​The Chandler International Film Festival (CIFF) is a premier platform for independent filmmakers looking to showcase their work, gain industry exposure, and connect with a global audience. Here’s why submitting your film to CIFF is an opportunity you don’t want to miss:

A Festival Built for Filmmakers
CIFF is proudly a filmmaker-first festival—created to support, elevate, and celebrate storytellers. From the moment you submit to the final awards night, our team is dedicated to helping filmmakers feel welcomed, promoted, and connected to real opportunities.

Guinness World Record Holder
CIFF is honored to be a Guinne​ss World Record–holding festival, reflecting the creativity, scale, and innovation that define our event each year.

18 Venues – 10 Days – Endless Opportunities
The festival spans 18 locations over 10 days, including:​ 4 main screening venues​, 10 official after-party locations​, 4 Coffee Connection networking events​. This structure ensures filmmakers have constant opportunities to meet audiences, press, and industry professionals in an exciting, high-energy environment.

Cultural Days & Global Voices
CIFF proudly features Cultural Days spotlighting different genres and countries, celebrating the diversity of international cinema and creating dedicated platforms for filmmakers from around the world.

Major Talent in Attendance
Past and recent festivals have welcomed acclaimed artists such as Michelle Rodriguez, Rob Schneider, Sean McNamara, Poppa Snoop, and many other industry leaders—giving attending filmmakers rare access to top-level talent.

A Growing, Prestigious Platform
Since its inception in 2016, CIFF has become one of Arizona’s most recognized film festivals, drawing filmmakers and audiences from around the world. Being part of CIFF means showcasing your work in a festival that values diverse voices, creativity, and meaningful storytelling.

Industry Exposure & Media Reach
CIFF collaborates with top PR and marketing agencies, generating over 50 million media impressions across TV, radio, print, and social media. This level of exposure significantly increases the visibility of participating films, helping filmmakers gain recognition from audiences, distributors, and industry professionals.

Filmmaker-Focused Experience
At CIFF, filmmakers are not just participants—they’re family. The festival prides itself on providing exceptional support from submission to screening, ensuring filmmakers have a seamless and rewarding experience.​

Networking & Industry Connections
Filmmakers have the chance to engage with fellow creatives, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts. With educational workshops, discussion panels, celebrity appearances, and a film market, CIFF fosters meaningful connections that can help propel your career forward.

Exciting Festival Atmosphere & Multicultural Collaboration
Taking place across three cities (Chandler, Tempe, and Gilbert), CIFF offers a dynamic, 10-day festival experience (January 29 – February 7, 2027), featuring a wide range of events. This year, the festival is merging with the 32nd Chandler Multicultural Festival, further amplifying its reach and cultural significance.

Awards & Recognition
Every year, CIFF honors outstanding films and filmmakers with a prestigious awards ceremony. Winning or even being an official selection at CIFF can elevate your film’s credibility and open doors for future opportunities.

If you’re looking for a supportive, high-exposure platform to showcase your work, CIFF is the perfect festival for you. Submit your film today and become part of an inspiring celebration of independent cinema!

For any inquiries: info@chandlerfilmfestival.com

Our Mission
With a passion for the art of filmmaking, the Chandler International Film Festival aims to support independent filmmakers from all over the world and their filmmaking. We provide a platform through which projects are reviewed, judged, and honored for their uniqueness, creativity, and storytelling ability.

Awards & Prizes

All Official Selections will be screened at the event
Official Selections will receive 2 complimentary All-Access Passes.
Official Selections will receive an Official Selection laurel.
We award the best filmmakers after a comprehensive evaluation process.
All winners receive a laurel and trophy.

Rules & Terms

Eligibility Requirements:

- We prefer world premieres but all films must have never been screened in the Phoenix metro area.

- Filmmaker must attend the festival if selected. Festival has the right to reject the film if not attending.

- Once the film has become an Official Selection, the filmmaker cannot withdraw the film.

-We accept films in any language, from anywhere in the world. If your film is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles where necessary.

-Films previously entered into and screened at our festival are not eligible for re-entry in subsequent years.

Submission Guidelines:

-The CIFF requires the director, producer, cast, crew or any representative of the film to attend their film screening to participate in the Q & A.

-Feature films are 40 minutes in length or longer. Short films are under 40 minutes in length.

-All non-English speaking films must be presented in their original version with English subtitles.

-Feature screenplays must be between 46 and 130 pages in length. Short screenplays must be between 1 and 45 pages in length.

-Entries must have been produced after January 1, 2023.

-You may submit multiple entries to different categories but must pay an entry fee for each.

-Acceptance of a film does not guarantee airline or hotel accommodations for talent or production crew.

-Works in progress are accepted but are not encouraged. We cannot promise that we will be able to watch re-edited submissions. Please only submit works in progress if submitting close to the final deadline.

-CIFF confirms that the festival has permission to exhibit your film(s) during the festival.
Submission of a work implies that the Festival can employ moving image excerpts and reproduce stills of exhibition promotion. The Original copyright holder retains all rights to their work.

-All submissions for CIFF are to be paid through the FilmFreeway platform. The submission fee is non-refundable.

-The submitter can not withdraw the film after the final official selection.

- The filmmaker must either attend the festival to represent the project or send someone in their place.
204 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Arlene Westermeyer

    I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Chandler International Film Festival. The movies I watched were excellent and the festival was well organized. I was honored to receive the "Best Screenplay" award for my screenplay, "The Wind Chimes!" The award ceremony was excellent with dancers and singers that celebrated different cultures, including Indian and Asian. Chandler, Arizona is a beautiful place! I had a wonderful experience. Thank you, Mitesh Patel!

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Melinda Myers

    Very well organized and professional. Great Hospitality and Communications. Great networking opportunity!

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez

    Such a great experience! Thank you so much for having us!

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Taejin AHN

    Thank you for choosing and screening my film. I hope anyone who wasn't able to attend the festival but saw my film in the theater had a wonderful time.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Kenny Hargrove

    A wonderful experience! A well organized festival with great communication, nightly mixers, good and diverse films and a loyal local audience. Well worth submitting to and attending.

    February 2026
    Helpful