Entrants of the film competition warrant that they have the legal right to enter film work to the Chicago Southland International Film Festival. As the Director/Producer of the film, entrants represent and warrant to the festival that the film and all parts thereof are original; that the film does not contravene the rights of any person or entity, and that entrants own or control the film and all parts thereof and have the sole authority to submit the Film to the festival; the film entrants submitted to the festival is not subject to nor threatened by any litigation.
If a film is accepted, entrants will be solely responsible for delivering their exhibition video materials to the Chicago Southland International Film Festival. A complete press kit be sent as soon as possible after you receive an acceptance notification. The CSIFF Team will also be in contact to provide an upload link for you to send a digital copy of your film. Chicago Southland International Film Festival cannot be held liable for your exhibition print/video materials which are lost or damaged.
By submitting to the Festival you agree to be included in the Chicago Southland International Film Festival‘s promotional material (newsletters, flyers, media, etc.).
Short Film Competition Submission Rules and Regulations
*All entries must be either in English or subtitled in English.
*Chicago Southland International Film Festival does not offer screening fees or honorariums to filmmakers or distributors who submit short films to the Short Film Competition at this time.
Entrants confirm and warrant that they have the required legal authority to submit the entry into the festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.
Films must be submitted digitally via www.filmfreeway.com/festival/ChicagoSouthlandInternationalFilmFestival
Short Film Competition Submission Guidelines
This festival is only accepting completed works at this time; no works-in-progress will be considered.
The deadline for all submissions is November 2, 2025. Late entries will not be considered.
Short Film Competition Judging and Selection
At least six screeners will review each submission for first-round reviews. Official selections will be made based on screener reviews. Selected films will also be nominated for awards in their subsequent categories based on the screening process. Not all selected films will be nominated. Nominated films will be reviewed and rated by our judging panel, which is made up of film professionals and film educators. Award winners will be determined based on the judges' ratings given to the Official Selections. Names of Judges will not be released until Official Selections are announced to avoid favoritism.
All entrants should be notified regarding selection for the Festival by Friday, January 16, 2026, at the latest via www.filmfreeway.com unless additional deliberation is needed. A Festival committee member will also notify each Official Selection entrant by email at the address provided on FilmFreeway. If additional deliberation is necessary, entrants will be notified.
Judging decisions are final.
Submissions that have violated any of the Eligibility Requirements listed above may be disqualified at any time.
Short Film Competition Submission Categories and Costs
The entrant is responsible for submitting films into the correct category. Incorrect submissions may be disqualified. Entrants into incorrect categories will not be given a refund.
Submission fees are non-refundable and will not be waived for any reason. Entrants will not receive a fee refund if a submission is not selected or disqualified.
Filmmakers who have been selected for our festival in the past are eligible for a discount code. While we understand and appreciate the financial struggles of independent artists, we can offer very few waiver codes to submit to our festival at this time. Waivers for filmmakers in countries under sanctions by the U.S. government who cannot make financial transactions are limited and will be provided at the filmmaker's request on a first-come, first-served basis. Please email us at csiff@govst.edu for more information.
