Y-CAM Film Festival

a DC Independent Film Forum program

2026 Film Entry

Application Form

The Y-CAM Production Grant is dedicated to helping you turn your ideas into meaningful projects. It supports young filmmakers in the Mid-Atlantic region, helping you bring your creative visions to life. Whether you want to create a short film, documentary, animation, or podcast, we want to see what you can do. Show us your talent—you’ve got this!

Before applying make sure you have read all the eligibility requirements here.

Applications for this cycle will close on December 31, 2025 at 11:59PM.

About You

Your Project

Budget & Funding

Mentor or Adult Producer

Eligibility Confirmation

Submission

Important Note
You must complete this form in one session. Your progress will be lost if you leave this page.

* Required fields

About You

First and Last Name *

Pronouns

Age *

Proof of Age (School ID or similar) *

To make sure you qualify, please provide us with a photo of your School ID or any other kind of document with which we can attest your age. We value your privacy and we won't share this with anybody else.

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Email *

Phone Number *

State of Residence *

School or Organization (if applicable)

Your Project

Project Title *

Project Type *

Project Description (100-300 words) *

Expected Timeline *

Project Materials (optional but encouraged)

Showcase your project. Share a script or an outline, images or a storyboard, even work-in-progress short video clips (max 3 mins). Acceptable formats: .JPG .PNG .MP4 .DOCX .PDF. File size limit: 20mb.

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Budget & Funding

Tell us how the grant will make a difference and what’s next for your project if you get it (150–250 words). *

Mentor or Adult Producer

Every applicant should list one adult who supports their project.

This person could be a teacher, club leader, or creative mentor.

First and Last Name of your Mentor or Adult Producer *

What is your relation to this person?

Email of your Mentor or Adult Producer *

Phone number of your Mentor or Adult Producer *

Confirm your eligibility for Y-CAM Production Grant

Check each box to confirm:

I am between the ages of 13–19.

I live in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

I am the director or lead creator of this project.

I understand the grant funds must go toward production costs.

If I reapply later, I’ll share a short update and receipts from this project.

I will include “Produced with support from Y-CAM at DCIFF” and sponsors in my credits.

Click Submit Application when you’re done! We’ll review all applications carefully and get in touch about next steps once the cycle closes.

Need help applying? Do not hesitate to reach out for guidance about eligibility, timelines, or application forms → info@y-cam.org