2025 Youth Voices Benefit Film Competition

Required Forms

Film Competition Guidelines

Who Can Enter?

Ages 13 - 30*
Open to San Francisco Bay Area residents
Must have lived experiences aligned with Bill Wilson Center’s mission of supporting youth and families, including but not limited to challenges such as homelessness, housing insecurity, mental health struggles, involvement with the justice or foster care systems, and other adversities faced by youth, young people, and families
Under 18: Parent/legal guardian/judge/case manager permission required

Film Requirements

Length: 2 - 5 minutes (credits included)
Format: Digital file via FilmFreeway
Equipment: Recorded on a smartphone or tablet
Must be your original work, no copyrighted music/images without permission
Submissions Deadline: November 24, 2025
The winner must be able to attend film screening in May 2026

Theme to Explore

Home - What does it mean to you? Share a story of resilience, struggle, or discovery through the lens of home.

Character Development

Keep it PG - PG13 - avoid strong profanity, nudity, smoking, adult themes, or excessive violence, and be appropriate for a general audience
Handle tough topics (grief, bullying, addiction, discrimination) with empathy
Show characters with respect despite circumstances
Show struggles and positive coping skills
Highlight growth, resilience, self-discovery

Rules to Remember

Get permission from anyone in your film (and for any music used)
If chosen, you’ll need signed release forms
By submitting, you allow Bill Wilson Center to screen/share your film (with credit to you)
*BWC Employees are not eligible to enter
Winner must be able to attend film screening in May 2026

How Films Will Be Judged

Creativity & Originality
Storytelling & Impact
Connection to Theme
Technical Quality

Video and Filming Resources

For questions and technical help, please contact:

jvega@billwilsoncenter.org

Official Competition Rules

Youth Voices Benefit Film Competition

These Official Rules govern the Youth Voices Benefit Film Competition (“Competition”). By entering, you agree to abide by these rules and the decisions of the organizer, which are final and binding.

1. Eligibility

Open to residents of the 9 San Francisco Bay Area Counties and Santa Cruz County, ages 13-30.
Parental/guardian consent required for participants under 18.
Employees, officers, board members, contractors, and immediate family members of the organizing nonprofit are not eligible.
No purchase, payment, or donation is required to enter or win.

2. Entry Requirements

Length: Films must be 2-5 minutes (including credits).
Format: Digital file submitted via FilmFreeway.
Original Work: The film must be created solely by the participant.
No Autobiographies: Films may be inspired by lived experiences but must not directly depict the participant themselves.
Copyright: Entries may not use copyrighted music, video, or images without proper licensing or written permission.
Deadline: Submissions must be made before November 24th, 2025.

3. Themes

Films must reflect one or more of the following:
Belonging & Identity
Friendship & Family
Education
Mental Health & Healing
Stabilization & Support
Resilience & Growth
Hope & Empowerment

4. Tone & Content

Films must be appropriate for PG or PG-13 audiences.
Sensitive topics (e.g., grief, bullying, addiction, discrimination) must be portrayed responsibly and with empathy.
Entries may not contain profanity, crude humor, hate speech, or discriminatory content.
Characters must be portrayed with dignity and respect, avoiding stereotypes.

5. Technical & Legal Requirements

Participants must secure written consent from all individuals appearing in the film.
If selected, filmmakers must provide signed release forms for cast, crew, and any third-party content.
By submitting, participants grant the organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to screen, display, and share their films for promotional and educational purposes (with credit to the filmmaker).

6. Judging Criteria

A panel of judges selected by the organizer will evaluate submissions based on:

Creativity & Originality
Storytelling & Impact
Relevance to Competition Themes
Technical Quality

Judging is skill-based only. Chance plays no role in determining winners.

7. Prizes

There will be one First Place Prize and additional Runner Up Prizes.

Cash prizes to be determined at a later date.

8. General Conditions

The organizer reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not comply with these rules.
Participants agree to release the organizer from liability related to participation or prize use.
The organizer is not responsible for technical failures, incomplete submissions, or late entries.
This competition is void where prohibited.

9. Organizer

This Competition is organized by Bill Wilson Center, a nonprofit based in Santa Clara, California.