Philosophical Short Film Contest

 

Through our short film contest, we seek to promote film as a crucial art form in the orientation-philosophical exploration of the world. Different forms of communication abbreviate and create reality in different ways. The short film genre, in particular, is a powerful medium that may significantly contribute to our understanding of human orientation.

New Short Film contest (2025-2026)

Theme: “Time”

We are excited to launch our second Philosophical Short Film Competition, inviting filmmakers to engage with the theme of “time” in the philosophy of orientation.

In our FPO glossary, we define time as follows: “Time, in its most unlimited sense, means that all things can change (including the sense of time).” For more information and additional descriptions of the orientation-philosophical concept of “time,” visit our FPO glossary.

Purpose

The theme of our second contest is “Time.” We encourage filmmakers to explore philosophical questions about time and its role in shaping orientation in profound and innovative ways. 

Eligibility

Everyone, no matter what background, may participate in our video contest. Videos can take any aesthetic, narrative, and artistic style (with or without dialogues) and may include computer animated imagery and use post-production software.

Maximum length of the videos: 10 min

Entry Fee: $10

Submission Platform: FilmFreeway

Deadline to submit your videos: July 15, 2025 (midnight, US Central Time)

FPO provides the following prize awards:

1st prize award: $3,000

2nd prize award: $2,000

3rd prize award: $1,000

We are accepting submissions for our Film Competition through the website FilmFreeway 

The winners from Our First Film Competition (2022–2024)

In our inaugural film competition, we received 1,973 submissions from around the world. After a rigorous selection process, three winners were invited to our five-year anniversary event in Nashville, where their films were showcased, and prizes were awarded:

We decided split the first and second prize award among Alessandro Amico (Italy) and Alexandre Silveira (Brazil); the third prize award went to Pauline Bricout (France). Congratulations to ou three winners! You can watch the three winning films below:

1ST PLACE: Alessandro Amico: “A Portrait of the Artists as an Old Woman”

1ST PLACE: Alexandre Silveira: “From the Weight of the Earth to the Lightness of the Body”

3RD PLACE: Pauline Bricout: “Roots”

FPO Philosophical Short Films

As part of our efforts to promote philosophical exploration through film and to kick off our first philosophical short film competition, FPO has created two short films. These are:

  1. “All things come into being and pass away through strife.” – Heraclitus
  2. Footholds

“All things come into being and pass away through strife.” – Heraclitus

Footholds