Sustainable Stories Film Fest (SSFF)

The next edition of our festival will be hosted by Arts at William & Mary, a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 it is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the United, States. We invite submissions for a three-part academic screening series at William & Mary in fall 2026. This special edition of our festival centers on a single, urgent theme: water—its cultural significance, its ecological fragility, and the ways our collective usage shapes futures both local and global.

We seek documentary films between 30–60 minutes that critically investigate water in any context, including (but not limited to):

• water access and environmental justice
• climate change, drought, and sea-level rise
• conservation, stewardship, and policy
• cultural, historical, or spiritual relationships to water
• industrial, agricultural, and municipal water practices
• rivers, oceans, watersheds, wetlands, or coastal communities
• indigenous water knowledge and rights

Three films will be selected for public screenings on campus throughout the fall semester 2026, each followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker(s) and a hands-on workshop with students.

To ensure meaningful engagement with our academic and local community, only films whose filmmakers are willing to travel to William & Mary for the screening event will be considered. A travel stipend will be provided to each invited filmmaker to offset travel expenses. To make travel logistics doable and affordable and to ensure the highest possible relevance for our academic community, we especially encourage submissions from and / or about the Mid-Atlantic region.