World Food Forum | Film Festival

Share your cinematic talent with the world

We are looking for young filmmakers like you to tell the world stories that will inspire behavioural change and play an essential role in transforming our agrifood systems.

The authors of the winning films will receive a cash prize and their films will also be featured during the World Food Forum flagship event in Rome from 16 to 20 October 2023, allowing the artists to promote their work, gain visibility and network with global participants.

01 - Call for entries WFF 2023

We are looking for inspiring stories, both fiction and non-fiction, that will trigger a positive impact in the areas of food security, nutrition, gastronomy and more to facilitate agrifood systems transformation.

For this short film competition, the WFF is looking for filmmakers who will:

raise awareness of, and create greater interest in, issues relating to agrifood systems, such as food security, healthy diets, planet friendly agriculture, food supply chain imperfections, food loss and waste, sustainable packaging, the impact of the agrifood sector on people’s lives, sustainable socio-economic development and more;
promote new and innovative solutions to address the challenges facing agrifood systems;
celebrate the work of inspiring people who, from farm to fork, participate in making healthy food available on everyone’s plates;
highlight the 2023 WFF theme: Food Action Accelerates Climate Action.

02 - Who can take part

The call is open to aspiring and established filmmakers aged 18 to 40 years old from any nationality upon acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

03 - Rules and regulations

Submission dates and deadlines: Submissions will be accepted from 18:00 (CEST) on Thursday, 25 May 2023 until 18:00 (CEST) on Friday, 25 August 2023.
Film eligibility (content and format): Submissions (either fiction or documentary) should be between 5 and 30 minutes long and are limited to one per individual entrant. In addition, they should have a focus on agrifood systems. Films submitted must be a final, edited product; sound-mixed, colour-graded and optimized for online streaming. Rough cuts are not accepted. Films shot with smartphones are accepted.
Film eligibility (production): You must own all the rights to the film. Films accepted can be either:
▫ original productions developed for this competition, or
▫ existing productions made between 2020 and 2023.
Film eligibility (language): Films in English or in original language with mandatory English subtitles are accepted.
Where to submit: Films should be submitted through the FilmFreeway WFF Film Competition website in the following format: 720p H264 mp4. If your film is selected you will be requested to submit a high-definition file.
Terms and Conditions: You must read and agree to the detailed Terms and conditions. By submitting entries to the call, the entrant confirms that the rules for the competition, including the general rules, and copyright and privacy policies have been read, understood and agreed to by the entrant.
Fee: Participation is free of charge.

04 - Prizes and awards

The authors of the winning films will receive a USD 1 000 cash prize and their films will also be featured during the World Food Forum flagship event in Rome, allowing the artists to promote their work, gain visibility, and facilitate networking with other attending independent filmmakers and participants. They will also have the chance to have their films featured on ITA Airways in-flight entertainment systems.

05 - Selection and awarding process

Phase 1: Pre-selection Stage. The first selection round will be completed by the WFF Film Festival organizers based on the following criteria: eligibility, quality and creativity of entries, theme, script, cinematography, editing and music.

Phase 2: Jury Stage. The finalist films selected during Phase 1 will be assessed by the WFF Film Jury. They will then select the five winning films and award them with one of the corresponding prizes.

Phase 3: Online Premiere Stage. The winners will be announced during the World Food Forum Flagship event in October 2023. The authors of the five winning films will receive a cash prize and their films will also be featured during the World Food Forum flagship event in Rome October 2023, allowing the artists to promote their work, gain visibility, and facilitate networking with other attending independent filmmakers and participants.