MARE and Cultura Inquieta once again invite the public to tell stories through reels showcasing the beauty, biodiversity and conservation challenges of the sea.
DID YOU LIKE THIS CONTENT? WELL... YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR FULL PROGRAMS HERE!The main new feature of MARE SEA REEL 2026 is the opening of the competition to videos filmed across the Mediterranean, while retaining a specific category dedicated to the Balearic Sea.
The competition will award 3,000 euros across six prizes and the reels selected as winners by the jury will have the opportunity to be screened at film festivals in the Balearic Islands.
Following the first edition held last year, MARE SEA REEL returns this summer with the aim of continuing to bring marine conservation closer to new audiences through audiovisual storytelling and social media.
Led by MARE in collaboration with Cultura Inquieta, the competition invites anyone to share their perspective on the sea through short videos combining creativity, emotion and environmental commitment.
The major new feature of this second edition is that MARE SEA REEL is opening up to the entire Mediterranean. The Balearic Sea remains a central focus of the competition, but this year stories filmed in other parts of the Mediterranean can also be entered, expanding the movement and the community of people using images to highlight the value of this shared natural heritage.
The reels can explore everything from biodiversity and marine life to people's relationship with the sea, the Mediterranean way of life, sustainability and the environmental challenges facing marine ecosystems. The aim is for each participant to tell their own personal, authentic story, one capable of moving, inspiring and raising awareness.
“With MARE SEA REEL, we want to show that you don't need to be a professional photographer or content creator to tell a story capable of moving people and raising awareness. We all have our own perspective on the sea and, this year, we want those perspectives to reach even further, connecting the Balearic Sea with the rest of the Mediterranean. Images are an extraordinary tool for turning emotion into action,” says Amador Garcias, MARE Coordinator.
Participation is free and open to everyone. Each person may submit up to three reels, between 30 and 60 seconds long, in vertical 9:16 format and made entirely with original footage. Stock footage and AI-generated visual content are not accepted.
To take part, the video must be posted on Instagram between the 1st of July and the 1st of September of 2026, entrants must follow and tag @marebalear and @culturainquieta, use the hashtag #BeReelForTheSea26 and complete the entry form available at mareseareel.org. If submitting a reel that was published previously, it must be reposted during the competition period.
Minors under 18 may also take part with family consent and, in the case of those under 16, must do so together with an adult.
MARE SEA REEL 2026 will award 3,000 euros across six prizes, divided into different categories:
In addition, the reels chosen as winners by the jury will have the opportunity to be screened at film festivals in the Balearic Islands.
The MARE SEA REEL 2026 jury is made up of Enrique Talledo, a documentary filmmaker, underwater camera operator and photographer specializing in marine outreach and conservation and recipient of more than one hundred international awards; Abbey C. Díaz, an environmental educator and communicator specializing in fauna, flora and conservation, combining scientific rigor, humor and visual storytelling; and Juan Yuste, founder and CEO of Cultura Inquieta, a leading platform for creativity, culture and visual content.
The jury will place particular value on the authenticity, creativity, message and technical quality of the entries, as well as their ability to connect with the Balearic Sea or the Mediterranean, showcase their value and contribute to their protection.
The call for entries will remain open until the 1st of September 2026 at 11:59 p.m., and the winning reels will be announced on the 30th of September via the Instagram profiles of MARE and Cultura Inquieta.
MARE is much more than a photography and video competition: it is a project that uses images as a tool to spark emotion, raise awareness and drive action in support of marine conservation. Workshops, exhibitions, competitions and partnerships with conservation organizations, public authorities and businesses help turn images into a tool for social transformation.
With MARE SEA REEL, the project adopts the language of social media to reach new audiences and, especially, younger generations. Because every photograph, every video and every story can be a first step towards seeing the sea differently and moving from the lens to action.
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