2026 Colorado High School Film Festival

To be eligible for the 2026 competition, entries must have been completed between January 1st, 2025 and the deadline. The film must be make by high school age filmmakers. While the festival is primarily for Colorado students, we welcome student submissions from throughout the country and internationally.

No, the films must be made by high school-aged students. High school aged students are considered 14-18 years of age.

Yes! Filmmakers can submit multiple entries.

Yes; if there are multiple categories your film should be considered for, feel free to enter in each category.

Yes! Be sure to indicate all directors on the main project page.

Yes! We encourage all young filmmakers to submit their films.

No. You must acquire the proper rights from the legal owner of the content.

We respect that every young filmmaker wants to share their own unique voice. However, we do not accept any submissions containing nudity or gratuitous violence or language.

Gratuitous - uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted.
Synonyms: unjustified, uncalled for, unwarranted, unprovoked, undue

Select the category that most closely relates to your submission's type of program. You may enter the same production or program in multiple categories.

Each entry is, in effect, in competition with itself, and is measured by our international award-winning jury of experts using an industry-accepted standard of excellence. We reserve the right to expand and reduce the number of finalist in each category including, but not limited to, cancelling categories if there are no submissions that meet our standards of excellence.

We reserve the right to change or modify each category as the committee deems appropriate.

We do not pay screening fees on submitted films. By submitting you waive any screening fees during the run of the festival to a live theater audience and online. 

Finalists will be announced by February 15th, 2026 and the winners will be notified at the closing award ceremony.

Productions not produced in the English language must have either subtitles or overdubbing in English.

Promotional materials submitted may be displayed or shown, for educational and/or promotional purposes.