Lights, camera … Menschy! - Jewish Kids Film Festival opens submissions for children’s short films

Thu, Jul 10, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO – Mitzvah Power Academy is inviting children ages 5 to10 to participate in its first Jewish Kids Film Festival, a worldwide virtual celebration of creativity and kindness.

From skits to songs, animations to acts of giving, this unique children’s film festival encourages young filmmakers to create a video that shows what it means to be a mensch, both today and throughout history.

For a video invitation, go to youtube.com/watch?v=wOKSrqm5YmY. Submissions must be send by July 31 to MitzvahPower.com.

All those who enter a film will receive a Menschy Award certificate, a Haverim Hero Fun Kit (with games, puzzles and more) and a Mitzvah Power Academy e-Book. Fifteen Grand Prize winners will receive bonus prizes in three award categories: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

Films will be posted on the Jewish Kids Film Festival Theater on MitzvahPower.com and on the Mitzvah Power Academy YouTube Channel among other venues. Winners will be announced at a live Jewish Kids Film Festival podcast on Aug. 15.

“We are thrilled to launch this first ever Menschy film competition for young Jewish children, said Rabbi and Cantor Dr. Linda Bernstein. “There are so many ways to be a mensch and perform mitzvot, good deeds.

“Children, with the help of grownups, can express their menschiness in a short film that highlights a menschy deed they have done or honor other people who are mensches in their life today.”

Dr. Bernstein is also the creator, writer and host of Mitzvah Power Academy. She added that youngsters also can feature biblical and historical mensches from the past.

“We will reward individual as well as group efforts, and welcome families, schools, camps, synagogues and JCCs to participate,” she said.

Films must be 3 minutes or less and in mp4 or .mov files. Adults may help their youngsters. Films can take the form of a story, song, poem, puppet show, dance, skit, podcast, animation, artwork, cooking demo, Shabbat prayer, holiday guide, joke, riddle or game. The sky is the limit.

Mitzvah Power Academy is an engaging, values-based Jewish educational platform launched in April 2025, where Jewish children learn to use their menschy powers as “Haverim Heroes” – to do acts of kindness, caring and sharing. The Academy empowers youngsters through books, videos and creative challenges to inspire Jewish children to do mitzvot.

MitzvahPower.com offers interactive resources, activities and mitzvah challenges to keep kids and families engaged year-long. A Mitzvah Power Academy video series, “The Menschy Awards” and “Read Along with Rabbi Linda” videos have gleaned more than 100,000 views on Instagram and YouTube.

Mitzvah Power Academy is a trademark and copyright of Dr. Linda R. Bernstein and Jewish Kids Media, a division of Vita Media Corporation 2025.