The National Coalition Against Censorship and the New York Film Academy are excited to present the 22nd annual Youth Free Expression Film Contest.

This year NCAC is calling on young filmmakers to create short documentary films that explore the theme: Documenting our Democracy!

Free Expression means the right to reveal important truths, and documentary is an invaluable tool that can empower anyone with as little as a cell phone to do just that.
The theme “Documenting our Democracy” is about more than just elections and voting.

“Democracy” is the process of creating a community and working together to solve shared problems. When choosing a subject for your film, think about what makes where you live unique; what’s one thing people should know about your town or city? What might surprise them about it? Who are the people who embody it?

As part of the contest, NCAC and NYFA are hosting a documentary filmmaking workshop series, featuring working documentary filmmakers and NYFA faculty, to give aspiring filmmakers the skills, tools, and inspiration you need to create short documentaries about your communities.

Join us on May 23, June 6, and June 27 from 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET for a series of free workshops that walk students through every step of making a documentary. No filmmaking experience or special equipment is required. All interested students are welcome, and recordings will be available afterward, for a limited time.

* Workshop One: How to Plan Your Film (May 23rd): Choosing your subject, planning your film, and preparing to shoot.
* Workshop Two: How to Shoot Your Film (June 6th): Basics of recording video, including easy tips for getting good audio and lighting without special equipment.
* Workshop Three: How to Edit Your Film (June 27th): Basics of editing, and where to find free and easy-to-use editing tools.

The workshop hosts will also serve as judges to select the winners of the film contest.

However, workshop attendance is optional, and will not result in preferential evaluation of submitted films. Stay tuned for the announcement of workshop hosts!

Consider the following ideas when thinking about a good subject for your documentary about democracy:
* Community leaders (teachers, coaches, librarians, activists, etc)
* Local political issues
* Cultural events/celebrations
* Common or shared problems, and how people address them
* Protest or social movements
* Local history

We encourage you to be creative about what “documentary” means! At the most basic level, a documentary is a nonfiction film. Documentaries might have observational footage (called “verité”), interviews, historical photos/videos, animations, or reenactments.

*Warning: your video should NOT be created using A.I. You may use examples of A.I. within the film to illustrate a point.

Be thoughtful. Be creative. Be original. Be uncensored.

Need advice or inspiration?

The best way to become a better filmmaker is to study great films! Here are some of our favorite short documentaries that might help you decide how you want to make yours!
* Weekend at Gus’ (dir. Paul Overstrom) [https://vimeo.com/635916083]
* The Ban (dir. Roisin Agnew) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EG-4qhre8k]
* Goodbye Morganza (dir. Devon Blackwell) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZNnn8MVeaE]
* Seat 31 (dir. Kimberly Reed) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeEYFlx9c9I]

You can also check out:
* NYFA's Resources for Student Filmmakers [https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/]
* NYFA’s Resources for Student Filmmakers — Documentary Filmmaking [https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/documentary-filmmaking/]
* NCAC's workshop on filmmaking at home [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i747Ecuwe8]
* Resources for First-Time Filmmakers [https://ncac.org/project/resources-for-first-time-filmmakers]
* Filmmaker’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use [https://ncac.org/project/filmmakers-guide-to-copyright-and-fair-use]

Awards & Prizes

The first-place winner receives a scholarship to the New York Film Academy (terms and conditions apply). The top three filmmakers (individual or team) will receive cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250.

Before the winning films are selected, all finalists will be notified and have their films shared by NCAC.

The First Place film will be screened at NCAC's annual benefit in New York City. Film Contest Winners and Finalists may have the opportunity to have their films presented at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Participants in the Youth Free Expression Film Contest Workshops can earn a Letter of Completion from the New York Film Academy, recognizing their documentary-film making education. To be eligible to receive the recognition, participants need to:
* Attend two out of the three Film Contest Workshops
* Submit a short film to the 2026 Youth Free Expression Film Contest: Documenting our Democracy

How To Submit

Upload your film to the Film Contest page on Film Freeway and include an artist’s statement articulating your film’s message. For this year's theme we are only accepting documentary films.

The contest is free to enter.

Contestants must be either living in the U.S. or its territories (but need not be citizens) and must be age 19 or younger on the day the film is submitted. Films will be judged on content, artistic and technical merit, and creativity. Judges will be drawn from a panel of renowned filmmakers, writers, artists, and activists.

Submission Deadline: September 8, 2026

Questions?
Please contact Max@ncac.org

The National Coalition Against Censorship’s annual Youth Free Expression Film Contest invites young filmmakers to create a short film on a contemporary First Amendment issue. For over 20 years, the contest has showcased the talents and ideas of dozens of student filmmakers. NCAC’s Youth Free Expression Film Contest is made possible by generous support from the New York Film Academy.

Awards & Prizes

The first-place winner receives a scholarship to the New York Film Academy (terms and conditions apply). The top three filmmakers (individual or team) will receive cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250. Additionally, selected films may be screened at the National Council of Teachers of English annual conference in November 2026.

Rules & Terms

Contest Rules

1. All films must be uploaded to the YFEP FilmFreeway page no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on September 8, 2026.

2. Films cannot exceed six minutes. We know the importance of recognizing all contributors to your film, so credit sequences are not included in the 6-minute run time. Please keep credits as short as possible.

3. All films must address the topic "Documenting our Democracy ”

4. All members of the filmmaking crew must be age 19 or younger on the day the film is submitted. Actors or interviewees in the film can be any age. If working under the direction of a teacher, mentor, or parent, that person must describe his/her role in detail. Contestants must be either living in the U.S. or its territories (but need not be citizens).

5. Films may be submitted by teams, however, please note that for each winning film, any prize money will be split evenly among the team members and scholarship opportunities may be limited.

6. All entries must be accompanied by an artist’s statement (no more than 500 words) explaining the artist’s intended message, the creative process, and technical accomplishments. All participants should be identified and their roles in the film stated.

7. Filmmakers must either i) live in the United States or its territories (such as Puerto Rico) at the time of submission OR ii) attend an American school endorsed by the US State Department's Office of Overseas Schools. For a complete list of State Department endorsed schools, click here: https://www.state.gov/m/a/os/c1684.htm.

8. The film must be accompanied by the tagline "This film was created for the National Coalition Against Censorship" in the credits.

9. Finalists will be asked to submit a digital copy of their film and to sign a release form granting the National Coalition Against Censorship the rights to use, display or distribute the film in carrying out the National Coalition Against Censorship's educational mission, as well as for marketing purposes. The National Coalition Against Censorship does not limit the original creator's use of the work in any way.

10. The video should NOT be created using A.I. You may use examples of A.I. within the film to illustrate a point.

Visit ncac.org/filmcontest for more information or contact Max@ncac.org with questions.