📢 CALL FOR FILMS: COVELLITE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025: A VEIN OF TRUTH
A Film Festival for Dreamers, Doers, and the Underdogs Who Refuse to Stay Down

🚨 SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN NOW on FilmFreeway! 🚨

Built by Butte, for Butte—this film fest strikes paydirt with raw and resonant storytelling. No velvet ropes, just hard-won voices, where the stories aren’t judged by industry elites, but by the people in the seats. This year, there’s no time for red tape and long waits—it’s a comeback festival, a year of action.

We know travel on this timeline is tight, but this is the digital age—remote Q&As, pre-recorded filmmaker intros, and live-streamed panels are all on the table.

We are looking for films that hit hard, dig deep, and make people feel something real. Stories about resilience, revolution, raw humor, and diamonds in the rough. If your film breaks hearts, starts fights, or brings out the belly-laughs, the Covellite Film Fest crew wants to see it.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
🔥 Narrative & Documentary Films – Big themes, quiet truths
🎭 Shorts – Comedy, drama, experimental, and everything in between
🎬 Youth, DIY, & First-Time Filmmakers – If you made it with heart, it belongs at CIFF
🛠 Films That Fight Back – Stories that punch up, never down

WHY SUBMIT?
✅ Fast turnaround. No waiting months for decisions—we’re making moves now
✅ People’s Choice Awards. Show and tell your passion project for your neighbors
✅ Big, passionate crowds. Butte audiences respond—laugh, cry, shout, debate

Founded in 2015 by Don Andrews and Brian Boyd, CIFF built a filmmaker community from the ground up. Over its first five years, it showcased 600+ films from 36 countries, transforming historic Uptown Butte venues into spaces for unforgettable storytelling.

Now, in 2025, the Covellite International Film Festival is following the vein back to its lode—honesty, resilience, and the everyman experience. This isn’t just a film festival—it’s a gathering place where filmmakers connect year after year, film lovers have a voice, and buyers discover candid, uncompromising work.

Forged in fire, built on solidarity—The Covellite International Film Festival is a place to come as you are and leave a little changed. No gatekeepers, just grit, goodwill, and A Vein of Truth.

[Covellite Presents is a non-profit performing arts and community venue in Butte, America. CIFF 2025 is made possible in part by the generous support of the MT Department of Commerce through the Montana Film Office, SARTA, and Butte TBID grants]

[The 2025 Covellite International Film Festival rebrand was crafted collaboratively by Ainsley Sevier, Narratology.biz, Ken White, 5518 Designs, and Jack the AI, blending human insight with digital ingenuity.]

Awards & Prizes

Winning a Covellite International Film Festival award isn’t about industry clout—it’s about knowing your film hit home with real people. Here, awards aren’t handed down from on high; they’re earned in the seats, in the debates, in the way your story lingers long after the credits roll. Covellite’s awards honor films that dig deep, fight back, heal, or reveal something raw and true. Whether your work made the audience laugh, cry, rage, or remember, an award from Covellite means your film struck a vein of truth.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - G.K. Chesterton (paraphrased by Neil Gaiman)

Check out some awards that our audiences may decide your film should take home, named after impactful people and places of The Richest Hill on Earth:

- “The Headframe Heartbreak” - this narrative film makes audiences swoon, sob, or shout, "I’ve been there!" This filmmaker understands that love—like mining—can either make you rich or leave you wrecked, and sometimes both.
- “The Frank Little” - a documentary film that elevates underdogs, shines a light on social justice issues, speaks truth to power.
"The Company Town" – This production team used design, costuming, and detail to deepen the story, for the most immersive world-building from the ground up.
- “The Mary MacClane” - this documentary film is wildly personal, rebellious, and ahead of its time- this film will make people uncomfortable in the name of true expression, but undeniably connected.
- "The Martha Raye" – Funniest film, whether it was laugh-out-loud hilarious or painfully awkward in the best way.
- "The First Strike" – Best film by a young filmmaker (18 & under), for raw talent and fresh perspective.

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY & SUBMISSIONS
- Open to all filmmakers worldwide—but we have a soft spot for blue-collar teams, indie gems, and films that don’t fit the traditional mold.
- All genres are welcome: narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, shorts, etc.
- Submissions must be completed films—no works-in-progress.
- Only digital submissions accepted this year.
- There are no premiere status requirements. If your film is great, we want it.
- If accepted, filmmakers must provide a high-quality screening file.

JUDGING & SELECTION
- This is the people’s film festival. While a small programming team will select the films, the audience decides the winners of most awards through a democratic voting process.
- Official selections will be notified promptly. Official selections will be required to provide an EPK ASAP: including team headshots and bios, websites and socials for the film and filmmakers, film description (3-10 sentences)
- Due to our fast turnaround, travel assistance for filmmakers is limited. However, we offer virtual participation options like pre-recorded intros, Q&As, and live-streamed panels.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Stories about resilience, integrity, and relatable experiences
- Films with social impact and undersung voices
- Films that make viewers feel—whether that’s laughter, heartbreak, or revolution
- Indie & DIY films that prove you don’t need millions to make something unforgettable
- Regional and rural stories that often get passed over for money-makers

CIFF’s focus is on films that have a strong audience connection, tackle relevant issues, and feel urgent and true—not just “cool” indie gems, but films that demand to be seen.

RIGHTS & SCREENINGS
- By submitting, you grant Covellite International Film Festival the right to screen your film at the festival and use clips/stills for promotional purposes.
- CIFF reserves the right to summarize with integrity any biography or film description for ease of publication
- You retain all rights to your film.

NO BS POLICY
- No refunds on submission fees. The Covellite Theatre is a non-profit performing arts venue: we’re running this thing on grit, passion, and loyal sponsorships, not corporate money.
- Respect the community. CIFF is a Brave Space: we welcome bold voices and tough topics, but we reserve the right to not screen any submission the programming team determines has the intent to cause or encourage harm or self-harm.
- Have fun. This festival is for filmmakers and film lovers who give a damn.

16 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Marina Santana

    I loved being part of this festival. Very unique and amazing curation. I hope that the next edition we can attend!

    February 2021
    Helpful
  • Greg Hall

    Brilliant platform for independent cinema, couldn't attend the festival but was very pleased to be included in the great selection of films!

    December 2019
    Helpful
  • Yuanpeng Cai

    I did not get a chance to attend but the organization of the festival was amazing.

    September 2019
    Helpful
  • Ray Rocky

    The people in charge of it and the whole town of Butte really take pride and have a passion for this festival. Very friendly festival. Thank you!

    August 2019
    Helpful
  • Maria Massei-Rosato

    So very delighted to be selected for this festival! I enjoyed seeing the short films and a few features as well! And it was the first festival that offered a table read of those screenplays (like mine) that made it to the final round. Troy was so very helpful and everyone in Butte, Montana is pretty amazing as well!

    July 2019
    Helpful