YoungArts Film Award

Overview

The YoungArts Film Award is the film discipline of the National YoungArts Foundation's annual competition for artists ages 15 to 18. Founded in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison, YoungArts identifies and supports young artists across 10 disciplines: Classical Music, Dance, Design, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice, and Writing. The organization has supported over 23,000 alumni across all disciplines.

The 2027 competition cycle opens in summer 2026 with a deadline of October 6, 2026 at 8 PM ET. Applications are submitted through the YoungArts online portal. The application fee is $35 per discipline. Fee waivers are available and are automatically granted at checkout upon uploading a brief letter from a parent, guardian, teacher, counselor, or principal.

Winners are announced approximately 7 weeks after the deadline. For the 2026 cycle, winners were announced on November 24, 2025. The 2026 cohort included 719 award winners representing 39 states and the District of Columbia. Of those, 171 were named YoungArts Award Winners With Distinction and invited to National YoungArts Week in Miami, held January 4 to 11, 2026.

YoungArts alumni across all disciplines include Timothee Chalamet, Viola Davis, Amanda Gorman, Jon Batiste, Terence Blanchard, Camille A. Brown, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Hunter Schafer, and Shaina Taub.

What It Covers

Cash Awards

All 2027 competition winners and winners with distinction must complete a financial literacy program for young artists (1.5 hours of instruction in 15-minute blocks) to receive their cash award.

National YoungArts Week

Winners With Distinction are invited to National YoungArts Week in Miami, an intensive residency program that includes:

• Interdisciplinary classes and workshops
• Mentorship from leading artists (2026 guest artists included dancer Camille A. Brown, poet Mahogany L. Brown, photographer Anastasia Samoylova, and artist Kennedy Yanko)
• Opportunities to share work with peers
• Consideration for additional cash awards of up to $10,000

Additional Award Opportunities

Lifelong Benefits

• Access to YoungArts Post, a private online portal for alumni to connect, share work, and discover opportunities
• Microgrants for professional development and artistic needs (established November 2018)
• Nomination eligibility for US Presidential Scholar in the Arts
• Exhibition and screening opportunities through YoungArts events

Eligibility

Age requirement: Applicants must be 15 to 18 years old, or in grades 10 through 12, as of December 1 of the application year. For the 2027 cycle, this means ages 15 to 18 or grades 10 to 12 as of December 1, 2026.

Citizenship: Applicants must be US citizens, permanent residents, or legally able to receive taxable income in the US (i.e., have a US Social Security number).

Prior attendance restriction: Award winners who have previously attended National YoungArts Week may not apply under any discipline or category. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Film discipline requirements:

• Submit one main short film that the applicant directed or animated
• A second optional film may be submitted where the applicant is either the director/animator or cinematographer
• Total combined runtime for the entire application must not exceed 10 minutes
• Submissions must be in English or with English subtitles
• Excerpts are acceptable
• Submissions that do not have a primary artistic focus on filmmaking will not be considered. This excludes video footage of staged plays, theater performances, and art installations

Multiple disciplines: Applicants may apply in as many disciplines and categories as they wish. A separate $35 application fee is required for each application. Fee waiver documentation must be uploaded into each application individually.

How to Apply

1. Create an account: Visit youngarts.org/apply and register through the application portal. First-time applicants click "Register Here" to create a new account.
2. Select discipline and category: Choose Film from the 10 available disciplines. Review the specific requirements on the discipline requirements page.
3. Upload materials: Submit the main short film (and optional second film) via the online portal. Ensure all films are in English or have English subtitles and do not exceed 10 minutes total.
4. Pay the fee or upload a waiver: The $35 application fee is paid online. To request a waiver, upload a PDF letter stating "(Applicant's name) is in need of waiving the $35 fee for their application" along with the name and relationship of the person writing the letter. The letter does not need to be on letterhead or include a reason. Fees are automatically waived at checkout.
5. Submit before the deadline: October 6, 2026 at 8 PM ET. YoungArts strongly recommends not waiting until deadline day to submit.

Applications are adjudicated through a blind review process by discipline-specific artist panels. Reviewers assess artistic excellence, funding potential, and technical expertise.

Program History

The National YoungArts Foundation was founded in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison. The organization has been bestowing awards annually for over 40 years, making it one of the longest-running national arts competitions for young people in the United States.

The competition currently spans 10 disciplines. The Film discipline accepts short films in any genre, including narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental work. Even 2-minute shorts have been awarded in past cycles.

The organization is based in Miami, Florida, where National YoungArts Week takes place each January. The 2026 National YoungArts Week ran January 4 to 11, 2026, with 171 Winners With Distinction participating.

Notable alumni in film and related fields include Timothee Chalamet, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, and Tarell Alvin McCraney (Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Moonlight).

Who Should Apply

High school students ages 15 to 18 (or grades 10 to 12) who have directed or animated a short film and are US citizens, permanent residents, or legally able to receive taxable income in the US. The competition rewards artistic vision, technical skill, and storytelling ability at a level that exceeds that of peers at this career stage.

Students who plan to pursue film studies in college will find that YoungArts recognition strengthens their applications. The $250 base award is modest, but the distinction-level awards (up to $10,000), the National YoungArts Week residency, and the lifelong alumni network provide value far beyond the cash prize.

Filmmakers should note that the film discipline specifically requires that the applicant be the director or animator of the submitted work. A second optional film can be submitted where the applicant served as cinematographer. The 10-minute maximum is a combined limit across all submitted films, not per film.

Common Confusions

The $250 base award is the standard amount, not $10,000. All YoungArts Award winners receive $250. Only Winners With Distinction, who are invited to National YoungArts Week, are eligible for additional cash awards of up to $10,000. A Winner With Distinction who cannot attend National YoungArts Week receives $500.

The 10-minute limit is total, not per film. If an applicant submits a main film and an optional second film, the combined runtime must not exceed 10 minutes. A 7-minute main film and a 3-minute optional film is acceptable. Two 6-minute films is not.

The $35 fee is per discipline, not per applicant. If a student applies in both Film and Visual Arts, they pay $35 for each application ($70 total). Fee waivers must be uploaded separately for each application.

Previous National YoungArts Week attendees cannot apply again. If a student was selected as a Winner With Distinction and attended National YoungArts Week in any discipline, they are ineligible to apply in any subsequent year, in any discipline. This is a strict rule with no exceptions.

Stage plays and theater recordings are not eligible. The film discipline requires that submissions have a primary artistic focus on filmmaking. Video documentation of staged plays, theater performances, and art installations will not be considered.

See Also

For guidance on choosing a film school, see Choosing a Film School. To explore filmmaking terminology, visit the Filmmaker Glossary. For other student funding opportunities, browse the full Film Scholarships Directory. For the official 2027 application requirements, visit the YoungArts Apply page.