Butte Film Festival 2025: The Premier Student Film Festival for Northern California
We’re back for our third year! The Butte Film Festival returns on December 6th, 2025, in Chico, CA (venue TBA), continuing our mission to be the premier student film festival in Northern California.
What started as a small festival for Butte County students has quickly grown into a must-attend event, drawing student filmmakers from across the region. Last year, we expanded beyond Butte County and brought incredible student films to a packed house at the Oroville State Theatre. This year, we’re bringing the festival to Chico for an unforgettable day of film, creativity, and connection.
BUFF is all about celebrating student filmmakers, providing a platform to showcase their work, and fostering a strong creative community. Join us for a day filled with inspiring films, engaging discussions, and networking opportunities with fellow filmmakers and industry professionals.
Submit your short film and be part of a growing tradition that honors the next generation of storytellers. We can’t wait to see you in Chico this December!
📅 Event Date: December 6th, 2025
📍 Location: Chico, CA (Venue TBA)
The Butte Film Festival is proud to recognize and celebrate the exceptional talent of student filmmakers with a variety of prestigious awards and prizes. This year, we will be awarding trophies and cash prizes across multiple categories, honoring the best in student filmmaking from Northern California.
Best of Category: Trophies for the top film in each category
Top 5 Best Films: Trophies for the five best films across all categories
Best Director: Trophy for outstanding direction
Best Writer: Trophy for exceptional writing
Best Actor: Trophy for the best leading actor
Best Supporting Actor: Trophy for the best supporting actor
Cash Prizes:
In addition to trophies, we will be awarding varying levels of cash prizes. The exact amounts will be announced soon, so stay tuned for more details!