The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest will continue the celebration of award-winning student films via a virtual event to kick off Earth Week Mini Film Fest. See eight short, student films from among 13 honorable mention/notable winners.

Topics range from conserving the last frontier of Alaska, to reducing ocean waste, to disconnecting from electronics and re-connecting with the nature. Founding Director Sue Crothers will facilitate a short Q&A with each filmmaker after their film screens.

“There are some very thought-provoking films that should lead to interesting discussions,” said Sue. “Students will Zoom in from the Midwest, East Coast, Scotland, and even Turkey.”

For ages 10-24 and general audiences. Click here for complete details and free tickets.

These films are among the best from 148 submissions, as rated by a jury of 16 film and sustainability professionals. The Young Filmmakers Contest asks students from grade 3 to age 25 to create a 3- to 8-minute environmental film that inspires change or action. Animated or stop-motion films can be a minimum of 45 seconds long.

Films featured will be:

• Bats and White-Nose Syndrome (2 min)
  by Henry Sobel, Grade 6, Illinois

• Stop Pebble Mine (5 min)
  by Mason Mirabile, Grade 6, Virginia

• Sealing the Leak (7.5 min)
  by Callie Deng, Grade 7, Maryland

• Less Waste (1 min)
  by Destiny Hardy, Grade 8, Michigan

• My Journey Across the Ocean (4 min)
  by Madeleine Toomey, university freshman, Scotland

• How Chicago’s Rapid Transit is Failing (3 min)
  by Nathan Goswick, Mariel Mudrick, and Liam McCormick, university freshmen, Illinois

• Climate Change: A Call to Action (5.5 min)
  by Grace Cancian, Jason Chan, Sergei LeFaivre, Parker McKenzie, and Spencer Steinke, university juniors and seniors, Connecticut

• Scent/Koku (5 min) (a Notable film)
  by Sezgin Yüzay, university student, Turkey

Five additional honorable mention winning films will be posted for viewing along with the above films on this page on Tuesday, April 19. To learn more about the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest go here.