Young Filmmakers Contest

 
Calling all up-and-coming filmmakers and Austen fans!

Are you an aspiring Ava DuVernay or Steven Spielberg? A young movie maker who is also an Austen fan? We invite all amateur filmmakers up to the age of 30 to enter an original short film of 5 minutes or less in our annual Young Filmmakers Contest—a creative competition designed to encourage the study, interpretation, and appreciation of Jane Austen among new generations. 

Membership in JASNA is not required to participate, and it's free to enter. All you need is your imagination and a smartphone! 

First-, second-, and third-place winners receive cash awards and one year of JASNA membership. Finalists' entries are judged by some of the preeminent names in contemporary film, TV and literature, and a summary of their comments is one of the most valuable features of the contest. Past judges have included Amy Heckerling, Robin Swicord, Gurinder Chadha, Adrian Lukis, Ken Turan, Crystal Clarke, Janet Lin, Ashley Clements, and Aydrea Walden.

Past Winners

Previous entries have included animated films, documentaries, modernizations, and tributes to Austen’s genius. They’ve ranged from heart-tugging stories to hilarious adventures, and everything in between.  

Watch past winning films

Young Filmmakers Contest Overview and Highlights

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2025 Contest

Janeites everywhere will celebrate Austen's 250th birthday in 2025—a perfect time to show how she inspires you with an original film. Now in its ninth year, the JASNA Young Filmmakers Contest welcomes intriguing and well-crafted entries based on either of the following themes:

• JASNA's 2025 Annual General Meeting: "Austen at 250: 'No check to my Genius from beginning to end'"
• Jane Austen and/or her world, novels, juvenilia, letters, characters, themes, or adaptations.

New for 2025: We now welcome entries from amateur filmmakers worldwide! However, the dialog in your film must be in English.

The submission deadline for the 2025 contest is June 20.  To get a head start, sign up now to receive the contest entry form and guidelines, as well as bi-weekly emails with contest news and lots of ideas and inspiration. There's no obligation to submit a film, and you can unsubscribe from the emails at any time.  

 
We love to see how new generations of Austen fans interpret her works and her life. Show us how Jane Austen inspires you! 

How to Enter

• Register and download the Contest Entry Form.
• Read the detailed Contest Rules/Submission Guidelines.
• Submit the signed entry form, along with your completed film and any required waivers or permissions, to the JASNA 2025 Young Filmmakers Contest at youngfilm@jasna.org via a service capable of sending large files, such as wetransfer.com or yousendit.com. Or upload to Dropbox, Box or Google Drive and email the link to youngfilm@jasna.org.

Contest Awards

Three winners are selected each year and receive the following recognition:

• Cash awards of $600 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place
• Feedback on their films from the judges
• One year of membership in the Jane Austen Society of North America
• Winning films will be premiered for attendees at JASNA's Annual General Meeting and will be available for viewing by a global audience on this website and on JASNA's YouTube channel.

Questions?

Please email the Young Filmmakers Contest at youngfilm@jasna.org.