A new and creative way to engage your students.
Mosaic Mobile is our annual mobile short film competition where high school students use mobile devices to shoot, edit, and enter their films.
Film Criteria
Films tell a story in only 2-3 minutes. Each year, Mosaic Mobile requires films to feature a theme, prop, and saying. The criteria are intentionally left open-ended to encourage student’s interpretation and creativity.
Prizes
More than $2,000 in cash prizes is awarded to students each year, the largest prize awarded to student filmmakers. Mosaic Mobile is open to any student attending a high school.
Film Screening
Mosaic Mobile winning films are screened at our annual Mosaic Event, where student filmmakers are celebrated by hundreds of their peers and professionals.
Mosaic Mobile is about challenging the conventions of storytelling and encouraging students to tell their unique stories in innovative ways. Mosaic Mobile celebrates creative thinking and discovery while exploring the diverse world in which we live.
35% of low-income households in the US are under-connected.
Low-income families experience digital inequality.
For many, a mobile device is their only internet connection.
By leveraging phones and tablets, Mosaic Mobile is leveling the content creation playing field and challenging the conventions of storytelling.
Throughout the creative process, students are developing critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills, which are skills that are critical in any career they pursue.
Check out our 2024 winners
1st Place ($1,000) & The Rick Wilson Award Winner:
"The K?Y | Official Trailer HD"
by Jeremiah Davison, Potter's House High School
2nd Place ($500):
"That's Just Me"
by Jack Hendrix & Emmett Williams, City Middle/High School
3rd Place ($250):
"The Uses of a Paperclip"
by Annabelle Sutherby, Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
2026 Requirements
Theme
Creating Change
This year's theme invites students to explore the power of art as a tool for connection, expression, and community—telling stories about the change they see, feel, and want to create in the world around them.
Prop
String or Yarn
Include string or yarn somewhere in your film. It can appear as a physical prop, in a photo, or within video.
Use it in any creative way that helps tell your story.
Saying
"Through art, we see each other"
Use this phrase in your short film. It can be spoken, written, or displayed however you choose.
Competition Dates
Submissions Open: Monday March 30
Submissions Close: Monday April 20
Judging: April 21-28
Top Ten Announced / Rick Wilson Judging Begins: April 29
Resources
Enrich your students' learning experience with these media literacy and filmmaking resources. We will continually update our content to keep you informed of the latest trends and best practices in the ever-evolving landscape of digital media and film education
Media and Digital Literacy and Filmmaking Resources