Communicate Your Way
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Student Filmmaking Competition
Passionate about mental health? Interested in filmmaking, animation, or content creation of any kind? We want to showcase your incredible work in our curriculum!
Winners will receive a cash prize, have their work shared with millions of students around the world, and join a cohort of creators for the opportunity to collaborate with our team on future video projects!
Why We’re Doing This
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Bringing Student Voice into our Curriculum
Video plays a crucial role in making our curriculum engaging for students. And after all, who understands what types of videos students enjoy watching better than the students themselves? By showcasing the unique viewpoints of young filmmakers, we hope it will spark important conversations around mental health, break down stigmas, and empower other students to share their own stories.
Creating a Community of Creators
We want to create a community of young creators within the mental health space that we can lean on for future video opportunities! Joining the cohort means there may be opportunities to help out our internal production crew on set, do some freelance video editing, consult on creative ideas, or become an intern on our video team!
Pick a prompt
Prompts vary by audience grade level and video topic. See below for options. Choose one that resonates with you and start creating!
Submit a Video
After creating your short film, submit it using the form above. Submission deadline is February 20th, 2026. Make sure to review the ‘Rules’ section to ensure your video meets all the requirements.
Winners Announced
We'll select a few winners who will receive the prizes listed below and join our CS Creator Cohort! Winners will be announced in March.
Amazon Gift Card!
Winners will be awarded a $750 Amazon gift card. Use it for any age-appropriate purchases of your choosing!
Creative Workshop
Join the other winners for a virtual creative workshop and chance to connect with influential creatives in the production industry. Learn camera techniques, storytelling strategies, and so much more!
The virtual workshop will take place in April. More details to come.
Join the Creator Cohort
Winners will join the CS Creator Cohort, an opportunity for young creators to receive mentorship and hands-on experience in the video production industry. Members of the cohort will have the opportunity to collaborate on upcoming video projects with our team, serving as crew members, freelancers, interns, and more!
Prompts
Certain subjects resonate more with younger, or older audiences. We've categorized these prompts by audience grade-level that they'll be most relevant to. When choosing your prompt, keep in mind the intended audience to ensure that the video you create is suitable for their age group.
.3rd - 5th. .Grade Audience.
Prompt #1: Show how one small act of leadership can make a big difference in your community.
Prompt #2: Tell the story of someone who learns to believe in themselves, even when it feels hard.
Prompt #3: Create a story about setting a big goal - and the small steps it takes to reach it.
Prompt #4: Show the power of getting organized and how it can make life feel a whole lot lighter.
Prompt #5: Tell a story where everything feels out of control-until one deep breath changes the moment.
Prompt #6: Capture what it feels like when your thoughts start to spiral—and how someone finds calm again.
Prompt #7: Show how someone learns to see a problem in a new way—by being open to change, trying different solutions, and realizing there’s often more than one “right” answer.
.6th - 12th. .Grade Audience.
Prompt #1: Tell the story of a lie that unravels—or a truth that was difficult, but necessary.
Prompt #2: Show a time when a relationship got difficult, and what you did to repair things.
Prompt #3: Show how selflessness doesn’t have to be big or loud to be powerful.
Prompt #4: Capture the everyday pressures of being a student and real strategies students use to cope.
Prompt #5: Create a film about discovering who you want to be—and taking the first steps toward that future.
Prompt #6: Tell a story about what effective teamwork looks like — especially when working through disagreements or opposite ideas.
Another note: We understand that some of these topics can be pretty heavy, but it’s important that these videos remain appropriate - that means no expletives, excessive violence, or nudity. Our goal is to educate and inspire, providing a safe and engaging learning environment for all students. Please read through the rules carefully to ensure your video does not break any rules.
Our Current Videos
Sometimes, having a reference can be helpful. Here’s a collection of videos that are part of our Elementary and Secondary curriculum. Your short film can resemble these examples, or it can take on an entirely different style!
Please read through the below rules carefully. For more details, click the button above to video the 'Official Rules'.
Who can apply?
The competition is open to students age 13 and up. You must be enrolled in either middle school, high school, or undergraduate college.
U.S. residents only.
How long should my video be?
Ideally videos should be between 2 and 3 minutes in length. Videos longer than 5 minutes will likely not be accepted.
What type of video content can I make?
Any type of video content! It can be live-action, animated, documentary, claymation, filmed on an iPhone, or anything in between! Videos should be between 2 and 3 minutes in length. And generally horizontal videos work better, though some vertical videos may be accepted!
Be sure to check out the question below to see what type of content isn’t allowed.
What type of content isn’t allowed?
We will not accept videos that include expletives, excessive violence, or nudity. Our goal is to educate and inspire, providing a safe and engaging learning environment for all students.
Additionally, your video cannot include any copyrighted content. That includes copyrighted music, images, and video. There are tons of free websites with copyright-free music, images, and video. Pexels.com is a great place to find images and video. And YouTube Studio has thousands of free music options!
Do I have to follow one of the provided prompts?
Not necessarily. If you’d like to submit a video about something else, you can. But videos centered around a prompt will have a much higher chance of winning.
Can I submit multiple films?
Yes, you may submit multiple films for consideration. However, winning filmmakers will only receive one set of prizes even if more than one of their films is selected as a winner.
Can I work with others to create my film?
Absolutely! We encourage all filmmakers to enlist the help of friends and family to help produce your masterpiece. Keep in mind that anyone who appears in your film will need their parents to fill out a release form and you’ll need to upload them when submitting your video.
Additionally, each submission can only have one ‘owner’ identified. This will be the person who submits the film, receives the reward if selected as a winner, and joins the Creator Cohort. If you worked with a friend to make your film, you are more than welcome to share the prize money with them on your own accord, but CharacterStrong will only be distributing gift cards to one person per film.
When is the deadline to apply?
We've extended our deadline to apply from January 30, to February 20th, 2026!
When will winners be announced?
Winners will be announced early March.
Our submission policy.
All applicants to the Student Filmmaking Competition—regardless of whether they are named among the official winners—must adhere to the following policy concerning submissions. This policy is designed to prevent misunderstandings if your submission resembles a work created or supported by CharacterStrong. It applies to all submissions of ideas or creative works, including but not limited to social media content, scripts, music, videos, podcasts, art, and literary works. Due to the legal and business complexities surrounding authorship and ownership of creative works, CharacterStrong has implemented this strict policy.
If you choose to submit a work, you acknowledge and agree to the following, regardless of any conditions or qualifications you may attach to your submission:
CharacterStrong and its staff and agents may use and share your submission for any purpose and in any manner without providing compensation to you or anyone else.
Your submission is not considered confidential or proprietary, and neither CharacterStrong nor its staff or agents will be liable for any use or disclosure of your submission.
You waive any rights to file claims, including those related to intellectual property infringement, against CharacterStrong and its staff and agents concerning your submission.
We are not obligated and will not be bound by any conditions regarding ownership, copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, confidentiality, or compensation that you may associate with your submission.
We encourage you to collaborate with a creative agent who understands how to properly submit ideas and creative content. Please also review the Official Rules.
Have more questions?
Reach out to isabella.harrishamlin@characterstrong.com with additional questions