Roots & Reels
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Contents
What story from the past still speaks to you today?
The past is not just dates in a textbook. It lives in family stories, in the streets we walk through, in the words we use, in what is remembered – and what is left out.
At the same time, we live in a world full of images, posts, and videos that discuss history – sometimes in inspiring ways, sometimes as propaganda, nostalgia, or disinformation.
Roots & Reels was created to slow down this flood for a moment and to ask:
- Where do our stories about the past come from?
- Whose voices are we listening to – and whose are missing?
- How can we work with sources and still tell creative, emotional stories?
- And why do they still matter today?
With a camera or smartphone in hand, you can question, reframe, and share the histories that shape your life, rather than just consume them.
Roots & Reels is a short film competition that enables young people to work with historical sources and transform them into films, then share them with others across Europe and beyond.
Submission period: 16 January 2026 – 1 April 2026, 23:59 CET
What is Roots & Reels?
Roots & Reels is an international youth competition run in the framework of the EUSTORY network. The project brings together:
- History & memory – archival records, testimonies, family stories, places and objects,
- Storytelling – your own narrative about why this story matters today,
- Film – using moving images, sound and editing to reach others and start conversations.
The competition is about more than a “nice video”. It is about:
- looking closely at sources instead of just repeating ready-made narratives,
- showing how big events enter everyday life,
- asking what our responsibility is when we work with other people’s memories.
- presenting how pieces of the past are relevant for you today.
You don’t need to be a professional filmmaker or have expensive equipment.
What counts are:
- your questions,
- your perspective,
- and the way you connect your local roots to wider histories and debates.
Who can participate?
Roots & Reels is open to:
- young people aged 13–27 on 1 April 2026,
- from Europe (defined by the member states of the council of Europe) and the wider EUSTORY network.
You can join:
- as an individual, or
- as a group (for example, friends, classmates, a youth group – small teams recommended).
Teachers and youth workers can support you, but the creative lead and main work should stay with the young participants.
Themes – What can your film be about?
Roots & Reels is about history, memory, and heritage – encompassing both big political events and very small, personal stories. You don’t have to choose a formal category, but these themes can inspire you:
- Family memories & everyday life
- Stories from your family history (migration, work, war, education, traditions).
- Old photos, letters, diaries, and objects at home.
- How memories are told – or kept silent – between generations.
- Places, borders & movement
- How borders, migration and mobility shaped people’s lives.
- Cities, villages or neighbourhoods “then and now”.
- Train stations, ports, border crossings and transit spaces.
- Democracy, conflict & human rights
- Protests, resistance and social movements.
- Everyday life under dictatorship, censorship or surveillance.
- Experiences of exclusion, discrimination, activism and solidarity.
- Memory in public space & media
- Monuments, memorials, street names – who is remembered, who is missing?
- How films, series, games or social media talk about the past.
- Museums, archives, schoolbooks and the stories they tell.
- Environment, work & the future
- Factories, farms, mines, industrial sites and how they changed.
- Environmental damage and repair, loss of landscapes.
- How people in the past imagined the future – and how we see it today.
You can combine themes or zoom in on a very small story. The key is:
Show which past you chose, which sources you used, and why this story matters to you now.
What kind of film can I make?
We are looking for short films up to 3 minutes that:
- explore a history, memory or heritage topic,
- use at least two historical sources, such as:
- archival documents, photos, newspapers, recordings,
- oral history interviews and testimonies,
- family albums, letters, diaries,
- places, monuments, objects
- make clear why this story matters today.
Any style is welcome:
- documentary or video essay,
- animation, collage, stop motion,
- creative re-enactment,
- experimental or hybrid formats.
You can work in any language, but your film must have English subtitles so the international jury and audience can follow.
You can film with a smartphone and use free editing tools – the focus is on your ideas and how you work with sources, not on perfect equipment.
Timeline
📢 16 January 2026 – Call opens & online opening event
🎬 1 April 2026, 23:59 CET – Submission deadline
⚖ Spring 2026 – Jury viewing & selection of Top 30 films
📱 Summer 2026 – Instagram Audience Awards (public vote)
🏆 Autumn 2026 – Announcement of winners & presentation of films
Exact dates for online events and voting will be announced on this page and on IDMC and EUSTORY channels.
