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 (Word Doc format preferred) must be sent as soon as possible after you receive an acceptance notification or included in your FilmFreeway profile. The CSIFF Team will also be in contact to provide an upload link for you to send a digital copy of your film.
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
*Chicago Southland International Film Festival does not accept films that are majority or entirely generated using Generative Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Intelligence (AI). Films that utilize AI for some aspects of their production should identify which aspects of the film it is used for in their Director's Statement.
*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 for consideration 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 October 2, 2026. Late entries will not be considered.
*Films should be submitted with a completed FilmFreeway profile including a press kit (Word Doc preferred), Director Biography, Director Statement, Director Headshot, Film synopsis, film stills, and credits.
*Film audio should be mixed with a target loudness of -24 dB LUFS and maximum peak: -2 dBTP for optimal and consistent playback in programming.
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 January 17, 2027, 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.
Short Film Competition Submission Categories, Costs, and Waivers
8The entrant is responsible for submitting films to the correct category. Incorrect submissions may be disqualified. Entrants in 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. Please reach out at csiff@govst.edu for the code and proof of the previous submission.
*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 are only offered to filmmakers residing in countries under U.S. sanctions who cannot make financial transactions. These are limited and will be provided at the filmmaker's request on a first-come, first-served basis. These waiver codes allow a single submission per filmmaker. Please email us at csiff@govst.edu for more information.
*Filmmakers who are granted a waiver code meant for filmmakers residing in a sanctioned country, but are later found to be residing in a non-sanctioned country, will be disqualified immediately.
*Submissions that have violated any of the Eligibility Requirements listed above may be disqualified at any time.
