Rooted: Always Remembering where it Began

This summer...The Rooted Film Festival founded and produced by Filmmaker Julian Maya brings the community together through the power of film to celebrate culture, identity, family, and the many voices that make us who we are and where we came from. We invite high school filmmakers from Southern California to share bold, personal, and meaningful stories that explore diversity, immigration, heritage, and belonging. Through these films, we hope to spark connection, celebrate difference, and remind everyone that every story has a place on screen.

If you are in the 9th-12th grade for the 2026-2027 school year and attend a Southern California high school then you are eligible to participate in the Rooted Festival. We are looking for original short films (3-7 minutes) centered around culture, identity and family exploring cultural diversity, immigration and family heritage using the below prompt.

Prompt: Always Remembering where it Began

Important Dates
Deadline to submit- September 1, 2026
Screening & Award Ceremony- October 14, 2026

Winners will be announced at event being held at:
Frida Cinema
305 E 4th St 100
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Prizes will be handed out at award ceremony.

Awards & Prizes

The Rooted Film Festival will honor outstanding storytelling across three award categories, each offering a $500 cash prize. You can enter the same film into multiple categories.

The Rooted Film Festival’s judging panel will be announced at a later date. The festival’s judging panel will select the three category winners based on each entry’s demonstrated filmmaking skill, storytelling, and artistic merit.

Categories-
Best Celebration of Culture: For a film that beautifully represents cultural identity or tradition. Cash prize- $500

Best Family Story: For a film focused on family, generations, or heritage. Cash prize- $500

Best Community Voice: For a film that highlights a meaningful perspective from within the community. Cash prize- $500

Rules & Terms

Eligibility and requirements:

NO FEE TO ENTER. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Open to: Highschool filmmakers based in Southern California.

Crew: All crew members must be high school students (grades 9–12) for the 2026-2027 school year to submit. Actors do not need to be in high school.

Verification: Crew must be prepared to submit valid high school ID, upon request.

How to enter-
All entries must be uploaded directly to Film Freeway. Make sure your project’s privacy settings allow festival access by setting “Download Permissions” to “Festivals that I submit to may download my video.

Any submissions with a YouTube or Vimeo link will not be considered for selection or screening. Email submissions will not be accepted.

Deadline to submit-
Tuesday September 1, 2026 11:59PM PST

Submit via Film Freeway-
Step 1- Submit a 3–7-minute short film
Step 2- A film poster (300 dpi/ size 4" x5") that best reflects your film must be emailed to hello@superjujuworld.com after you submit your film via Film Freeway.

How to win-
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges based on each entry’s demonstrated filmmaking skill, storytelling, and artistic merit.

Runtime-
Total runtime (TRT): Your film submission’s must meet a minimum of 3 minutes and not exceed the time limit of 7 minutes. Credits are not included in TRT. Credit sequences must not exceed 30 seconds.

Compliance-
Entries that exceed the category time limit or that violate the credit limit will be disqualified.

Format-
We accept DCP or .MP4 file formats

File Naming-
Name your submissions as follows: FilmTitle_Directorname
Ex. AwesomeFilm_JohnSmith.____

Content-
All music, images, titles, footage, and other copyrighted material used in your submission must be properly licensed. You must have permission and/or the appropriate rights to all content included in your film. The Rooted Film Festival is not liable for any claims, costs, damages, or legal actions arising from copyright, trademark, royalty, or other intellectual‑property infringement related to submitted works. By submitting, entrants agree to indemnify and hold the festival harmless from any such claims and to provide proof of licenses, releases, or clearances upon request.

Non-acceptance-
The Rooted Film Festival will not accept films that contain excessive or gratuitous violence, nudity, or profanity, or that advocate or promote racial, cultural, religious, or gender‑based bias. Submissions that violate this policy will be disqualified.

The Rooted Film Festival asks that all submissions maintain a level of appropriateness for a wide audience, especially as our viewers may include but not limited to young audience members and families.

Promotional-
By submitting, entrants grant the Rooted Film Festival permission to showcase name, crews' names, school name or film club name and mention their film(s) on the festival’s Instagram, and in any promotional or marketing materials both via website, digital and printed.