** Winning scripts to be READ by agent at Innovative Arts **

--Please note, accepting SCRIPTS only --
Jessica and Brent Kado founded Chicago Comedy Film Festival in 2010 and continue the fest under the umbrella of Flowfeel Arts. In 2020, after a loss of staff amid Covid-19 conditions, the fest pivoted to only accept screenplays until further notice.

We will host a table read for a pilot OR short script AND a feature script.

Chicago Comedy Film Festival is an international festival. We aim to showcase films that are both humorous and poignant. Comedy often has difficulty competing against other genres in the film festival circuit. The Chicago Comedy Film Festival is a welcoming environment for both experienced and first time comedy filmmakers. What our fest offers:

* An organized, legit festival. We bring you real opportunities that you'll only get at the top ranked film festivals.
* A festival staff that cares about your work and success. We're filmmakers too! (But we never screen our own work, our staff's projects or close friend's films because that is not fair to everyone that pays to submit)
* We have a management deal with YouTube Studio, Collab. If you want to learn more about YouTube success, we're the fest. Our channel here: http://goo.gl/9FR6uE
* A strong alumni network. We do LA events often.
*We're the only Chicago festival to premiere an Oscar nominated film. Why Do I Have to Take Care of Everything
* Networking with some of the world's funniest filmmakers, celebs, comedians in both Chicago and LA.
* Top Female Filmmaker (since our first year in 2010) and Diverse Voices in Comedy Awards as well as top awards in all categories.
* Past participants signed at major agencies.

Mission Statement: To support comedy as a vital and influential art form.

Got a non-comedy Script? Go here: https://filmfreeway.com/GreatAmericanScriptContest

Join our elite alumni list with Colin Mochrie, Lauren Lapkus, Matthew Gray Gubler, Ego Nwodim, Mindy Sterling, Margret Cho, Steve Martin, Jane Lynch, Alexis Knapp, Sarah Silverman, Natalia Dyer, Michael Cera, Keegan-Micheal Key, Christopher Titus, Janeane Garofalo, Fred Armisen, Richard Belzer, Jackie Mason, Bill Maher, Luke Perry, Gary Cole, Rowan Blanchard, Jack Quaid, Ian Brennan, Cheri Oteri, Kristen Johnson, Kris Merc, Micheal Boatman, Nancy Travis, David Koechner, James Masters, Kaitlin Doubleday, John Reynolds, Alexis Knapp, Rex Lee, Rosanna Arquette, Yumi Lambert, Fred Willard, Kevin Farley, Adrian Grenier, Max Barbakow, Patton Oswald, Mel Brooks, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jim Valleley, Doug Jones, Thomas Lennon, John Bradley, Sunita Mani, Lea DeLaria, Caitlin Thompson, Blu del Barrio, Cheri Oteri, Carl McDowell, Soleil Moon Frye, Liam McNeill, Sam Golzari, Esperanza America, Leah N.H. Philpott, Carlos Lacamara, Jarrett Lennon Kaufman, Heater Brooker, Frank Caeti, Paul F. Tompkins, Paige Mobley, Stephen Tobolowsky, Ryan O'Flanagan, Peter Gilroy, Lisa Ann Walter, Jaren Lewison, Alexis G. Zall, Annie Korzen, Maxwell Donovan, Lil’ Zane, Beau Casper Smart, Alex Meneses, Matt Bush, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Cavalero and many others!

Winning scripts to be READ by agent at Innovative Arts
Table Reads with professional actors
Passes to our Industry Events

* We only accept only Chicago premieres and non distributed films.

*Our team does research for inaccurate descriptors.

* Waiver requests must be accompanied by a trailer or excerpt. We consider waivers early in our screening process and decisions are based on a variety of factors. While we understand submission fees can be costly for filmmakers, there must be a compelling reason for us to waive your fee over everyone else. Please sign up for our monthly newsletter to be part of our monthly waiver lottery. https://www.flowfeelfilms.com/newsletter

FURTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS (please read thoroughly before submitting)

Chicago Comedy Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. Payment of submission fee does not guarantee inclusion in our festival. If your film is chosen as an official selection CCFF does not compensate for travel, accommodations, or appearance fees unless otherwise offered. CCFF reserves the right to schedule changes and may at any time revoke a film screening, festival passes, accommodations, and any other filmmaker agreements for any reason. Films with theatrical release prior to festival dates will not be accepted. ONLINE SCREENERS ONLY. Once the film is accepted to Chicago Comedy Film Festival, DIGITAL COPIES and PRESS SCREENERS (DVD) will be required. The committee reserves the right to rescind any screening engagement if the film is not delivered on time. Chicago Comedy Film Festival holds your screeners in a secure fashion and takes the filmmakers rights very seriously. Please note that technical glitches will not be adjusted during the screening of your film. Your screener must be in final format upon acceptance and filmmakers will not be allowed to have private technical meetings with the projectionist due to CCFF contractual rules with the theater. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. Upon acceptance, CCFF may offer contract options to join the CCFF Youtube network and/or work with CCFF digital partners as CCFF. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Chicago Comedy Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

If we do not hear from a film within 7 days of acceptance and do not receive the film's screener we can no longer accept or screen the film.

