Short Movie Prize

The University Center for Human Values awards an annual Short Movie Prize of $1000. Honorable Mentions are made from time to time and these are awarded a prize of $250.

In 2023-2024, the jury will consider digital videos (or films transferred to digital form) of any theme. Open to undergraduate students who are enrolled at Princeton.  One entry is allowed per student. The deadline to submit entries is Friday, March 15, 2024.

Submission Requirements

  • The preferred length of the short movie is around 7 minutes, but there is no maximum or minimum length. Music to which rights have not been secured can be used as long as the film is not shown commercially;
  • Undergraduate students should upload their video to a website–YouTube, Vimeo, or some other video-sharing website–and provide the jury with a stable URL.
  • Each submission must be accompanied by a short biography (no more than one paragraph) of the student who made the movie (if more than one student, submit a separate biography for each student);
  • An optional supporting statement about the short movie (no more than one page, double-spaced).
  • Please submit your film at https://uchv.princeton.edu/smp

For more information and questions, please contact Kimberly Murray.

Current Winners of the Short Movie Prize

2024

Winner: Michelle Tang ’26 for “David's Doodles” [watch] [read

Past Winners of the Short Movie Prize

2023 

Winner: Ethan Luk '24 for 團/Gathering [watch] [read]
Honorable Mention: Lola Constantino '23 for wish u a good life [watch]
Honorable Mention:  Azi Jones '25 for Lessons in Exile [watch]

2022

Winner: Collin Riggins '24 for Son of Many [watch] [read]
Honorable Mention:  Ethan Luk '24 for Before You Were Born [watch]

2021

Winner:  Noa Wollstein '21 for  Wednesday at Elizabeth [watch] [read]

2020

Winner:  Ilene E '21 for Home | 家 [watch] [read]
Honorable Mention:  Athena Chu '23 for In a Beautiful Country, Mothers Grow [watch]

2019

Theme:  Hope and Despair 
Winner: Bes Arnaout '20 for En Route  [watch] [read]
Honorable Mention: Ryan Ozminkowski '19 for Shanghai Sole

2018

Theme:  Ambivalence 
Co-winner: Melanie Ho '18 for Do Not Swallow  [watch] [read]
Co-winner: James Tralie '19 for Immeasurable Nature [watch] [read]
Co-winner: Mariah Wilson '18 for Maximum Capacity [watch] (email Kimberly Murray for password)
Honorable Mention: David Lopera '19 for Perfidia [watch]

2017

Theme: Fanaticism
Co-winner: James Tralie '19 for Virtual  [watch] [read]
Co-winner: Elias Stern '19 for Whiskey Sour [watch] [read]

2016

Theme: Choosing
Co-winners: Chanyoung Park '17, Roxana Turcanu '16 and Cezar Mocan for Même [watch] [read
Co-winner: Emma Michalak '17 for But for the Grace [watch] [read] 
Honorable Mention: Ben Goodman '17 and Simon Gulergun's for Untitled [watch]

2015

Theme: Attachment
Winners: Ben Goodman ’17 and Simon Gulergun for Capture Bonding [watch] [read

2014

Theme: Equality
Winner: Jeanette Beebe '14 for Beyond the Boys' Club [watch] [read]
Honorable Mention: Cameron Johanning '16 for Equality 
Honorable Mention: Jane Pritchard '15 for Hats

2013

Theme: Justice
Winner: Michael Glassman '15 and Tom Markham '15 for A Film on Justice [read]

For more information and questions, please contact Kimberly Murray.