*Thank you for your submissions!* (now closed)
A La Luz is excited to announce the open call for the Films of Return Festival, an online film and video art event that will showcase works by filmmakers and video artists from across the globe who are addressing the urgency of the environmental breakdown our world is facing and its far-reaching consequences. We invite artists worldwide to submit films and video art that shed light on the complex and urgent challenges of the climate emergency, inspiring action through creative exploration.
The Films of Return Festival seeks works that delve into critical questions around the climate crisis, sparking fresh perspectives and fostering a deeper understanding of the ways it intersects with human lives and ecosystems. As the world faces accelerating changes—rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, biodiversity loss, and social inequality—the festival aims to amplify voices that address these interconnected struggles and reflect on possible pathways toward resilience and restoration.
The Films of Return is a celebration of our place within the vast, intertwined fabric of life. It challenges the notion of nature as “other,” inviting filmmakers and audiences alike to consider the profound ways we are shaped by—and in turn shape—the world around us. Through this shared lens, the festival becomes a space to explore the beauty, complexity, and urgency of living in harmony with all that sustains us.
These films are not only calls to action but reflections of belonging. They illuminate the creativity and courage needed to face the climate crisis while honoring the connections that make restoration possible. In reexamining the world through art, we reimagine ourselves as stewards, collaborators, and kin—interwoven with the earth’s rhythms and stories, striving together toward a renewed sense of balance.
The Festival will open online on July 1, 2025, and will be accessible until September 30. Screenings at selected venues may happen as opportunities arise, though they cannot be guaranteed at this time. A La Luz will make efforts to facilitate these additional screenings.
Submissions should explore one or more of the following topics, encouraging critical reflection and creative responses to pressing environmental issues:
Climate justice: The disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized and frontline communities, especially those least responsible for its causes. Works that engage with the movement for equitable environmental rights, justice, and resilience-building in vulnerable populations are encouraged.
Biodiversity and ecosystem preservation: The urgency of protecting habitats, species, and natural landscapes under threat. This includes examining the loss of biodiversity, extinction rates, and the vital role that biodiversity plays in maintaining planetary health and resilience against climate change.
Pollution and resource exploitation: Addressing the effects of industrial pollution, overconsumption, and the exploitation of natural resources. Topics may include the global consequences of waste, such as plastic pollution, electronic waste, chemical pollutants, and the ethical questions surrounding resource extraction.
Urban and rural sustainability: Sustainable urban and rural planning, renewable energy initiatives, and the need for circular economies. Films might explore urban ecology, green architecture, sustainable agriculture, and community-led efforts to balance human activity with the natural world.
Water scarcity and oceans health: The crisis of water access and sanitation, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and the devastation of marine ecosystems. Topics might range from the overuse of water resources to coral reef conservation, sustainable fishing practices, and the global impact of melting ice caps.
Land stewardship and indigenous knowledge: Celebrating Indigenous ecological wisdom, sustainable land management, and traditional knowledge systems. Artists may delve into themes of cultural preservation, land sovereignty, and the pivotal role of Indigenous communities in safeguarding the environment.
Climate migration and human rights: Exploring the social and human rights issues tied to climate-induced migration. This includes stories of displacement due to natural disasters, desertification, or rising sea levels, and the associated legal, social, and ethical considerations.
Agriculture, food systems, and food security: Examining sustainable agriculture, food justice, and the impact of climate change on food availability. Topics might include regenerative agriculture, food sovereignty, and innovative farming practices designed to reduce environmental footprints.
Environmental activism and social movements: Documenting grassroots activism, community-driven projects, and global movements pushing for environmental change. Artists may explore how individuals, groups, and organizations are coming together to demand environmental policy reform, conservation efforts, and corporate accountability.
Renewable energy and technological innovation: Investigating clean energy solutions, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and innovative sustainable technologies. Works might look at the potential of renewable energy to reshape economies, reduce emissions, and mitigate climate impacts.
Forest and land conservation: The critical importance of forests, wetlands, and other carbon sinks in climate mitigation. Topics could range from deforestation and reforestation efforts to forest guardianship, protected areas, and community-led conservation initiatives.
Each of these themes invites artists to tackle the complexities of our relationship with the planet, urging audiences to think critically and compassionately about the pathways forward.
