New Roads School Presents: 
Climate Changemaker Teen Film Festival 2026
Thank you for joining us and helping us celebrate Earth Day. We hope you were moved by the climate change-related short films made by teen filmmakers from around the world! Please join us again next year.  
2026 WINNING FILMS:
US Best Short Film:
1st Place: Ashankara: From Waste To Hope by Director Jeff Kusnandar
Runner Up: Eaton by Director Hana Marie Kim
US Best Impact Film:
1st Place: Green Call by Directors Luka Martin Kavšek, Vito Bremec, Aleks Buljan, Ameli Štefanič, Urška Žalec, Neža Badjuk, Sofija Despotović, Pia Lovrenčič, Nuša Lamut
 
MS Best Short Film:
1st Place: Grandmother's Forest by Directors Matteo Osborne, Unai Acosta
Runner Up: Miserable Island by Director Marwa Ali and Mamdouh Abdullah, Riyad Jaafar, Shahlaa Al-Naeem, Lameeth Jaafar, Mohamed Tarek
MS Best Impact Film:
1st Place: Bird Islet by Director Otto Tenusaar
  
Audience Choice Winners:
Upper School Audience Choice
Paani by Director Akshita Vashisht
Middle School Audience Choice
Grandmother’s Forest by Directors Matteo Osborne and Unai Acosta
The Climate Changemaker Teen Film Festival was created to give middle school and high school students (10-18 years old) a space to express themselves through short films that explore climate change-related topics or call-to-action films that inspire viewers to make a change. Each year, we receive hundreds of entries from across the globe showcasing the incredible talent, passion, and advocacy of young filmmakers tackling the most critical issue their generation will face. All film finalists will premiere at a virtual screening of the Climate Changemaker Film Festival the week of Earth Week. 
To submit your film for consideration next year, visit HERE.
DEADLINE: March 22, 2027
Event Date: April 2027
*Winning films will be announced during the festival event. 
CATEGORIES INCLUDE: 
Short Films (2 - 5 minutes)
Narratives / Documentaries / Music Videos 
Impact Films (30 seconds - 2 minutes) 
Super Short Films
Short films that inspire or invite the viewer to take a desired action. 
AWARD CATEGORIES: 
Best Short Film (Middle and High School)
Best Impact Film (Middle and High School)
Audience Choice Award
PREVIOUS EVENTS
2026

2025

2024

2023
 
2022


2021
 
2020

Questions? Contact Michelle Bernstein 
 
Festival Producers: 
Michelle Bernstein
Steven Jacobson
Mark Vickers-Willis
New Roads Upper School Environmental Club
New Roads School is a college preparatory K-12 private independent school in Santa Monica, CA, serving over 515 elementary school, middle school and high school children from the greater Los Angeles area. New Roads School provides an inspired educational program from which an authentically diverse student population, mirroring the rich diversity of Los Angeles, develops a personal dedication to learning, a respect for independent thinking, and an expanding curiosity about the world and its people.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS New Roads School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.