The Big Muddy Film Festival, based at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has become one of the best-respected, wholly independent, community-focused film festivals. In its 42nd year, Big Muddy is one of the oldest student-organized film festivals in the United States.
The festival takes place annually at the end of February or beginning of March in the community of Carbondale, Illinois, situated within the watershed of the Big Muddy River and a region known for the beautiful Shawnee National Forest. Films featured represent all genres and lengths and are submitted from all corners of the globe. For over four decades, Big Muddy has served as a platform to celebrate and showcase innovative, diverse, and culturally important independent cinema in the Southern Illinois region.
The Festival provides cash awards to the best works in competition in the categories of experimental, documentary, narrative, and animation. The program is juried by three artists or critics of national and international recognition. Past Jurors have included Barbara Hammer, Naomi Uman, Jim Jarmusch, Kerry Laitala, James Benning, Tomonari Nishikawa, Anna Margarita Albelo, Ben Kalina and Alrick Brown.
A panel of local activists awards The John Michaels Memorial Film Award, which honors films as activism that address themes of peace, justice, community action, human rights, and environmental conservation.
Also awarded is the Mike Covell Award, named after the man who helped found The Big Muddy Film Festival. This award honors filmmakers who have roots in Southern Illinois and is given to an alumni of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. If a notable alumni work is not selected into the festival, then it will be awarded to an alumni of any Southern Illinois region college or university.
