We tell stories about projects that make a difference, creating positive change in our world.

This mural was painted by Houston artist Geraldine Wise with help of many UHCL students during the 2022 Sustainable Stories Film Fest Art Gallery Opening in the main hallway of the UHCL Bayou Building next to the gallery.

Third Annual Sustainable Stories Film Fest

Coming up in November 2023
in the UHCL Bayou Theater &
Art Gallery

We show films and art work about ideas, concepts and stories of sustainability and we empower filmmakers and artists working on sustainability-related subjects. That is the mission for our festival, which is in its third season now.

All participating pieces have to be about an aspect of sustainability. For us, this also includes Social Sustainability. In collaboration with the university's common reader program, this year's special focus is Disability Visibility.

Participating pieces can be documentaries, narrative films, animations, VR / AR productions, experimental films, video art, still images, sculptures, paintings, etc. All films and photography for projection are accepted through FilmFreeway. For submission of tangible art please reach out directly using the email provided.

Films selected will be screened in our UHCL Black Box Theater from October 30 - December 8, 2023.

The adjacent UHCL Art gallery will house physical pieces of art, such as sculptures, paintings, etc, as well as selected projections and some pieces on large format TVs.

We will also screen the Best of Fest films in our large 500-seat Bayou Theater between November 7-10

For submission categories and how to enter, please go to Filmfreeway using the button below

Educational Outreach:

Our festival conducts free screenings of Best of Fest short films at local Houston & Galveston-area High Schools and Community Colleges

The screenings consist of the winning short film entries from the years 2021 & 2022. Each screening is about 45 minutes long, screenings are accessible online beforehand by school administrators to ensure compatibility with students. To schedule a screening, please reach out to Festival Director Michael Brims at brims@uhcl.edu

Film Submissions and Info

What Participants Say

"What a worthy festival! Thank you so much for selecting our film 'A Place at the Kauri Table' and awarding it second place in its category. It was very exciting for us to be part of such a wonderful event. We loved the public reach and connection with art - our film began in an art exhibition and was returned to it with augmented pride. The festival looked very well organised and we wished we could have been there in person to enjoy it, as I know we would have. Kia kaha (stand strong) from Aotearoa New Zealand. The world needs more of what you are doing."

Helen Donnelly, New Zealand, November 2021