The Chicago Serbian Film Festival, taking place December 13-15, 2024, is an annual celebration of the best in contemporary Serbian Cinema whose mission is to present Serbian cultural creativity through visual arts, while enriching Chicago’s Cultural Diversity. The 2024 Chicago Serbian Film Festival will once again encompass the international Diaspora of Serbian film makers from around the world.

To qualify via Serbian Diaspora productions (USA and International) at least one of the following creative leadership positions — Producer, Director, Writer, Lead or Supporting lead actor, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, must be of Serbian descent. Films of any language are welcomed but must have English subtitles.

With its world renowned skyline as its backdrop, the Chicago Serbian Film Festival is a vibrant annual event located in the metropolitan city of Chicago dedicated to presenting the best of international and domestic Serbian cinema while creating transformational experiences for artists, families, filmmakers and film lovers.

We premiere carefully selected Serbian films which have won international Film Festival prizes as well as films from around the world that of feature filmmakers of Serbian descent. Regularly in attendance are guest actors and filmmakers that participate in after screening question & answer sessions.

While in Chicago, our filmmakers and audiences will also enjoy the many activities the city has to offer, such as fine dining, museums, architectural tours and shopping at the Magnificent Mile!

Submit your film so that this dynamic festival can continue to grow as we continue to a platform for the Serbian Film Industry as well as aspiring filmmakers of Serbian descent from throughout the entire world. If you are a director, screenwriter, producer, or actor of Serbian descent, your film qualifies.
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NAGRADE
Najbolji film: Glavna nagrada Festivala pripasce porducentu i reditelju za najbolji film.
Najbolji novi reditelj: Nagrada za prvi i drugi igrani film slavice duh novog i inovativnog u rediteljskom postupku za njegov/njen prvi ili drugi igrani film.
Najbolji dokumentarni film: Izabracemo najbolji film iz sirokog spektra pristupa dokumentarnoj formi u savremenoj kategoriji dokumentarnog filma.
Kratki film: U kategoriji najboljih kratkometraznih filmova iz celog sveta predstavicemo i nagraditi majstore kratke filmske forme. Filmovi ce se takmiciti u sledecim kategorijama – animirani, dokumentarni i igrani kratkometrazni film.
Nagrada za najbolji americki film autora srpskog porekla: U ovoj kategoriji takmicice se najbolji igrani filmovi i najbolji kratkometrazni filmovi autora srpskog porekla, za filmove koji su napravljeni u Americi.
Nagrada srpske dijaspore: U ovoj kategoriji predstavicemo raznolikost filmskog stvaralastva srpske dijaspore, predstavljajuci najbolje igrane, dokumentarne i kratke filmove autora srpskog porekla izvan Amerike. Bice ovo nagrada srpske dijaspore, za najbolji strani film.
Nagrada za mlade filmske autore: U ovoj konkurenciji prikazacemo i nagraditi najbolje igrane filmove srpskih studenata od 18 godina i mladjih.
Nagrada osnivaca Cikaskog festivala srpskog filma: Svi filmovi koji ucestvuju na Festivalu ulaze u konkurenciju za nagradu Osnivaca festivala, a nagrada ce pripasti filmu koji na najbolji nacin predstavlja duh Festivala i donosi unikatan i inovativan pristup umetnosti pokretnih slika.

Awards & Prizes

-Best Film -
Our top honor, this award will go to the Producer & Director of the Best Film Award winner

-New Directors Competition-
This selection of first and second feature films, celebrates the spirit of discovery and innovation to a director whose film is his/her first or second directed film.

-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.

-Short Film Competitions-
Showcasing the best short films 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.

-USA Competition-
This program celebrates the USA’s rich filmmaking tradition, showcasing the best features, documentaries, and short films with filmmakers of Serbian descent. Films in this section compete for the USA Serbian Film Award, given to the year’s best USA film.

-The Serbian Diaspora Award-
This program celebrates the Serbian community’s diversity, showcasing the best features, documentaries, and short films by filmmakers of Serbian descent from outside of the USA and Serbia. Films in this section compete for the Serbian Diaspora Award, given to the year’s best International films.

-Youth Awards-
The Chicago Serbian Film Festival will feature films produced by Serbian students or of Serbian descent 18 years and younger.

