Deadline 31st December 2026.
How It Works
We invite you to bring to life one of the winning short stories (under 500 words) from our flash fiction competition by adapting it into a short film or animation under 2 minutes long. Your creation should capture the spirit of epiphany — a transformative moment which causes one or more characters to change for the greener.
The original authors welcome your adaptations! You may stay faithful to the text or creatively reinterpret it.
Upload your film between 1st October and 31st December 2026.
Entry is free* with purchase of the anthology, The Last Plastic Fork and other Green Epiphanies. Available in paperback or eBook.
* see below for options for low-income entrants.
Submission Steps
- Purchase the anthology direct from the publisher here
- eBook: £3.99 (approx. $/€4.99) or paperback: £9.99 (approx. $/€11.99)
- For those on low income, a reduced selection of 8 out of the 48 stories in eBook format is available via this link for £1 (approx. $1.35/€1.16). We require at least a minimal payment to reduce spam entries.
- Choose a story about an epiphany from the anthology to adapt.
- Create your film or animation. Aim for a length between 30 and 120 seconds. Our preference is portrait orientation for ease of sharing.
- In alignment with the sustainable goals of this module, we are restricting the use of Artificial Intelligence in the creation of your film. Current generative AI models have an immense, unsustainable carbon and water footprint. We ask that all submissions rely on human ingenuity. No generative AI may be used for scripting, imagery, or voiceover. If your workflow includes necessary assistive tools built into standard editing software, this is permitted, but the primary creative generation must be your own.
- The film credits must include a line saying “this film was inspired by stories in The Last Plastic Fork edited by Rananda Rich” or “Adapted from (or inspired by) the short story ‘[Title]’ by [Author].” *
- Upload your film between 1st Oct and 31st Dec 2026 onto the social media platform of your choice, using the hashtag provided when you receive the anthology.
- We encourage you to complete the brief survey here afterwards, to ensure we don’t miss any films.
* We may come back to finalists/winners to ask them to amend credits if we plan to share their work more widely.
For Schools, Colleges and Universities
We provide a free learning pack with discussion questions and competition details to support classroom participation. Please contact us to request the pack. We can offer the anthology at no charge when used as part of module assessment in exchange for feedback.
Judging and Prizes
A total prize fund of £200 ($270/ €233 and other currencies) will be shared between winners and runners-up with half expected to go to the winner with the other half split between two runners up.
Winners and runners up will receive a Green Stories gift certificate and will be mentioned on our website. If the quality of entries is high, we may increase the prize money to allow for more finalists who will also get certificates and mentions.
Winning films may be showcased on our website and shared via social media and at events.
Films will be evaluated on:
- Ability to inspire greener behaviours
- Creativity and quality of adaptation
- Shareability and emotional impact*
* We may look at the reach of social media posts as a guide, but that won’t be the main criteria.
The film does not have to be explicitly about the climate or environment as long as the behaviour it inspires has positive environmental implications.
Terms and Conditions
- Entrants must be 16+ to enter. The competition is open to any nationality provided the dialogue is in English, or has English subtitles.
- Please ensure that you do not use copyrighted music or images in your film unless you have obtained explicit written permission.
- You retain full copyright but grant us permission to screen, share, and promote your film via social media, royalty-free. Entries from winners and finalists may also be screened for the general public.
FAQs
Q. What social media channels can I use?
A. We suggest Instagram, YouTube, X, BlueSky, Facebook and/or LinkedIN. If you use TikTok we suggest you also upload onto one of the other platforms as well.
Q. Can I submit on more than one platform or post several times?
A. Yes you can. To be sure we find your film, we encourage you to complete the short survey when you upload and provide links to your posts so we know where to look and don’t miss any.
Q. How do I find out the hashtag to use?
A. If you bought an eBook (either the full anthology or extracts) the hashtag will be on the email with the download link. If you purchased a paperback, then we will email you with the hashtag within a week or two of receiving your order.
Q. Can I create a longer film?
A. You can go up to a maximum of 5 minutes.
Q. Does it have to be portrait orientation?
A. No – we understand you may want to enter your film in short film festivals where they might require landscape orientation so there is flexibility.
Q. When should I submit?
A. Anytime between 1st October and 31st Dec 2026. But we encourage you to re-post your post once or twice in the week before and/or after the deadline using the hashtag provided so our judges can find it more easily.
Q. Does my film have to explicitly mention climate change or the environment?
A. No. But it must be able to inspire greener behaviour.
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. What about copyright and licensing?
A. By submitting your film, you confirm that you own all necessary rights to the content, including visuals, music, and any other materials used. You grant the Green Stories Project a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to screen, share, and promote your film across digital platforms, festivals, and educational events worldwide. You retain full copyright and may distribute your film independently at any time. Please ensure you have permission for any third-party content included in your submission.
Q. Can I use AI?
A. No generative AI may be used for scripting, imagery, or voiceover. If your workflow includes necessary assistive tools built into standard editing software, this is permitted, but the primary creative generation must be your own.
Follow Green Stories
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.
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