Bringing the Qur'an to Life

The film must be inspired by Surah al-Fātiḥah or Surah al-Baqarah

Every submission must clearly connect to a verse, story, lesson, or theme found within one of these two surahs. The connection does not have to be explicitly stated throughout the entire film, but by the end, the Qur'anic lesson inspiring the story should be clear to the audience. Creativity is encouraged.

Tell a story

The submission must be a short film. The maximum length is exactly five minutes. We want to see the teachings of the Qur'an come alive through storytelling.

Competition categories

The competition is divided into three categories, each judged separately:

• Middle School
• High School
• College & University students

Participants may submit individually or as part of a team. A team may include actors of other ages, however the individuals running the short film must be within their respective categories. College and university submissions are open to currently enrolled undergraduate students.

Keep the Qur'anic message respectful

Verses of the Qur'an should be treated with the utmost respect. Translations and quoted verses should be checked carefully for accuracy — we recommend Dr. Mustafa Khattab's translation on Quran.com.

Participants should avoid presenting their own personal interpretations as definitive tafsīr. When explaining the meaning of an ayah, recognized scholarly interpretations must be relied upon.

Do not portray Prophets

Prophets, angels, Allah, or other matters of the unseen should not be physically portrayed or acted out. Students may create modern stories inspired by lessons from their lives, but should not attempt to portray Adam, Mūsā, Ibrāhīm, or any other Prophet (ʿalayhim al-salām) on screen.

For example, a film could be inspired by Adam (ʿalayhi al-salām) and the importance of repentance without an actor actually playing him.

Maintain Islamic modesty

• All actors must maintain appropriate Islamic standards of dress throughout the film.
• The ʿawrah of brothers and sisters must remain completely covered.
• Clothing should not be revealing, transparent, tight, or intentionally form-fitting.
• Women should wear hijab and clothing that is loose, non-transparent, and not form-fitting; men should also remain appropriately covered and avoid tight or revealing clothing. Shirtless scenes, exposed chests, undershirt-only scenes, short shorts, or any clothing that unnecessarily reveals the body should not be included.
• The goal is for every submission to reflect the dignity, modesty, and Islamic values of the Qur'anic message being presented.
• Submissions should be appropriate to comfortably show before scholars, families, parents, youth, and the broader Muslim community within the Masjid.

No romantic or sexual content

• Films should not contain romantic scenes, physical intimacy, suggestive behavior, sexual jokes, sexual innuendo, or scenes intended to portray sexual attraction in an inappropriate manner.
• If a story deals with relationships, temptation, zina, or similar struggles, these themes should be communicated without depicting inappropriate interactions.
• Powerful storytelling does not require showing every action on screen. Filmmakers are encouraged to find creative and modest ways of communicating difficult subjects.

Keep language appropriate

• Profanity, vulgarity, sexually explicit language, and excessively crude humor should not be included.
• If a story involves bullying, peer pressure, arguments, or other negative behavior, participants may portray these realities while maintaining an appropriate standard for an Islamic conference.

Be thoughtful with music and audio

• Participants should be intentional about the audio incorporated into their films and maintain the Islamic character of the competition.
• Any nasheeds, vocals, sound effects, or other audio used must either be original, royalty-free, in the public domain, or used with proper permission or licence from the copyright holder. Do not assume a song or nasheed is free to use simply because it is available online.
• Participants are required to use acapella or vocals-only nasheeds rather than instrument-based music, in order to avoid the disagreement felt amongst attendees.
• Qur'anic recitation should always be used respectfully and should not simply function as dramatic background music.
• Natural sound, dialogue, appropriate vocal audio, and other suitable creative elements may be used.

Originality matters

• Films should primarily represent the original work of the students submitting them.
• Participants may receive reasonable assistance from parents, teachers, mentors, or community members, but adults should not create the project on behalf of younger competitors.
• Outside footage, graphics, sound effects, images, or other material should either be original or used with appropriate permission.
• The use of AI may assist the creative process, but it should not replace the students' own storytelling, writing, acting, directing, and filmmaking.

Team participation

Participants may work individually or as part of a team. The competition is meant not only to produce good films, but also to encourage students to collaborate, think creatively, and engage deeply with the Qur'an together. We want your creativity to shine through the short film.

What judges will be looking for

Submissions will be evaluated based upon:

• Connection to Surah al-Fātiḥah or Surah al-Baqarah
• Strength and clarity of the Qur'anic lesson
• Creativity and originality
• Storytelling
• Acting and presentation
• Emotional impact
• Production quality
• Adherence to Islamic guidelines

A film does not need expensive cameras, professional equipment, or advanced editing to win. A meaningful story filmed simply can be far more powerful than an expensive production without a strong message.

One submission per team

Each individual or team may submit only one film for consideration in the competition.

Be careful with sensitive topics

Films may address serious issues such as bullying, addiction, grief, family difficulties, peer pressure, or sin, but these subjects should be handled responsibly and respectfully. Participants should avoid unnecessarily graphic depictions or scenes that could turn a serious struggle into entertainment.

Technical quality should allow the story to be understood

Professional equipment is not required, but viewers should be able to clearly hear the dialogue and understand what is happening on screen. Pay particular attention to:

• Clear audio
• Stable footage
• Readable text
• Reasonable lighting
• Clean editing

Judges will value storytelling over expensive production, but poor audio or visuals should not prevent the audience from understanding the film.

Conference screening permission

By submitting a film, participants agree that the submission may be screened during the Eternal Message Conference and potentially shared through official conference or Islamic Society of Baltimore platforms for educational and promotional purposes.

Submission email format

All submissions should be emailed to emc@isb.org with the completed video file attached. Title your submission email using this format:

EMSFC – [Age Group] – [Team Name]

For example:

• EMSFC – Middle School – Team Noor
• EMSFC – High School – Team Huda
• EMSFC – College & University – Team Ihsan

In the body of the email, please include

• Film title
• Team name
• Competition category — Middle School, High School, or College & University
• Names of actors and actresses
• Names of the writer(s), director(s), editor(s) and other major team members
• A short paragraph explaining the objective and message of the film (3–5 sentences)
• The specific verses, stories, or themes from Surah al-Fātiḥah and/or Surah al-Baqarah that inspired the film
• Film runtime
• Primary team contact — name, email and phone number
• School, college, university, or community affiliation, if applicable
• A brief confirmation that the team has reviewed and followed all competition guidelines
• Cite all sources that were referenced or used

Please make sure the final video file is attached before submitting.