Recognizing the potential of movies to reach large numbers of people, educate and spark powerful discussions among audiences, the Claims Conference is holding a worldwide competition to invite talented, emerging filmmakers to make short films about the Holocaust.

With the last of the survivors aging rapidly, the Claims Conference encourages the creation of compelling projects that will educate and raise awareness about the Holocaust once these eyewitnesses are gone.

“Short Film, Large Subject: Emerging Filmmaker Contest” invites emerging directors of age 18 and over, from any country, to submit a screenplay or documentary treatment for a short film about the Holocaust (the systematic persecution and murder of Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945) and/or the experiences of Jewish Holocaust victims. While the film can tell a fictional story, information relating to the Holocaust must be historically accurate.

For the purpose of this contest, the Claims Conference defines emerging as filmmakers who have not completed more than one feature film and whose previous work has been publicly screened. The director must not have made more than one feature-length film, although there is no restriction on the number of previously directed short films.

Applications open on May 1st, 2025. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM ET on June 16th, 2025.

All information can be found on the website.