FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
January 9, 2025
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
February 6, 2025
OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
September 5, 2025
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE
September 16, 2024
REGULAR DEADLINE
September 26, 2024
LATE / FINAL DEADLINE
October 10, 2024
ABOUT
STORIES FROM 37 COUNTRIES ADVANCE AS FINALISTS IN THE 13TH ANNUAL SOCIAL IMPACT MEDIA AWARDS (SIMA 2025). Entry Categories include: Feature Documentaries, Short Documentaries, Extended Reality (XR)/ Interactive, Impact Videos, Impact Campaigns, and Production Companies.
PULL QUOTE
“The SIMA 2025 finalists have captured the heart of our shared existence with an intimacy, elegance, and boldness that is profoundly transformative. Their work embodies the true power of storytelling: challenging perspectives, confronting hard truths, and sparking the empathy needed to envision—and act on—building a more equitable world. A heartfelt thank you to all the extraordinary filmmakers for your art, courage, and dedication. We are deeply honored to champion your work.”
– Daniela Kon Lieberberg, SIMA Founder and CEO
SIMA AWARDS
The 13th annual SIMA Awards celebrate eye-opening impact cinema that exemplifies excellence in its potential to inspire social change. Each year, films and media projects are selected from over 140 countries around the world, competing for honors, cash prizes, media features, distribution opportunities, and entry into SIMA’s signature film programs.
FINALISTS ANNOUNCEMENT
OUTREACH TOOLKIT UNTIL FEBRUARY 5, 2025
NEWSLETTER (extended version)
SIMA 2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED: Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA)
Resilience is an act of quiet bravery. In its silence, revolutions are born. The stories honored in SIMA’s 2025 shortlist stand as powerful testaments to that truth. With narratives spanning 37 countries, these films do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope.
The SIMA 2025 Finalists are now eligible for entry into SIMA’s global traveling series, Cinema Across Borders, and their award-winning education platform, SIMA Academy, which reaches over 140,000 students around the globe. Now moving on to the final round of judging, they will compete for awards and cash prizes of up to $1,500 per category. Winners will be announced on February 6, 2025.
View the shortlist: simaawards.org/2025-finalists
The 13th Annual SIMA Awards are powered by SIMA Studios, The Foundation for Systemic Change, Human Sustainability Project, FIPADOC, International Documentary Association (IDA), Firelight Media, DC/DOX, Double Exposure, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Documentary Australia, Armenian Film Society, GEN Center for Arts and Sciences, and Instituto Multimedia DerHumALC (IMD).
NEWSLETTER (condensed version)
SIMA 2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED: Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). With stories spanning 37 countries, these filmmakers do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope. View the shortlist: simaawards.org/2025-finalists
SIMA 2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED ⭐⭐⭐ Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). With stories spanning 37 countries, these films do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope.
View the shortlist @SIMAStudios simaawards.org/2025-finalists
Congratulations filmmakers, production companies, and impact producers, we’re honored to amplify your work.
The 13th Annual SIMA Awards are powered by @SIMAStudios The Foundation for Systemic Change @hsp_byclaudiaflores @fipadoc @idaorg @firelight_media @dcdoxfest @dx_fest @genarteyciencia @undocufc @docnational @documentaryaustralia @armenianfilmsociety @imd.org.ar
#SIMA2025 #FilmFestival #Documentary #Docs #ImpactCinema #SIMADocs #FilmFestival #Journalism #FilmCommunity
SIMA 2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED ⭐⭐⭐ Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual @Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). With stories spanning 37 countries, these films do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope.
View the shortlist: simaawards.org/2025-finalists
Congratulations filmmakers, production companies, and impact producers, we’re honored to amplify your work.
The 13th Annual SIMA Awards are powered by SIMA Studios, The Foundation for Systemic Change, Human Sustainability Project, FIPADOC, International Documentary Association (IDA), Firelight Media, DC/DOX, Double Exposure, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Documentary Australia, Armenian Film Society, GEN Center for Arts and Sciences, and Instituto Multimedia DerHumALC (IMD).
