High Tide Student Film Festival 2026

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 16, 2026, and it is free to submit. Please carefully read and adhere to Contest Rules, Requirements and Eligibility before you start your film.

Questions? For additional information, please contact us at: HighTideFilmFestival@lbaop.org