Arizona Underground Film Festival

Tucson Edition of the Arizona Underground Film Festival with screenings at The Screening Room and at other venues in Tucson.

Arizona Underground Film Festival is Arizona’s premier genre cult film festival, and one of the most recognized underground film festivals in the country! We make it our sole mission to showcase the work of filmmakers with defiantly independent visions. We are on a quest to represent every genre of independent film from across the world celebrating the artist, and their work.

Its our 19th year (2026) presenting some of the best in films from categories of Narrative, Horror, Documentaries, Experimental, and Animation. Join us in the underground!

WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT AZUFF

“It’s got the vision and confidence of fests that have been around a lot longer.” - Filmmaker Magazine

“Prestigious festival” – The Huffington Post

“Unbeatable!” - Arizona Daily Star

“Truly Amazing” - Tucson Citizen

“AZUFF shed(s) light on the underground network… bringing independent films into the lime-light” - Yahoo News

“A Top-Notch Film Festival” - Trashwire

“A Real Powerhouse of a Festival” - Underground Film Journal

“A Wild Ride to the Edges of Visionary Independent Cinema” - Film Festival Examiner

We will be giving out awards to the Best Feature and Short for
Narrative
Horror
Experimental
Animation
Documentaries
Exploitation
Audience Award
and Director’s Award

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Foreign language films must be dubbed or subtitled in English. You can include press kits or any other materials for your film. We have no film premiere requirements or date of completion requirements. Over 60 minutes for features and under 60 minutes for shorts. The festival selection committee makes all programming decisions. If accepted we will notify filmmakers by email by August 28th, most times earlier.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Jody Dobson

Awesome festival run by a kick a** team. They truly understand the meaning of independent cinema. Excellent communication and support.

April 2026

Helpful
Elijah Sullivan

Thank you for the award, AZUFF! Seemed like a cool festival and I wish I could have attended!

March 2026

Helpful
Jeffery Lane

Great local festival in the Phoenix metro area for 2026. This festival rotates around the state of Arizona and is great for networking. Thank you for including our film THE LAST TRAIN.

March 2026

Helpful
Thomas Seymour

A great top tier underground film festival that strives to find the best indie and underground talent. It was such a treat to be part of it.

March 2026

Helpful
John Brennan

Amazing experience! Highly recommend entering!

March 2026

Helpful

Add to List

Dates & Deadlines

March 16, 2026
Opening Date
April 29, 2026
Earlybird Deadline
June 12, 2026
Regular Deadline
July 25, 2026
Late Deadline
August 14, 2026
Extended Deadline
August 26, 2026
Notification Date
September 17 – 20, 2026
Event Date

Categories & Fees

Narrative Feature
Any and all narrative features! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all films from any year. Narratives are dramas and comedies. More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Horror Feature
Any and all horror films! You know that we at AZUFF loves horror, so send in your best frights! There is NO completion date requirement, so send films from any year. More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Documentary Feature
Any and all documentary films! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all your documentary films from any year. Documentary films made up a good portion of last year's festival schedule, so we look forward to keeping it that way this year. More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Experimental Feature
Any and all experimental films! AZUFF is one of the only festival in AZ that showcases true experimental cinema. There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all your experimental films from any year. More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Animation Feature
Any and all Animation films! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all your Animation films from any year. More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Exploitation Feature
We feel that filmmakers that are making exploitation films end up getting their films grouped in other categories that don't do them justice. For this reason, we created a new category so there is an outlet for these films, and the filmmakers that work so hard on creating them. Exploitation films is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. So send in your films! More than 60 min
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40.50
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $54
Submit Now
Narrative Short
Any and all narrative shorts! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all films from any year. 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Horror Short
Any and all horror films! You know that we at AZUFF loves horror, so send in your best frights! There is NO completion date requirement, so send films from any year. 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Documentary Short
Any and all documentary films! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all your documentary films from any year. Documentary films made up a good portion of last year's festival schedule, so we look forward to keeping it that way this year. 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Experimental Short
Any and all experimental films! AZUFF is one of the only festival in AZ that showcases true experimental cinema. There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all your experimental films from any year. 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Animation Short
Any and all Animation Shorts! There also is NO completion date requirement, so send all films from any year. 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Exploitation Short
We feel that filmmakers that are making exploitation films end up getting their films grouped in other categories that don't do them justice. For this reason, we created a new category so there is an outlet for these films, and the filmmakers that work so hard on creating them. Exploitation films is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. So send in your films! 60 min or less
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now
Music Video
Any type of song/music from any genre
- Earlybird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $27
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $31.50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $36
- Extended Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Gold Members: $49.50
Submit Now

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Jody Dobson

Elijah Sullivan

Jeffery Lane

Thomas Seymour

John Brennan