Short film competition: Epiphanies! - Green Stories Project

This page is currently in draft and some details may change.

Are you a short filmmaker or animator seeking inspiration? We are making the winning short stories (<500 words) from our flash fiction competition available to adapt into a short film/animation of under 90 seconds. Deadline Dec 2025/Jan 2026 (tbc).

The theme of the competition is epiphany – stories about transformation where a moment of epiphany causes one or more characters to change for the greener.

The authors will be delighted if you choose to adapt their story. You can stick closely to the original text, or change it as needed. All we require is that in the credits you add the title and author of the piece you chose to adapt. For example, ‘adapted from (or inspired by) the short story… by ….’

Prizes of £1000 ($/€1200) to be allocated amongst winners and runners up (details tbc)

Entry Free*

Steps:

Pick a short story text from the anthology of short stories about moments of epiphany. This will be available from Oct 2025 at £3.99 ($/€4.99) for the eBook and £9.99 ($/€11.99) for the paperback*.
Adapt it into a short film or animation of under 90 seconds. Use portrait style.
The submission link will be available in November 2025, at least one month before the deadline.
Upload using MP4 format to our submission platform (link available November 2025) and be in the running to be featured in screenings and win a prize.

For school/colleges

We have a learning pack in the form of a PowerPoint which includes questions to provoke class debates, alongside details of the competition. Contact us for details.

See below for a sample story.

Judging and Prizes

As well as our team of judges, we hope to show the best short films and animations at one or more screenings/film festivals and invite the audience to vote on those which they would be most likely to share and which they believe are most likely to inspire greener behaviours.

Prizes of £1000 ($/€1200) to be allocated amongst winners and runners up (details tbc)

Terms and Conditions

To enter the Short Film Competition, you must first purchase the anthology of flash fiction from Habitat Press and choose a story to adapt as a film.
Adapt it into a short film or animation of under 90 seconds
The submission link will be available one month before the deadline. Submit using MP4 format, and provide a link to a url where we can access the film (Vimeo, YouTube).
You must be 16+ to enter. The competition is open to any nationality as long as the dialogue is in English, or has English subtitles.
Submissions will be judged on shareability and their power to inspire greener behaviours.
Group entries are allowed.
Please do not use copyrighted music or images in your film unless you have written permission to do so.

Sample Story

Slow Travel

We’re interrupted by a knock at the door. Tom gets up to see.
He returns holding out a book.
‘I’ve always fancied Switzerland,’ says Tom. ‘We could fly into Zurich and then go walking in the mountains. It will be lovely in spring.’
‘Or we could go by train?’ I suggest.
We pour over timetables and shake our heads.
‘No,’ he says eventually. ‘It takes twice as long.’
I take it and read out the title, ‘Epic train journeys?’
The cover shows a train winding its way through a valley between mountain ranges.
‘It’s from the neighbour,’ he explains. ‘It’s a thank you for looking after her rabbit.’We turn the pages, delighted. We imagine watching the world go by out of the window, lulled by the rhythmic clickety clack of the rails. The romance of the train.
‘There’s so many epic journeys,’ Tom sighs. ‘I want to do them all.’
‘How about this one?’
I point to a journey across France and Switzerland.
He shakes his head.
‘It’s only five hours,’ he says. ‘Too short.’

This is an example short story from the flash fiction anthology that can be adapted into a short film. It reframes slow travel, so it is seen as positive rather than negative and encourages us to use rail transport rather than flying.

FAQs

Q. How do I submit?

A. Submit using MP4 format. We will also ask for a link to the film (Vimeo or YouTube). A submission link will be provided a month before the deadline.

Q. Does my film have to explicitly mention climate change or the environment?

A. No. But it must be able to inspire greener behaviour. For example, in the sample story, climate isn’t mentioned at all, but it showcases the delights of train travel which has a lower carbon footprint.

Q. Can I submit more than one film?

A. Yes but you must buy one book for each entry direct from Habitat Press. The second book does not have to be the anthology but can be any book.

Q. If it is a group submission, how do we allocate prizes?

A. You will be asked to specify how you would want prize money and credits allocated during the submission process.

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If you can sponsor prizes, screen winning entries or want to participate as part of a film/media/animation course you run, please get in touch.