-The Chicago Serbian Film Festival’s Founder’s Award-
All films in the Festival are eligible for the Founder’s Award, presented to one film or performance that captures the spirit of the Chicago Serbian Film Festival for its unique and innovative approach to the art of the moving image.

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NAGRADE
Najbolji film: Glavna nagrada Festivala pripasce porducentu i reditelju za najbolji film.

Najbolji novi reditelj: Nagrada za prvi i drugi igrani film slavice duh novog i inovativnog u rediteljskom postupku za njegov/njen prvi ili drugi igrani film.

Najbolji dokumentarni film: Izabracemo najbolji film iz sirokog spektra pristupa dokumentarnoj formi u savremenoj kategoriji dokumentarnog filma.

Kratki film: U kategoriji najboljih kratkometraznih filmova iz celog sveta predstavicemo i nagraditi majstore kratke filmske forme. Filmovi ce se takmiciti u sledecim kategorijama – animirani, dokumentarni i igrani kratkometrazni film.

Nagrada za najbolji americki film autora srpskog porekla: U ovoj kategoriji takmicice se najbolji igrani filmovi i najbolji kratkometrazni filmovi autora srpskog porekla, za filmove koji su napravljeni u Americi.

Nagrada srpske dijaspore: U ovoj kategoriji predstavicemo raznolikost filmskog stvaralastva srpske dijaspore, predstavljajuci najbolje igrane, dokumentarne i kratke filmove autora srpskog porekla izvan Amerike. Bice ovo nagrada srpske dijaspore, za najbolji strani film.

Nagrada za mlade filmske autore: U ovoj konkurenciji prikazacemo i nagraditi najbolje igrane filmove srpskih studenata od 18 godina i mladjih.

Nagrada osnivaca Cikaskog festivala srpskog filma: Svi filmovi koji ucestvuju na Festivalu ulaze u konkurenciju za nagradu Osnivaca festivala, a nagrada ce pripasti filmu koji na najbolji nacin predstavlja duh Festivala i donosi unikatan i inovativan pristup umetnosti pokretnih slika.

