High Tide Student Film Festival 2026
For Southern California High School and College Students
Presented by Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg
High School Category (3-Minute Films)
Southern California HS students currently enrolled in Grades 9-12 are invited to submit a short ocean-themed film into the contest. You may participate as an individual or in a group of 2-4 HS students and enter just one film. HS films must be 3-minutes in length (not shorter than 2 minutes and no longer than 3 minutes) and include an opening movie title and closing credits. Please submit into HS Category A or HS Category B outlined below.
College Category (5-Minute Films)
Undergraduate 2-year community college or 4-year college/university students currently enrolled in a Southern California college are invited to submit a short ocean-themed film into the contest. You can participate as an individual or in a group of 2-4 undergraduate students and enter just one film. College films must be 3-5 minutes in length (not shorter than 3 minutes and no longer than 5 minutes) and include an opening movie title and closing credits. Please submit it to the College Category outlined below.
Awards and Cash Prizes In Each Category:
- $1,500 Gold Award
- $1,000 Silver Award
- $750 Bronze Award
- $500 Honorable Mention Award
Finalists Will Also Receive:
- 10 tickets to the High Tide Student Film Festival Screening and Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 30, 2026, with exclusive access to the Aquarium after-hours.
- High Tide Student Film Festival Award certificate.
- Inclusion in an Aquarium news article and digital magazine.
- Potential use of film in future Aquarium events and programs.
Films can be in any style, including documentary, narrative, live action, animated, puppetry, poetry or a silent movie. Films should be original, creative, and connect the audience to the topic in a compelling way. Science and education content is a plus.
Materials are due online by February 2, 2026, and it is free to submit. Please carefully read and adhere to Contest Rules, Requirements and Eligibility before you start your film.