The Chicago International Film Festival celebrates the best that cinema has to offer. Showcasing films from established masters and emerging storytellers, the Festival welcomes films from around the world. Offering an impressive selection of competitive and non-competitive programming, the Chicago International Film Festival brings films both domestic and international to screens in Chicago.

As one of the main cultural importers of world cinema to the Midwest, the Chicago International Film Festival is a place for audiences and filmmakers to engage with one another. The Festival features a host of screenings, panels, educational events, and Q&A’s that foster cultural understanding and artistic engagement. In 2025, the 61st Chicago International Film Festival presented 114 feature films and 62 short films from 70 countries.

Awards & Prizes

FESTIVAL SECTIONS
The Chicago International Film Festival is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. The Festival is dedicated to the discovery of new voices. We are inclusive in our programming, embracing and uplifting a wide range of identities, cultures, genres, aesthetics, and perspectives. Films are programmed in a variety of competitive and non-competitive sections as we present a festival that is designed to excite, provoke, enrich, and entertain.

International Feature Film Competition
Representing a wide variety of styles and genres, these works compete for the top honor, the Gold Hugo - as well as awards for best actor, actress, director, writer, and more - in North America's longest-running competitive film festival.

New Directors Competition
This selection of first and second feature films, receiving their U.S. premiere in Chicago, celebrates the spirit of discovery and innovation upon which the Festival was founded. To be eligible for the competition, films must be at least a U.S. premiere if selected for the Festival.

Documentary Competition
Global in scope and representing a wide range of approaches to documentary form, this program offers a diverse cross-section of contemporary non-fiction filmmaking in both competitive and non-competitive sections. To be eligible for the International Documentary Competition, films must be at least a U.S. premiere if selected for the Festival.

OutLook Competition
Competing for the Festival’s QHugo Award, these superbly crafted films reflect the myriad perspectives and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Short Film Competitions
Annually showcasing excellence in short filmmaking from around the globe, this competition highlights the work of both upcoming artists and masters of the short subject form. Programmed films are eligible for awards in the following categories: Animation, Documentary, and Live Action. The winners of the Best Live Action, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short awards are eligible to be considered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Academy Awards®.

City & State
This program celebrates Illinois’ rich filmmaking tradition, showcasing the best features, documentaries, and short films with their roots right here in Illinois. Films in this section compete for the Chicago Award, given to the year’s best Illinois film.

Out of Competition

After Dark
Gathering genre films from horror and thrillers to edgy animation and dark comedies, this showcase of future cult classics and midnight favorites offers an exciting mix of late-night fare.

Black Perspectives
Now in its 30th year, this program showcases films that celebrate the richness of African American filmmaking and the diversity of Black cultures around the world and the filmmakers behind them.

Comedy
From slapstick to subversive, surrealist to satirical, this program presents a range of films that will leave you laughing all the way home.

In addition to After Dark, Black Perspectives, and Comedy, the Chicago International Film Festival screens a vast range of films out of competition every year across a wide variety of genres and forms. Films screening out of competition are organized into categories at the discretion of the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival and its programming staff.

Rules & Terms

OFFICIAL REGULATIONS
A.) Eligibility Requirements

Completion Date
Films must have been completed on or AFTER August 1, 2025.
Films completed before August 1, 2025 are NOT eligible.

Premiere Date
Films must premier/have premiered AFTER October 26, 2025.
Films premiered anywhere on or before October 26, 2025 are NOT eligible.

Premiere Status
Films must be at least a Chicago premiere.
U.S. premieres are given priority.
Films shown at private screenings not open to the public (for crew, investors, etc.) are eligible.

Films are NOT eligible if they:
Have theatrically screened publicly in the Chicago area.
Have had a theatrical run in the US prior to the Festival dates.
Have aired on US television prior to the Festival dates.
Are available to the public for purchase on DVD/Blu-ray or online.

Feature-length films (narrative or documentary) that have shown online prior to the Festival dates are NOT eligible. Short films (under 40 min) may be available online.
Films previously submitted to the Chicago International Film Festival are NOT eligible for consideration.

All entries must either be in English or subtitled in English. Dialogue lists are not accepted.

Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry to the Festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.

