The Chicago Horror Film Festival has become a Chicago institution. With a past that started with the historic 3 Penny Cinema and a future continuing to grow with new venues and special guests. What has once started with a simple one day festival to showcase Short Independent Horror films has now become a festival for both feature and short horror films and to be known for seeing many of it’s featured films picked up for distribution.

NEW UPDATE
In 2015 we started screening ALL DIGITAL! We are only accepting submissions via online screener (here on filmfreeway.com) and exhibition films will need to be in MOV, MP4 or AVI formats if selected. We are not accepting DVD/BluRay/Hardcopy submissions any longer.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE
The Chicago Horror Film Festival is an independent film festival and mixed media event.

We strive to support independent film, and promote all types of dark art. We go the extra mile to get recognition beyond the festival alone for the amazingly talented people in this industry. Even films submitted to us that don't get accepted for the festival are very often reviewed and written about by one of our columnists for one of our websites or print magazine publications including Breaking Fate Magazine!

Awards & Prizes

Best Feature
Best Short
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Special FX
Best Music
Best Sound
Directors Choice Award

The Chicago Horror Screenplay Contest

More Information On The Chicago Horror Film Festival Awards:

*Award Winners will be announced in a ceremony at the end of the festival. Winners in attendance will be presented a certificate. Those not in attendance can obtain a digital certificate to print via the official website within 48 hours after the close of the festival. Winners will also be posted in the news feed (front page) and Awards Page of IndieHorrorFest.com within 48 hours of the close of the festival.

** Our Selection / Awards Procedure: Festival Director / Producers make official selections for the festival by vote. Official Selections are then screened/graded by 5 different judges anonymously and given an overall grade on a 5 point scale for each of the qualifying award categories (with the exception of the “Directors Choice Award”). All judges points are then added together to give it a grade. The top 5 films by grade in each category are then considered an award nominee and listed on this page. The film with the highest grade in each category is considered and announced that category’s award winner at the festival. In the event of a tie for highest grade, the festival director, festival producer and festival founder will each vote on the tied films giving the majority vote the award. In the event that one of the production staff are involved in one of the films involving a tie, a 3rd party will be selected to vote in place of the production staff member involved.

*** Special Recognition Awards are given to any film that is nominated (in top 5 by votes) in 5 or more categories. The way we see it is, even if the film didn’t score the highest in any of the categories, to be a nominee in 5 or more categories means that the film was extremely good across the board. (The Festival Directors Choice Award category don’t qualify for the Special Recognition Awards)

**** The Festival Directors Choice Award nominee’s are the Film Festival Directors top 5 choice films of the festival. The Directors Choice Award is presented at the festival to the Directors favorite film of the festival. (Any film that the festival director is personally involved in at any level is not eligible for this award.)

***** The Chicago Horror Screenplay Contest*****
Top 10 - Semi-Finalist (Considered "Accepted")
Top 5 - Finalist (Considered "Award Nominee")
Top 1 - Winner of the Chicago Horror Screenplay Award

Award Winners will be announced LIVE at The Chicago Horror Film Festival! www.chicagohorrorfest.com

Rules & Terms

Festival is open to any film that might be considered a horror film, or anything of a disturbing nature, dark art and/or frightening.

There is NO 'Film Made By' date. We have shown horror films from as early as the 30's. Please feel free to submit your early work as well as your current work.

Rules for Submissions

The rules are basic but necessary. Please take a quick look at the info below before you submit.

I, the undersigned, acknowledge and agree:

I have read, understated and fully comply with all submission eligibility information, Submission Guidelines, Terms and Conditions of Entry and Entry Eligibility requirements.

To the best of my knowledge, all of the statements in this submission are true.

This film or video is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation.

I am duly authorized to submit this film to the festival.

I hold Breaking Fate Entertainment / The Chicago Horror Film Festival harmless from any damage to the print(s) or media materials(s) en route or otherwise during the course of the festival’s possession of the film.

I hold Breaking Fate Entertainment / The Chicago Horror Film Festival its owners, management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, and etc. harmless from any and all claims of liability resulting from my entry.

I certify that I have full rights to the use of the music in the entered work.

I give permission for Breaking Fate Entertainment / The Chicago Horror Film Festival to use stills, titles, copy, and/or information from the short for promotional purposes

I give permission for Breaking Fate Entertainment / The Chicago Horror Film Festival to screen the film at the Festival for which it was submitted.

If selected I will provide Breaking Fate Entertainment / The Chicago Horror Film Festival with a digital copy of my films movie poster (in vertical format) for use on the festival website.

15 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Melissa De Leon

    I couldn't attend the festival so I can't really rate it like that. But it seemed like a cool festival to have been able to attend and I liked that they updated immediately the winners of the festival which was great. I was able to find out that I won Best Editing for my film really quick and I liked that they posted on their site and Facebook so there were several ways to access the information.

    December 2018
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  • anthony risen

    It was a great opportunity getting exposure in the Chicago area ! Thanks guys! Can’t wait to send another project !

    November 2018
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  • John Burr

    This was a transition year for the festival, and Willy was wonderfully open about all the incredible work he has done to keep this festival going. It was a unique experience in a location that I would not have normally gotten to visit, and the programmers' passion for the genre was impressive. Excited to see where this festival will go in the future, and grateful to have been selected this year.

    October 2018
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  • Tim Earnheart

    So impressed with the spot-on communication and friendliness of the people running this festival. Would definitely submit future films again!

    October 2018
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  • Lawrence Whitener

    Professional and communicative and great!

    October 2018
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