Golden Lion Awards Student Film Festival

2025 Submissions Now Open!

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Who we are: 

The Golden Lion Awards Student Film Festival is produced and directed by the Academy of Cinematic Arts, a Christian, arts/education nonprofit that is committed to helping students discover their stories through digital storytelling as well as providing youth with educational programming, competition, award recognition, social experiences, and a sense of community.

Based in Cincinnati, the film festival opened to students in the 12 Midwest states (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) as well as areas within 500 miles of Cincinnati including parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Our Inspiration

We know that stories change lives. We know that people stretch, grow, feel, change, inspire, and innovate because of stories. We become our best selves, witness our worst, and truly live our lives through stories. When the next generation tells stories well, they become empowered and elevate their communities in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.

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