Bubble Buddies Bay SplashFest! (1)

Festival start: 05 June 2027      Festival end: 06 June 2027

SplashFest! is a multi-country festival celebrating creative storytelling about our oceans, lakes, rivers, and the wider world of water. From 5th to 6th June 2027, culminating on World Ocean Day, selected short films, illustrated tales, comics, and visual artworks will be showcased across Greece, Italy, the UK, and Germany.

SplashFest! is created and run by an international collective of creative professionals, filmmakers, writers, and educators united by one clear mission: to inspire children and families to care about our waters through powerful storytelling that sparks curiosity, imagination, and genuine environmental awareness.

What We Achieved in 2026
The first edition of SplashFest! was a wonderful success!
It took place at the same time in 6 different locations in 4 different countries,.

We had:

- Great attendance across all six locations
- Children watching films, reading stories, and learning about the ocean together
- Engaged families discovering marine biology, ocean conservation, and the beauty of water ecosystems
- Strong community connections between Greece, Italy, the UK, and Germany
- A plastic-free, sustainable festival that modeled environmental responsibility
- Most importantly, children experienced the joy of storytelling while learning to care for our blue planet.

Ripple Reel – The Film Festival Within the Festival
We launched the very first edition of Ripple Reel, celebrating films and stories for young audiences about ocean conservation and planet care. Here are our winners:


Audience Award – Il pesciolino rosso (Goldfish) by Gisella Gobbi
Awards for its simplicity, warmth, and the way it speaks directly to children in a language they recognise as their own — honest, playful, and full of heart.


Best Short – I love you, from the sea to the sky by Fundación Por el Mar
Awarded for its gentle storytelling and beautiful clarity, which turn big environmental ideas into a magical and deeply connected journey.


Young Eco Vision Award – Bouteille à la mer by Pianeta Mare Film Lab
Awarded for its powerful simplicity and for showing how one small action can travel far beyond its starting point, with a strong and timely ecological message.


Honourable Mention – Iridescence by Adrien Lhoste
Awarded for its imagination, originality, and surreal visual journey, which make a precious environmental idea feel playful and unforgettable.


Ocean Scroll Award: Best Short Script – The Adventures of Willow & Oliver:
*Awarded for its humour, heart, and lively energy, as well as for bringing an environmental message to life through engaging characters and a spirited adventur

We celebrate storytelling with heart, courage, humour, and a strong message about caring for our planet. All works must be suitable for children and family audiences (ages 3+).

The Ripple Reel Awards (Short Films)
The Ocean Scroll Award (Short Scripts, Stories & Comics)
The Coral Brush Award (Visual Art)
The Blue Voice - Young Eco Vision Award

The festival submission will open on the 1st of November and we will update the page with the new programme.

1) Submissions are open worldwide to individuals, organisations and schools that align with the festival’s ocean & environmental mission.

2) The work must be your original creation. You confirm you hold all necessary rights (music, images, footage, text) or that any third-party material is properly cleared/licenced.

3) Each applicant may submit up to three works per category, unless otherwise stated.

4) Works may be in any language, but must be suitable for a family audience (ages 3+). If not in English, an English translation of dialogues (subtitles file) and text must be provided.

5) Incomplete submissions or files not meeting technical or eligibility requirements may be rejected without review.

6) By submitting, you grant the festival the right to use excerpts, images, summaries for non-commercial promotional and educational purposes. You retain full copyright of your work.

7) The organisers’ decisions on selection are final.

8) Selected participants will be contacted; creators are welcomed to attend, but travel/attendance costs are on the creator.

9) All submitted works must align with SplashFest!’s values of environmental responsibility, respect for nature, and positive representation of our world.

Entries that actively promote misinformation, environmental harm, discrimination, or messages contradictory to sustainability, conservation, or child-appropriate ethics may be declined at the festival’s discretion.

Full guidelines on our website.