How to apply
Applying to Roots & Reels is simple. You need two things ready:
- Your film link (uploaded online and accessible without login),
- Two short texts: about your film + sources/credits,
- Consent forms (only if needed): Parent / Guardian Consent (if you are under 18) and Interview / Appearance Consent (if your film includes interviews or identifiable people).
Submission form link: Coming soon on the 16th of January
Step 1 – Upload your film online
Upload your film to any platform that lets you share a link, such as:
- Google Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox / School Cloud / WeTransfer, etc.
Make sure:
- The link opens without requiring a login, and
- You test it (e.g., in a private/incognito window).
Step 2 – Prepare your short texts
Prepare these before opening the form:
- About your film (max. 300 words)
Explain what your film is about and why it matters today. - Sources used (at least 2) + credits
List the main historical sources you used (e.g., archives, photos, letters, interviews, objects, places). Also include credits/licences for any music, images, or footage that is not yours.
Step 3 – Fill in the online submission form (from 16 January 2026)
You will be asked for:
- Contact email (main person),
- Date of birth + whether you are under 18,
- Participant name(s) (if group, list all names) and country,
- Film title,
- Film/video link (must work without login),
- “About your film” text (max. 300 words),
- Sources used (at least 2) + credits.
Consent uploads (only if applicable):
- If your film includes interviews or identifiable people → upload Interview / Appearance Consent form(s),
- If you are under 18 → upload Parent / Guardian Consent.
Final confirmation: You confirm the details are correct, the link works, and you agree to the project documents (Terms / Privacy / Rights).
Deadline
1 April 2026, 23:59 CET
Questions? rootsandreels@idmc.al
Support & questions
You don’t have to figure everything out alone.
We plan to offer:
- Online Q&A sessions (Zoom) – two “Ask Us Anything” moments (one in February, one in March) where you can ask about topics, formats, subtitles, sources or submission.
- Short guides and checklists on:
- working with sources and credits,
- planning a 3-minute film,
- subtitles and basic technical settings.
- Email help desk for questions about participation, rules, technical issues or sources: rootsandreels@idmc.al
- Instant help desk – WhatsApp - Link coming soon on the 16th of January
Selection, jury & Instagram awards
Jury process
After the deadline:
- A jury of historians, educators, youth representatives and media/film practitioners watches all eligible films.
- Each film is scored on:
- historical reflection,
- storytelling & creativity,
- media literacy & ethics,
- technical execution (age-sensitive).
- Based on the scores, the Top 30 films are selected as the official Roots & Reels shortlist.
- From this Top 30, the jury awards:
- 1st prize,
- 2nd prize,
- 3rd prize,
and may give special mentions.
The jury’s decision is final.
Instagram Audience Awards
The Top 30 films also compete in an Instagram public vote on the official EUSTORY account.
Each shortlisted film will be posted as a Reel. During the voting period we track, for each Reel:
- the number of likes,
- the number of comments,
- the number of shares.
At the end, we give three Instagram Audience Awards:
- Most Liked – film whose Reel has the highest number of likes,
- Most Commented – film whose Reel has the highest number of comments,
- Most Shared – film whose Reel has the highest number of shares.
If the same film comes first in more than one category, it keeps one prize, and the other prize(s) go to the next films in line.
Fair play: If we see clear signs of fake likes, spam or other manipulation, we may adjust the results or disqualify the film to keep the competition fair for everyone.
What can you win?
6 Prices
- Jury prizes (1st, 2nd, 3rd; possible special mentions)
- First prize - 750 euros
- Second prize - 500 euros
- Third prize - 250 euros
- Instagram Audience Awards (Most Liked, Most Commented, Most Shared)
- First prize - 750 euros
- Second prize - 500 euros
- Third prize - 250 euros
- Invitations to CEREMONY events in the EUSTORY - Hamburg
Details on prizes will be updated closer to the deadline.
Before you submit
By taking part in Roots & Reels, you confirm that you have read and accepted:
- the Terms & Conditions,
- the Data Protection & Privacy Notice,
- the Rights of Use, and
- Parental Consent for Minors.
Project Infokit
Through competitions, youth encounters and digital projects, we:
- encourage young people to explore history critically,
- connect peers across borders,
- create spaces for dialogue about the past and the future.
Roots & Reels builds on this tradition, inviting you to bring history and memory to life on screen – and to share your perspective on the past with others.