The Kansas City Underground Film Festival is dedicated to bringing the work of independent filmmakers with unique and underappreciated visions to the people of Kansas City.

The Kansas City Underground Film Festival accepts films from every country worldwide in every genre on any topic. Our programming emphasizes low-budget (or no-budget) features and short films across all genres. All films are eligible regardless of completion date or premiere status.

When it comes to evaluating submissions, our programming team highly appreciates creativity, originality, and the presence of a unique voice.

The films selected for the festival will be screened in pairings over a two-week period, with audience and jury awards announced on the final day. These films will include feature-length films (60+ minutes) and a short program (less than 60 minutes). The number of films selected will depend on scheduling and the number of qualifying submissions.

Event dates are subject to change. All submissions will be notified if changes are necessary.

Awards & Prizes

Jury Award for Best Feature
Jury Award for Best Short
Jury Award for Best Animated Film
Audience Award for Best Feature
Audience Award for Best Short
Audience Award for Best Animated Film
Five Outstanding Acting Awards
Best in Filmmaking Achievement

Rules & Terms

By entering the Kansas City Underground Film Festival, you agree to follow its rules and guidelines.

• We consider films regardless of premiere status. Even if your film has premiered at another festival, it’s still eligible.
• We consider work in progress films.
• We accept films in any language, but primarily speak English. If your film is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles available.
• Accepted filmmakers must own rights to their film and all its components by the time of the festival.
• If accepted, all entrants are responsible for delivering the final copy of their film and other materials, such as: trailer, press stills, and press-kit, by the deadline.
• If accepted, filmmakers are encouraged to attend the festival. KCUFF sets aside a substantial portion of our festival budget to help subsidize travel costs, but we are not able to fully fund filmmaker travel.
• The Kansas City Underground Film Festival will be granted the right to use still images and short video clips (less than 30 seconds) of all accepted films in any festival promotional materials.
55 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Rylee Dulaney

    My guests and I had a great time, it was well put-together, the venue/screening area was awesome and you could tell they care a lot about the films and filmmakers.

    January 2026
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  • Evie Grasinski

    KCUFF was the perfect place for the festival premiere of my short film Cruel Summer! It was an honor to be selected for such an amazing festival. Fantastic programming and community!

    November 2025
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  • Katie Madonna Lee

    A community driven event with people who love the movies they program! Once you are there, you are apart of the community and that's so worth it! Poop Bucket loves you KCUFF ❤️❤️❤️

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Sarah Hall

    Thank you so much for having my short film, The Wonderland Ouroboros, as a part of your festival! While I was unable to attend I am still thrilled to have been a part of such a wonderful showcase!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Vincent Maslowski

    An honor to be welcomed there with my weird movie! A very friendly and welcoming staff and a nice cozy venue!

    September 2025
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