For any specific questions regarding a film’s eligibility, please email: entries@chicagofilmfestival.com

B) Submission Guidelines
1. Films must be submitted via an online screener hosted by Vimeo or another secure online platform. (It is recommended that films submitted via online screener be available to download). Please contact entries@chicagofilmfestival.com if you prefer to submit a Bluray/DVD screener.

2. Only complete entries (including fee payment and screener) will be considered.

3. Entrants are permitted to submit unfinished works (i.e., without final color correction or sound mixing), but please note that the programming committee will only consider the version submitted. Subsequent cuts or replacement copies will only be accepted at the request of the programming committee.

4. For theatrical screenings, all films selected for the Chicago International Film Festival will screen on DCP unless otherwise arranged. If required, file specifications for online screenings will be provided.

C) Deadlines
Early deadline entries must be submitted by April 7, 2026.
Regular deadline entries must be submitted by June 8, 2026.
Late deadline entries must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

D) Judging & Selection
Films are selected for Festival presentation by the Chicago International Film Festival programming committee. If a film is selected, the Festival office will contact the entrant by phone or email.

All entrants will be notified on or before September 14, 2026. The Festival does not provide feedback or screening notes to entries that are not selected.

Films selected for the International Feature, Documentary, New Directors, and OutLook Competitions are juried during the Festival. All other competitive film categories, including the Chicago Award and Short Film Competitions, are juried before the Festival.

E) Entry Fees
Each entry must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee. Entry fees are non-refundable. Fees cover registration, registration notification, full consideration by the programming department, and notification of the results. These fees may be paid by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express) or by check or money order, made payable to Cinema/Chicago.

F) Accessibility
The Chicago International Film Festival is committed to delivering an inclusive festival experience. In case of selection, we strongly encourage you to provide Open Captioning, Closed Captioning and/or Audio Description files with your film. This is for all films and in addition to the subtitle requirement for non-English language films.

As a reference, captions are a textual transcript of a film’s dialogue, sound effects, and music. Captions are different from subtitles in that subtitles only contain a transcript of dialogue. For more information regarding Open Captioning, Closed Captioning and/or Audio Description, please see our resource guide. You may also email access@chicagofilmfestival.com with any questions.

At the time of submission, entries that already have these materials are eligible for a discounted submission fee of 20%. To inquire about the discount, please email entries@chicagofilmfestival.com.
25 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Khaya Fraites

    This is the best festival! I was so honored my short film screened in the Black Perspectives Block in 2025 along side so much incredible work. I could not have had a better experience. This festival was so well organized and we had the best time meeting other filmmakers and getting to know the city thanks to the incredible hospitality team. Hope to come back again soon.

    January 2026
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  • Alex Reis

    That was the best festival I’ve ever attended. What a great experience!
    The ChiFilmFest team that made the festival happen — from the leadership to the volunteers — all delivered perfectly. I got to watch amazing films and meet incredible filmmakers from different countries. I was able to connect with them and even become friends with most of them.

    My short film was selected for the Black Perspectives program, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the honor. The activities weren’t limited to just screening the film — which alone would already have been awesome. The festival organized events every day for filmmakers to meet each other in fantastic places around Chicago. We truly built strong bonds through this amazing routine.

    The ChiFilmFest audience is simply the best: highly open-minded, engaged in all screenings, with great attendance and inspiring Q&As.

    Chicago was a dream I wish I could keep living in. I wish all the best to everyone who made it happen. What an edition! Hope to be back soon — maybe next time with a feature film, who knows? Hahaha.

    I definitely recommend submitting your film to this festival. If you get in, it’ll be worth it — I promise you that. It’s a festival made by people who love cinema, for filmmakers and audiences who love cinema too.

    October 2025
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  • Joey Clift

    Wonderful festival and I'm so honored I was able to screen at it!

    October 2025
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  • Gargantua Film Distribution

    Thank you so much for screening the films from our distribution! Hoping to be back next year.

    January 2025
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  • Chi Jang Yin

    Thoughtful and sophisticated programming! One of the most outstanding and longest run film festivals in the US, CIFF also has done excellent job on communication with filmmakers. The best experience ever!

    December 2024
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