#SIMA2025 #FilmFestival #Documentary #Docs #ImpactCinema #SIMADocs #FilmFestival #Journalism #FilmCommunity
X (TWITTER)
#SIMA2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED: Stories from 37 countries advance as finalists. Congratulations filmmakers, production companies, and impact producers, we’re honored to amplify your work. Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual @SIMAawards: simaawards.org/2025-finalists
SIMA 2025 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED ⭐⭐⭐ Meet the finalists of the 13th Annual @Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA). With stories spanning 37 countries, these films do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope.
View the shortlist: simaawards.org/2025-finalists
Congratulations filmmakers, production companies, and impact producers, we’re honored to amplify your work.
The 13th Annual SIMA Awards are powered by SIMA Studios, The Foundation for Systemic Change, Human Sustainability Project, FIPADOC, International Documentary Association (IDA), Firelight Media, DC/DOX, Double Exposure, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), Documentary Australia, Armenian Film Society, GEN Center for Arts and Sciences, and Instituto Multimedia DerHumALC (IMD).
#SIMA2025 #FilmFestival #Documentary #Docs #ImpactCinema #SIMADocs #FilmFestival #Journalism #FilmCommunity
ANNUAL SIMA AWARDS
PRESS ASSETS
HISTORY
In 2012, award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights activist, Daniela Kon founded SIMA to support and champion excellence in social impact filmmaking by launching an annual awards program and global distribution platforms that amplify the power of media to foster a world that is free from prejudice, discrimination and oppression.
SIMA started as the first and only international media competition honoring achievements in the creative, human rights and humanitarian fields. Today, SIMA is the most renowned global curator in the social impact space, serving independent film, academic and global social justice industries around the world.
QUOTES ABOUT SIMA
“These courageous filmmakers and activists re-imagine socio-political filmmaking. They set new standards for transparency, integrity, and creativity, while transforming their cameras, their narratives, and by extension their audiences, into vehicles for social justice. We’re proud to champion such an extraordinary range of global stories and filmmakers.” – Daniela Kon, SIMA Founder and Executive Director
“SIMA films are visual storytelling that can affect your mind, body, and soul.” – David Craig, Assistant Professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism
“SIMA is quickly becoming the gold standard for social impact films, and the genre is quickly becoming our planet’s truest form of journalism. The content SIMA draws is jaw dropping.” – Trevor Hall, President of Creative Visions Foundation
“Necessary viewing for anyone concerned with international affairs and human rights issues.” – Andrew McGregor, Founder of Tiziano Project
“Watching these films was like school of the best, most expansive and inspiring kind.” – Patricia Billings, Co-founder of Milet Publishing
“Abandon the cultural conditioning of the ‘Do-Gooder Industrial Complex’ with each and every SIMA Film.” – Shawn Humphrey, Professor, Innovator & Development Consultant”
GLOBAL NETWORK
23,000,000+ media impressions yearly
5,000,000+ direct media reach
102 outreach partners
50 brand ambassadors
4,200+ filmmakers
5,400+ educators
147,000+ students
600+ media organizations
140+ countries
ALL-TIME STATS
3,691 films submitted
147 countries
517 films short-listed
289 films awarded
550 films distributed
104 languages
600+ screenings
6 continents
FILMMAKER GENDER
53.3% FEMALE
41.8% MALE
1.1% NON BINARY
FILMMAKER AGE
1.9% 18-25 YRS
36.3% 26-34 YRS
28.4% 35-44 YRS
14% 45-54 YRS
5.3% 55-64 YRS
1.2% 65+ YRS
5% DECLINE TO STATE
CONTACT
For all press or partnership inquiries, please email us directly.
#SIMA2025 SPONSORS
THANK YOU to our sponsors for supporting the championing of creative storytelling that inspires social change and for helping to share the best global impact cinema with communities and students around the world.