If a film no longer intends to screen and does not notify the festival of this change prior to February 1st, 2020 a $500 (US) fee will be charged back to the main point of contact provided in the submission form.

Screenplay Competition Rules:

1. The Chicago Comedy Film Festival Screenplay Contest is an international competition open to entrants from around the world.

2. Adults 18 and over may enter.

3. Multiple submissions are allowed. Each script must be submitted separately with its own entry registration and entry fee. Submissions of the same script may also be entered under separate categories using our online entry form.

4. Submissions should be full-length feature screenplays (usually 80 to 120 pages) and formatted as a standard motion picture screenplay. Correct formatting is most easily achieved by using screenwriting software built for industry standards. Books are also available that demonstrate the proper format. Do not show any personal information within the interior pages of the submitted script (name, address, etc). Contact information may appear on the cover or title page only. Remember to number your pages, but you do not need to number your scenes. This is not a production script.

5. Submissions must be original screenplays written solely for the big or small screen unless adapted from source material written by the submitting author(s) or with the permission of the author of said source material. Adaptions from material found in the Public Domain are also acceptable.

6. The purpose of this contest is to judge entries solely on the quality of the writing itself. Do not submit with your script any pitches, log lines, synopses, testimonials, casting recommendations, trailers, links or any other documentation wishing to support your entry. Such material received will be ignored.

7. Be sure your screenplay is perfect upon submission. No revisions, new pages, missing pages or any other alterations to the entry will be accepted once the contestant has completed the submission process. Any revised scripts you wish to submit will need to be submitted as a new and separate entry.

8. All authors of any submission must be listed in the online entry process. Up to 4 authors may be listed and only a single entry fee is required for the script. The first author listed should be considered the primary contact. Upon submitting the entry, all authors listed agree to the terms of the contest.

9. Scripts must be entered as a PDF

10. All rights to submitted screenplays are retained by their author(s). Entry to the contest does not convey or transfer any rights to us whatsoever. Although not a requirement, we recommend that all screenplays should be registered and/or copyrighted by the author(s) with an appropriate agency before submission. No submissions will be returned to the author(s) so be sure not to lose your file and ask us for a backup.

11. It is acknowledged that similar concepts, ideas, stories, characters or other elements may be embodied in more than one submission and that any overlap of such reasonably shared concepts, ideas, stories, characters or other elements do not entitle any entrant to any compensation or credit.

12. It is acknowledged that any and all submissions are original work of the author(s) listed and is not in violation of any copyright laws, trademarks, intellectual property rights or basic ethical standards of amateur or professional writing. Any entry found to be in violation of the above or to be proven to be plagiarized in any way will be immediately disqualified. Furthermore, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Chicago Comedy Film Festival, as well as our employees, partners, owners, and affiliates, from all claims and liabilities and we shall in no way be held liable for any such legal action that results from unlawful or restricted submissions. The Chicago Comedy Film Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes to scheduling.

13. The winning script will have a staged reading at the annual Chicago Comedy Film Festival. The staged reading will be a produced by the Chicago Comedy Film Festival.

14. Trailers. By submitting you consent CCFF any and all rights to trailers, teasers and release copyright for promotion during and after festival in perpetuity. Promotional sites, online platforms (YouTube), marketing materials and other, all included.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jeff Walsh

    I had a great experience with this festival and my pilot "Thunder Ripper" was selected for a live table read. It was awesome to see the script come to life with the group of Chicago actors who all did an excellent job.

    April 2023
  • This festival does a great job of getting everyone together. Table reads are always awesome! - Virginia Austin

    November 2022
  • Andrew Hunt

    I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with CCFF. You benefit from the fact that it's a festival put on by filmmakers who know how hard it is to make a film, so they are on your side! All the staff were lovely and the communication was excellent. Very well run festival.

    April 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Andrew, it was lovely to have you at the fest and we are glad you had a good experience!

  • Rick Williamson

    This is my second trip to CCFF. I was there the inaugural year with "A Short Film" and returned in 2019 with "Combat Nuns All Nothing". This festival has grown in scope and quality in both content and hospitality. This year CCFF offered hotel discounts as well as filmmaker mixers and after hours parties. The level of films have also grown and the festival directors, Brent and Jessica make everyone welcome in the Chicago Comedy Film Festival family! This festival reflects so much the energy of this amazing city!

    April 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Rick, it was so fun to have you back!!!

  • Shaina Feinberg

    Really nice crowd, nice organizers. Small, but great.

    April 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Shaina, it was a pleasure to screen your film!