Kids’ Film Competition

Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids, Utah’s premiere kids film festival, is excited to announce our 3rd annual kids film competition in partnership with UEN!

The 2025 Tumbleweeds Kids Film Competition will be open to all Utah students grades K-8. Students may enter fiction or nonfiction films for competition. Films will be judged based on filmmakers’ ability to tell a story or convey a message, artistic style, and technical skill.

The Finalists for the 2025 Film Competition are:

Grade K-3 Best Film Finalists

Utah’s Little Explorer by Elizabeth Gundersen

The Magic Flashlight by Indie June England

Trapped by Sawyer Innes

The Great Chocolate Adventure by Thomas Gundersen

Inescapable Virtual Reality by Marco & Elliott Verdeja

Grades 4-6 Best Film Finalists

Calvin’s Imperfect Day by Sloan Henderson

The Voices in Truman’s Head by Truman Beck

The Ooze by Everett Hodges & Skyler Peters

Tumble Weed by John Edward Maas & Daxon Spencer

Neverlasting by Alexia Vargas Vidal

Grades 7-8 Best Film Finalists

The Fence by Van David Niederhauser

Fortune Cookie by Wolf Schirmer, Jethro Morril, Sam Burton & Levi Morris

The Donut Shop by Andre Horrocks

Lost in Allen Park by Aria August & Yarrow White

Paradox by Rilian Cutrera

FILM COMPETITION IMPORTANT DATES

SUBMISSIONS OPEN: Tuesday, September 3, 2024

FINAL SUBMISSION DATE: Saturday, March 1, 2025

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED: Monday, March 17, 2025

AWARDS CEREMONY: Friday, April 25, 2025

/// About the Competition
Utah students in grades K-8 may enter fiction or nonfiction short films (5 minutes or less) for competition. Films will be judged based on filmmakers’ ability to clearly tell a story or convey a message, artistic style, and technical skill.

/// Theme
There is no set theme for the Tumbleweeds Kids Film Competition, so you are free to create films about any topic. The theme is open to allow students to submit entries they have created for other contests, festivals, and class assignments, as well as films created specifically for the Tumbleweeds Kids Film Competition.

/// Rules
Be sure to follow all Tumbleweeds Kids Film Competition rules (see tab above). If any of the rules are not followed, your film will not be eligible for Tumbleweeds Kids Film Competition screenings or awards.

/// Categories
Fiction
Fictional films are those “created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation” (Britannica.com). All films on a fictional topic should be entered into this category. Submissions to the fiction category may be short films or animations such as dramas, comedies, thrillers, etc.

Nonfiction
Nonfiction films are those that are “based on facts, real events, and real people, such as biography or history“ (Oxford Languages). All nonfiction films should be entered into this category. Submissions to the nonfiction category may be documentaries, public service announcements, news packages, etc.

/// Resources
Visit our UEN learning hub (https://www.uen.org/digitalarts/film) and Utah Film Center’s Filmmaking Resources Page (https://utahfilmcenter.org/education/teacher-professional-development/classroom-filmmaking-resources/) for a list of videos and resources that can help you through the filmmaking process.

/// Submission Process
Films must be submitted via FilmFreeway no later than 11:59 pm on March 1, 2025.