Fashion as a System | Submit your film to Trees & Seas Film Festival
A shirt is never just a shirt.
It carries the soil of cotton fields, the oil of refineries, and the water of dye houses. It carries the hands of factory floors, the routes of shipping lanes, and eventually, the stories we weave into it as we wear it. What looks simple in a closet is the endpoint of a global system that touches forests, rivers, workers, and coastlines.
At the Trees & Seas Film Festival (TSFF), we exist to follow those invisible threads.
Beyond the Fabric: Why We’re Telling This Story
In 2026, Trees & Seas is turning its lens toward fashion—not as a cycle of passing trends, but as a living system. Under the theme "Fabrics of Change: Fashion as a System," we are exploring how materials are sourced, how labor is organized, and how waste travels through land and sea.
We know the challenges: fashion is a major driver of plastic pollution and microfiber loss. But we also know the solutions are already being built. From regenerative fibers and circular design to repair cultures and indigenous wisdom, people are moving fashion from extraction to regeneration.
We are looking for the storytellers who see these possibilities.
We Want Your Perspective (Not Your Perfection)
Are you an activist with a camera? A researcher documenting a breakthrough? A filmmaker capturing the resilience of a local maker?
Trees & Seas doesn't seek "perfect" cinema; we seek authentic perspective. We are inviting impact storytellers, researchers, and community voices to share:
Stories that reveal the deep connections between fashion, people, and the planet.
Documentaries of local initiatives and indigenous knowledge.
Films that question existing structures and imagine hopeful alternatives.
Join a Global Movement of Action
By submitting your film, you aren't just entering a contest; you are joining a living network. For five years, TSFF has grown into a community of over 80 cities across 25 countries.
Through our hybrid format of online streaming and global in-person screenings, your story becomes a tool for dialogue and collective action in front of more than 15,000 annual participants.
Ready to Share Your Story?
Help us rethink what fashion is and what it could become. Let’s show the world that a system can be redesigned when we start seeing the threads that connect us all.
Final Deadline: March 2nd, 2026
Submission Discount: Use code TSFFJOIN25 for 25% off your entry fee.
Submit Your Film on FilmFreeway Explore the festival at treesandseasfilmfestival.com
Trees & Seas Film Festival
The Trees & Seas Film Festival is an international hybrid initiative that connects global audiences through both online streaming and in-person events hosted by community partners around the world.
This approach ensures accessibility while creating meaningful, localized connections through storytelling. We bring together local communities by using film to inspire conversations, collective action, resilience, and real-world impact.