahir Ghosh

    Amazing experience that allowed me to travel and connect with many young filmmakers, like myself. Made me prouder of what I created!

    Loved every second!

    March 2025
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