Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival (miff.) is a bi-annual independent film festival that specifically looks for works that challenge normative ideals, provoke thought & emotion, connect & explore communities & subcultures, & is artist-made. We celebrate the strange, experimental, avant-garde, non-traditional, & love the weird within film & video.

We are an underground, intersectional film festival illuminating the work of queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, AAPI, all People of Colour, Jewish, femme, fat, neurodivergent, & disabled filmmakers. As well as filmmakers who are survivors of sexual violence.

We accept any genre of film from anywhere in the world.

Awards will be given out after the all films have screened.

This is an inclusive event for all people from underrepresented & historically marginalised communities. It is an accessible event that celebrates both the art & the artist.

BEST Micro Short, BEST Short Short, BEST Long Short, BEST of Fest

BEST Experimental, BEST Documentary, BEST Narrative, BEST LGBTQ+

Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival is an IMDb qualifying award festival.

Winning filmmakers will receive an award certificate. Filmmakers in attendance who win an award will receive both an award certificate and an awards statue.

miff. is looking for:

1. we accept any genre of short films from anywhere in the world (international submissions welcome).

2. films directed, written, produced, made by, &/or centred around queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, AAPI, all People of Colour, Jewish, femme, fat, neurodivergent, disabled, survivors of sexual violence &/or other marginalised folks & communities.

3. work that challenges normative ideals, provokes thought & emotion, connects & explores communities & subcultures, & is artist-made. We celebrate the strange, experimental, avant-garde, non-traditional, & love the weird within film & video.

4. short films of 20 minutes or less, shorter films around the 1-10 minute duration may be given priority over longer films.

5. We require a short survey is filled out along with submission of your project. This helps us to maintain the diversity within our programming. We would appreciate the filmmaker answering as many questions as they feel comfortable, but you may select "prefer not to say" on any or all questions. If you select "prefer not to say" for all questions you have opted out of the survey. The survey answers will not effect your submission being considered, nor will opting out. Your answers are confidential and only used for programming purposes. We will not share your information with any 3rd party sites and we will never sell your information. Your comfortability and consent are important to us at mke miff.

MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL (miff.) RULES & REGULATIONS 2024
Please read carefully!
I, the contact person for the submitted film, known for the purposes of this contract as the PARTICIPANT and/or FILMMAKER, enter into this contract by submitting a film/s to MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL agree to the following:
• Secure online screeners are the only accepted method of submission.
• Films must be completed works with a completion date no earlier than January 1st, 2022.
• Films do not have to be subtitled or dubbed, unless the filmmaker feels it aids in understanding the thematic, narrative, or tone of the film.
• The FILMMAKER will be notified by the date provided on FilmFreeway for selection results.
• If selected, your exhibition copy is required by the date specified in selection email. (Exhibition requirements will be sent with acceptance emails).
• It is the PARTICIPANT’s responsibility to make sure the rights and copyrights to their films are cleared for this festival. MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL will not be held liable for any issues or lawsuits regarding any films that are entered into this festival. The exhibition of this film will not obligate MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL to make any payment to any third party, company, corporation, artist, filmmaker, or producer.
•Films not made by filmmakers who are from at least one marginalised identify/community or that do not focus or centre around a person or community from a marginalised identity may be disqualified.
• Fees will not be reimbursed if not selected by or disqualified from MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL.
• MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL will take due care of all PARTICIPANTs materials but the festival will not be responsible for any loss and/or damage to materials while they are in possession of this festival.
• MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL reserves the right to run online in 2024 or have a portion of the festival online.
• If you, the PARTICIPANT, are accepted into the MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL 2024 festival there may be an opportunity to have your film screened at other festival-related screenings throughout that year, of which you will be notified.
• By entering the MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL, you, the PARTICIPANT, agree to have a 1-30 second excerpt of your film used for festival promotional purposes only (including web, cinema, TV, DVD).
• Materials must be received from the PARTICIPANT on or before the advertised deadline by MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL.
For more info please email: amber [@] illuminatefilmfest.com
FILM RIGHTS
The production's Producer/Director/Filmmaker/Artist grants the MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL the rights to:
a) Exhibit the PARTICIPANT’s film in the MILWAUKEE ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL and any agreed-upon festival-related screenings;
b) Use any stills from the PARTICIPANT’s film for any promotional purposes related to the festival.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Dontay Konkel

    Great fest, great mission, put on by great people!

    March 2024
  • The Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival was awesome! The films selected were all amazing and the event overall was very entertaining. Miff was run by incredibly nice and welcoming people. They were extremely accommodating and respectful.
    I drove nine hours to attend the film and it was completely worth it! Thank you Miff for such a great experience!

    December 2023
  • Ronnie Gilmore

    I was honored to have my film “Alter” to receive an honorable mention as Best in Fest! The festival was communicative and had a great social media presence. I was unable to make it to the festival so can’t say anything on that front. Will be submitting future films here! It’s great that they show underrepresented stories and honor those filmmakers. Thank you so much!

    December 2023
  • I'm so grateful for everyone at miff. for believing in me and my film River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh), which won the Best of Fest award!!! Thank you so much to miff. for selecting my film and programming River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh) alongside so many other badass films + filmmakers!!
    Such a kick-a** film fest and I look forward to attending in person in the near future!
    Highly recommend!! 🫶🏼

    December 2023
  • This is one of the most creative, dopest festivals EVER ran by the coolest chick! Amber is such a sweetheart, highly professional and knows exactly how to run a successful fest! The communication with her was always fast and easy!

    Sooo bummed that I couldn’t attend MIFF but my experience overall was AMAZING! They promoted my film so professionally well and all the other films, that It felt as though I was already there and didn’t miss a thing! But I’m sure that being there would’ve been not only just amazing, but a great opportunity to be in the presence of so many great artists! I’m sure the networking would’ve been insanely awesome!

    I’m so honored that MIFF selected my film! As well as being chosen for the best narrative award! Like, excuse me?? Wow! I never won anything before. EVER. I’m so pleased that this is my very first!

    I appreciate that MIFF understood me and my creativity and more than ever, for the first time, I felt that my voice was heard and it mattered. I will forever be grateful for that.

    If you want that Slamdance/Sundance experience, I advise everyone to submit to MIFF bc you won’t regret it! Will submit again in the future!

    December 2023