2027 California Council of Land Trusts Social Media Film Fest

#CCLTFilmFest27

It is more important now than ever before to get the word out about conservation. Participating in CCLT’s Social Media Film Fest #CCLTFilmFest27 is a fantastic opportunity to inspire hope and connect with a community passionate about conservation, preservation, and restoration. Gain exposure, engage with like-minded individuals, and attract new followers, supporters, donors, and volunteers for your land trust and its mission.

Deadline: All videos must be submitted by Monday, March 1, 2027. We encourage videos to be posted as soon as possible.

CCLT Film Fest’s Three Award Categories: 

1. Most Popular: Measured by how much engagement your video gets on social media platforms
2. Best Call to Action: Decided by three judges
3. Most Entertaining: Decided by three judges
4. Viewers’ Choice: Decided by conference participants (look out for more information!)

Click here to view the CCLT Film Fest Scoring Rubric.

Film Festival Judges:

• Michelle Fullner | goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Michelle also offers a Content Creation for Nature course here.
• Griff Griffith | Learn more on Griff's website.
• Alex Roa | TOPO Collective’s website, LinkedIn, and @topo.collective on Instagram.
• José Juan Rodriguez Gutierrez E. | Wildlife Biologist, Rapper, Storyteller. Learn more on José Juan’s website.
• K’nek’nek Lowry

How to Enter the Film Festival:

• Eligibility: Nonprofit land trusts and conservancies are eligible for this contest. Videos must be 1-3 minutes long to be eligible.
• Orientation: As this is a social media film fest, we encourage you to hold your phone or camera vertically while filming because most people watch videos on their phones. However, videos can be filmed vertically or horizontally depending on the platform and audience. 
• Submission Limit: Your organization can submit up to three social media videos.
• Usage Permission: Ensure all photos, music, and video clips used in your film are appropriately licensed or permitted.
• Pre-existing Videos: Already have a relevant video? You can submit videos made up to a year in advance of the deadline that have not been submitted to the CCLT Film Fest in a prior year. 
• Platform Compatibility: Create videos for one or all of the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. We are looking for videos made for social media audiences.
• Permission of Use Acknowledgment: By entering your videos into the film festival, you grant CCLT permission to share your video in their marketing and outreach, through their website, and on the organization's social media channels.

How to Submit a Video:

Post your video to your organization’s social media platform(s) using the following guidelines:

Instagram:

• When posting your video to Instagram, tag @calandtrusts and use the designated hashtag #CCLTFilmFest27 in the caption of your post, and invite @calandtrusts as a collaborator, so your video will also be shared on our profile and with our network
• Tag people >> Invite Collaborators >> @calandtrusts
• Important Note: If you are using Instagram music in your video, you will not be able to add CCLT as a collaborator. Instead, please use only a regular tag in the caption and use the hashtag for us to find your submission and repost. 

Facebook:

• When posting your video to Facebook, tag California Council of Land Trusts (@calandtrusts) in your post and use the designated hashtag #CCLTFilmFest27 to ensure we are able to share your post.

TikTok:

• When posting your video to TikTok, tag @cacounciloflandtrusts in your caption and use the designated hashtag #CCLTFilmFest27 to ensure we are able to share your post.

Youtube:

• When posting your video to Youtube, tag @cacounciloflandtrusts in your caption and use the designated hashtag #CCLTFilmFest27 to ensure we are able to share your post to our 2026 Film Festival Playlist.

If your organization does not have a profile on any of these social media platforms, now is the perfect time to start one! By participating in the CCLT Film Fest, we will help to amplify your video, allowing you to reach a wider audience and engage more potential supporters on your new profiles. If that is not possible, you can send your video to CCLT at [email protected], and we will post it for you.

After posting the video, email CCLT at [email protected] with the following information: 

• The link(s) to your social media posts.
• The video files (.mp4 or .mov) so we can show it at the conference, time allowing.

Ready to Learn More?

• Check out these helpful tips and five things to stop doing now to make the most of your participation.
• Click here to see the 2026 winning submissions.
• Watch last year's webinar: Social Media Videos for Nature: The Winning Formula.

Why Enter the Social Media Film Festival?

• Add fuel and hope to the land conservation, restoration, and outdoor recreation movement! Inspire people with your land trust's mission through edu-taining content.
• Don’t let your land trust be a secret: connect with new followers, supporters, donors, and volunteers.
• Gain exposure and recognition within the conservation community.
• Promote awareness of your Land Trust’s public access, youth programs, dynamic education, interpretation, and outreach programs.
• Learn how to keep people’s attention online to reach a diverse audience.

Not Entering the Contest? You Can Still Participate!

Help support CCLT Film Fest participants by liking and sharing their videos! Follow CCLT’s social media profiles and search #CCLTFilmFest27 to engage with videos.

In the age of social media, our movement grows with engaging content, so let's all participate in the CCLT Social Media Film Fest!