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms
A) Eligibility Requirements
1. Films completed on or after January 1, 2024 are eligible for consideration
2. Films that have premiered in the Chicago area on or before April 1, 2024 are NOT eligible for consideration.
3. Films must be at least a Chicago area premiere. World, International or USA premieres are given priority. Films that (a) have screened publicly in the Chicago area, (b) have had a theatrical run in the US prior to the Festival dates, (c) have aired on USA television prior to the Festival dates, or (d) are available for purchase in USA are NOT eligible.
4. Feature-length films (narrative or documentary) that are available for public online viewing in their entirety are NOT eligible. Short films (under 40 min) may be available online.
5. Films shown at private screenings not open to the public (for crew, investors, etc.) are eligible.
6. All entries must be either in English or subtitled in English. Dialogue lists are not accepted.
7. 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.
B) Submission Guidelines
1. Feature-length films must be submitted via online screener hosted by Vimeo, on DVD or on Blu-ray disc. (It is recommended that films submitted via online screener be available to download).
2. Only complete entries (including fee payment and screener) will be considered.
3. Entrants are permitted to submit works-in-progress (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. To qualify for student entry fee rates, entrant must include proof of student status at the time of production (e.g., copy of student ID, transcript, etc.)
5. All films selected for the Chicago Serbian Film Festival will screen on DCP unless otherwise arranged by the submitting filmmaker and programming team.
C) Deadlines
Early deadline entries must be postmarked/submitted online by September 27, 2024. Regular deadline entries must be postmarked/submitted online by October 25, 2024.
D) Shipping
The cost of shipping an entry to the Festival must be paid by the entrant. Collect or COD shipments will not be accepted. All international entries must be sent “free domicile” to the Festival office with all transportation charges, duties, and taxes prepaid by the shipper. For films selected to screen at the Chicago Serbian Film Festival, the Festival will only cover one-way shipping costs for the Festival screening hard drive or DCP.
E) Judging & Selection
Films are selected for Festival presentation by the Chicago Serbian Film Festival programming committee. If a film is selected, the Festival office will contact the entrant by phone or email. The Festival does not provide feedback or screening notes to entries that are not selected. All entrants will be notified on or before November 6, 2024. . Films selected for the Competitions are judged during the Festival and revealed at its Award Ceremony.
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Uslovi i pravila za ucesce na Festivalu:
A) Uslovi za ucesce:
1. Svi filmovi koji su zavrseni posle 1. januara 2024. godine
2. Filmovi koji su premijerno prikazani u Cikagu pre 1. aprila 2024. godine ne ispunjavaju uslove za ucesce na Festivalu
3. Filmovi moraju biti premijerno prikazani u Cikagu na Festivalu. Ostvarenja koja su javno prikazana u Cikagu ili su prikazivana u bioskopima u Americi ili na americkoj televiziji pre pocetka Festivala ne ispunjavaju uslove za ucesce na Festivalu.
4. Dugometrazni filmovi (igraní i dokumentarni) koji su u celosti dostupni publici on-line ne ispunjavaju uslove za prikazivanje na Festivalu. Kratki filmovi (ispod 40 min) mogu biti dostupni on-line i ispunjavati uslove za ucesce na Festivalu.
5. Filmovi koji su prikazani na privatnim projekcijama (za produckiju, investitore) ispunjavaju uslove za ucesce na Festivalu.
6. Svi prijavljeni filmovi moraju biti na engleskom jeziku ili sa engleskim titlom. Filmovi sa dijalog listama ne ispunjavaju uslove za prikazivanje na Festivalu.
7. Ucesnik Festivala potvrdjuje i garantuje sva zakonska ovlascenja za prijavu na Festivalu i upotrebu muzike, slika i sadrzaja u celini.
B) Uputstva za prijavu na Festival:
1. Dugometrazni filmovi moraju biti prijavljeni preko mreznog pregledaca, koji podrzava Vimeo, na DVD ili Blu-ray diskub(preporucljivo je da filmovi koji su prijavljeni online budu dostupni za preuzimanje).
2. U konkurenciju za Festival uci ce samo filmovi sa kompletnom prijavom, ukljucujuci placanje i pregled.
3. Ucesnicima je dozvoljeno da za ucesce na Festivalu prijave filmove cija se produkcija privodi kraju, ali uz napomenu da ce Programski odbor Festivala razmatrati samo verziju koja je prijavljena na Festival. Naknadne verzije i dodatne kopije bice prihvacene samo na zahtev Programskog odbora Festivala.
4. Da bi se ucesnik Festivala kvalifikovao za studentske tarife za ucesce na Festivalu, mora da prilozi dokaz o studentskom statusu u vreme produckcije filma (studentski ID, index, etc...)
C) Rokovi:
Ucesnici koji se za Festival prijave ranije moraju imati dokaz o prijavi on-line do 27. septembra 2024. godine. Ucesnici koji se prijavljuju u redovnom roku moraju imati dokaz o online prijavi do 25. oktobra 2024. godine.
D) Dostava filmova i troskovi slanja:
Troskove dostave filmova za Festival snosi ucesnik Festivala. Posiljke za prikupljanje nece biti prihvatljive. Medjunarodne posiljke moraju biti upucene sa svim placenim carinskim troskovima, troskovima transporta i poreza, koje snose ucesnici Festivala. Za sve filmove koji budu izabrani za ucesce na Festivalu, festtilval ce snositi troskove jednokratnog slanja posiljke u jednom smeru za hard drive ili DCP.
E) Ziriranje i selekcija filmova:
Filmove za prikazivanje na Cikaskom festivalu srpskog filma bira Programski odbor Festivala. Ukoliko je film usao u zvanicnu selekciju Festivala, predstavnici Festivala ce kontaktirati ucesnike e-mailom ili telefonom. Festival nece obavestavati autore prijavljenih filmova koji nisu usli u selekciju. Svi autori izabranih filmova za ucesce u zvanicnoj selekciji Festivala bice obavesteni do novembar 2024 godine. Filmovi koji budu selektovani za takmicarski deo programa bice ocenjivani tokom Festivala i nagradjeni na ceremoniji dodele nagrada.
1 Review
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  • Suzana Norberg

    We're thrilled that our short, LIBERTYVILLE, was part of this unique festival. Meeting fellow Serbian filmmakers from the U.S. and Europe was surreal, and the level of hospitality extended to filmmakers was unmatched by any festival so far. Just one example is the private reception at the top of the John Hancock Tower. But that really is the Serbian way. Everything was thoughtfully planned, including the hotel location in beautiful downtown Chicago. Thank you Jesse, Slavica, Dragan, and the entire team for your generosity and making us feel so welcome.

    December 2021
    Helpful