Welcome to the Student Film Contest 

For the first time, now expanding to South Texas

Healthy Futures of Texas is expanding its Student Film Contest to South Texas. The event, which celebrates youth storytelling, will be held in San Antonio this fall.

Students are invited to submit an original short film (3 minutes or less) inspired by a specific prompt and explored through the students’ own experiences, creativity, and points of view. Our 2026 prompt: 

“How is your life online shaping the relationships you have offline?”

Selected films will be showcased on the big screen, and cash prizes will be awarded to our winners, including:

High School Student Category:

1st Place — $1,000

2nd Place — $750

1st Place Winner’s School Department — $500

College Student Category:

1st Place — $1,000

2nd Place — $750

Get Inspired:

Watch films from past contests with previous prompts, and explore winning films and photo highlights from our 2026 Dallas event below.

“Behind the Screen” by Delilah Gomez – Richardson High School, Richardson, Texas

“In Passing” by Wesley Irwin – Quitman High School, Quitman, Texas

“Nudge” by Vrinda Polimetla – Legacy Ranch High School, Liberty Hill, Texas

Film Contest Rules

• Filmmakers must be students in grades 9–12 or currently enrolled in a college or university
• High school teams must have a teacher or adult sponsor
• Films must be created and edited by the student(s) submitting the entry
• Participants are responsible for providing their own equipment or using school-provided equipment to produce their film
• Films cannot exceed three minutes, excluding credits
• Films may be staged as a short play, commercial, news broadcast, talk show, music video, documentary, or any other creative narrative format
• Please do not create PSAs promoting Healthy Futures of Texas
• Films must adhere to the participant’s school Student Code of Conduct
• Films may not use copyrighted materials from outside sources without proper citation and permission
• Films must include credits listing all individuals who contributed to the production
• While generative AI tools may be used to help conceptualize the film’s direction, all submitted content (including scripts and visuals) must be original work created by the participant(s)

Limits

Your work for this project should not:

• Damage the environment
• Glamorize the taking of drugs
• Incite or condone intolerance or hatred of others
• Include excessive or gratuitous violence
• Make reference to, or represent, explicit sexual activity
• Violate your school’s code of conduct

For questions, additional information, or interest in sponsoring this event, please contact Stephanie Russell at

srussell@healthyfutures-tx.org