SDG Short Film Competition

A student short film competition at the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) in Malaysia.

Awards ceremony 13 November 2025

Submit Film
Learn more

About ASEAN UniFest

ASEAN UniFest SDG Short Film Competition encourages ASEAN university students to engage creatively with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by making short films related to them.

By inviting students to tell their SDG-related stories and providing a forum to showcase them, ASEAN UniFest aims to contribute to ASEAN-wide awareness, discussion, creativity, and collaboration towards a more sustainable shared future. It also hopes to encourage young film makers to get involved in positive change for our planet.

Engaging ASEAN students
in sustainability

ASEAN UniFest is a student short film competition with an awards night hosted by AIFFA. It is presented by the ASEAN Public Relations Network and WorldCom.

ASEAN UniFest invites students at ASEAN universities to make and submit sustainability-related short films and compete in an awards ceremony held at AIFFA.

ASEAN UniFest winners can experience the AIFFA film festival and network with other young ASEAN film makers.

Award Categories

Best Film

The overall best film submitted to the festival this year

Advocacy Award​

For Public Service Announcements and films that most effectively communicate and advocate the need for positive change
Best Documentary​
For factual films of real places, people and activities in the field
Best Drama​
For scripted dramatic films that highlight or explore at least one Sustainable Development Goal
Best Creative Visualization​
For films that use infographics, animation, stock footage, stop motion and other creative visual elements to build a case for positive change on an SDG issue and perhaps show the way forward
Change Agent Award
For films that showcase impactful work in the field towards an SDG
Human Interest Award
For films that tell the most engaging on-the-ground human stories
Environment Action Award
For films that show practical ways to take better care of our planet

Thursday, 15th May 2025

Submissions for The 2nd ASEAN UniFest SDG Short Film Competition are now open!

Any active student at any ASEAN university can submit their short film to ASEAN UniFest.

Click here to submit

Entry Submission Deadline
17 October 2025 at 23:59 (GMT +7)

Judging
18 October – 31 October 2025

Shortlist Announcement
1 November 2025

ASEAN UniFest Award 2025
13 November 2025

  1. Check out the UN’s 17 SDG goals
  2. Make a film that’s related to at least one of the SDG goals, in any of these categories:
    • Dramatic short – scripted dramas in which actors play characters.
    • Documentary short – films of real people and real life in the real world.
    • Animated short – animated films in any genre
    • Public Service Announcement – films intended to educate the public about an issue and encourage positive change
    • Infographic short – films that use charts, animation, stock footage and other visual elements to explore an SDG or motivate positive change
    • Poetic or experimental short – films that say something important about sustainability in an unconventional, experimental or performance-related way.
  3. Upload your film to an unlisted YouTube link
  4. Fill in and submit the ASEAN UniFest entry form, including your film’s YouTube link, and your ASEAN UniFest faculty recommendation form from your university.

Checklist For Your Film Submission

  • Theme: Clearly related to at least one of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • Duration of film including credits: Between 4 and 15 minutes
  • Video format: Full HD (1920 x 1080), .mp4, H264 codec.
  • Production team: All key members of your production crew must be active students at a university in an ASEAN country.
  • Permissions: You must obtain permission or licenses to use all images, audio, likenesses and locations in your film before you submit your film.
  • Subtitles: If your film is in any language other than English, you must subtitle it in English.
  • Deadline for submissions: You must submit your film before 3 June 2025 to be eligible for the 2025 awards.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SUBTITLE YOUR FILM IN ENGLISH IF YOUR FILM IS IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE

ASEAN UniFest
Committee and Jury

Jaffri Amin Osman*

Chair of Global Alliance Asia-Pacific & President of the Institute Public Relations Malaysia

Dr. Ben Harbisher*

Ben Harbisher is an Associate Professor in Media Production. He currently teaches video and post-production in addition to supervising Doctoral projects for the Coventry University Group.

Andrew Trigg

Andrew has written, directed and edited many dramatic and documentary short films on social and cultural issues. He is also a theatre director, playwright and actor.