ETHOS Film Awards International Film Festival - Supported by the City of Santa Monica

Join the passionate, purpose-driven ETHOS Film Awards team of Hollywood industry professionals and partner festivals—including All Abilities International Film Festival, ETHOS Kids, The Artist Emerged, and the ETHOS Film Institute 501(c)(3)—for the 8th edition of the ETHOS Film Awards International Film Festival, held annually in Santa Monica. Founded by producers, directors, and actors, our festival celebrates courageous talent and showcases purpose-driven films that promote peace, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability. We see the art of film and storytelling as a sacred process that transcends all cultures and languages.

We proudly accept all genres and lengths—fiction, documentary, comedy, action, adventure, sci-fi, thrillers, horror, and experimental projects—so long as they carry a message that inspires a better tomorrow. We celebrate inclusion and diversity, highlighting underrepresented voices from the neurodiverse and disability community, people of color, women, mental health advocates, peacebuilders, environmental activists, and defenders of families, children, and animals.

Empowering Filmmakers
At ETHOS, we believe supporting filmmakers means more than screenings. Our sponsorships and donations are reinvested into:

Mentorship programs with established producers, directors, and writers.
Educational panels addressing urgent global topics and the business of film.
Scholarships and fellowships for emerging voices with financial need.
Partnerships with institutions like the Santa Monica College Public Policy Institute and Center for Design and Media, nurturing the next generation of storytellers.
Every submission fee and donation is tax-deductible through our 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your support goes directly into empowering filmmakers, building mentorship opportunities, and sustaining a platform for inclusive, impact-driven cinema.

A Global Stage
Our live event takes place at partner venues including the Laemmle Monica Film Center, right on the Santa Monica beachfront. Finalists will screen alongside highly educational industry panels, networking events, and community celebrations.
Past lineups have included industry leaders such as Meg Fauve, Barnet Bain, Ted Baehr, Rodo Sayaquez, Cindy Cowan, James Keach, Kay Sumner, Sandi Bachom, Marie Diamond, Henry Jaglom, Claire Hasood, Lewis Teague, and many more.

The ETHOS Film Awards International Film Festival is more than an event—it’s a movement. By educating, empowering, and inspiring filmmakers worldwide, we foster conversations that incite real action. We recognize outstanding films in multiple categories, and we provide resources, mentorship, and industry access that extend well beyond the festival itself.

Be Part of the Movement
The ETHOS Film Awards International Film Festival is an essential gathering for anyone who believes in the power of impact-driven storytelling. We invite filmmakers, writers, and composers of all genres and backgrounds to submit their work and join our community. Together, we are building a global platform that promotes social change through powerful, purpose-driven cinema.

Awards & Prizes

Award Categories for our ETHOS Film Awards:

Category Winners will be announced during the award celebrations but will receive a notice of their Finalist nomination ahead of time.

Winners will receive awards ranging from our ETHOS Film Award Statue, certificates, mentorship awards, cash stipends, gear, and more.

ETHOS Film Awards for Outstanding Achievements in:

Fiction Film (all genres)
Documentary
Scripts / Written Word
PSA
POC
Commercials
Reels

Award title honor the following categories (based on submission quality):

Courage, Sustainability, Tolerance, Diversity and Inclusion, Environmental, Peace, Disability and Neuro-Diversity, Human Connection, Gender Equality, Mental Health, Addiction Recovery, Music in Film, Social Justice, Education Matters, Next Generation (content created by children up to 18 years)

We also reserve the right to ad additional annual, depending on submissions and some of the awards:

ETHOS Special Awards:
Grand Jury Best Director
Grand Jury Best Feature Film
ETHOS Lifetime Achievement Award (Out of Competition)
Klaus Klein Special Award
ETHOS Female Empowerment Award
ETHOS Writer of the Year
ETHOS Producer of the Year

Other Special Award winners will be informed ahead of time to utilize P.R. and Social Media most effectively.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT SHIP AWARDS.

Rules & Terms

We accept and showcase submissions for fiction, and nonfiction features, shorts, music videos, photography, composition, and of course, the written word - all formats are welcome.

ETHOS Film Awards selects every submission with an impact message and meets our quality standard as a reward for all filmmakers advancing this world with their art. All genres are welcome. Winners and specific finalists of screened content will be contacted three weeks before the Festival.

All entries will be judged on the filmmaker's content, creativity, imagery, story, and skill. Films produced from 2021 to 2026 may be submitted. Works in progress will be accepted.

We only screen finalists (films that receive a nomination) during our live event.

All other official selections will be presented in our online showcase and do not require a DCP.

THE PAL SYSTEM IS NOT ACCEPTED.

We will NOT accept online Films for theater screenings.

ALL ACCEPTED SUBMISSIONS MUST provide an MPEG4 film File and be directly uploaded in our googledrive system.

The ETHOS Film Awards is hereby granted the right to utilize footage, and promotional materials supplied by the submitting agent from any film submitted and accepted film, video, or project for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. ETHOS Film Awards may use footage from their projects to promote the Festival, their film, or the Event via print, web, and broadcast television.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Anabelle Munro's The ETHOS Film Awards International Film Festival, its vendors, sponsors, and supporters from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

Written Word Submission Rules:

We accept written word submissions for features, shorts, short shorts, scenes, poetry, and prose.

All genres are welcome.

One copy of an original feature film screenplay uploaded as a PDF file will be accepted. (Do NOT include more than 1 version). We do not accept hardcopy scripts.
The screenplay should be in standard industry format (12-point Courier).

Under no circumstances will substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of an entry screenplay be allowed under the original submission.
Corrected or edited screenplays must be resubmitted as a NEW entry and will require a separate submission fee.

Submissions must be the original work of the entrant(s) and may not be based, in whole or in part, on any other fiction or nonfiction material, published or unpublished, produced or un-produced.

We do not ship Awards.

Each filmmaker whose work has been selected will receive a free Gold Pass upon arrival at the Festival. These passes are non-transferable and will give the filmmaker free access to all screenings and panels.