Our motto is: Make a film. Change the world.

The Mosaic World Film Fest presents quality independent work that may not otherwise be seen in commercial theaters, and represents filmmakers and film communities from around the world. We take our name from the famous quote by filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky: "Film is a mosaic of time."

We are looking for competence in the filmmaking craft; work that has vision and spirit; original subjects with well-told stories; and diverse voices. We look for films that represent different facets of filmmaking, from polished productions to no-budget gems.

The festival welcomes comedy and drama and everything in between. We have categories for narrative, documentary, experimental, animated projects, and music videos of any length. We have both student and open awards for all of our categories. Entries from any country are accepted.

Our past MWFF fest judges have included some terrific filmmakers including: Oscar-winning director Dan Lindsay, Oscar-nominated and Sundance Film Festival winning director Bing Liu, Film and TV director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, cinematographer Cynthia Pusheck A.S.C., production designer Kevin Conran, educator and filmmaker Camille DeBose, and many more.

The 16th annual fest will be held in person at the RPL Nordlof Center in Rockford, IL on September 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2023. For more information on us please visit the MWFF website: http://mosaicfilmfest.com or look for the hashtag #2023MWFF across all social media platforms.

Submissions for our 2023 fest will be open from October 1st, 2022 - June 25th, 2023.

Award certificates are presented to the best short films in all categories as decided by our panel of industry professional judges.

Best Narrative Film
Best Narrative Film (Student)

Best Documentary Film
Best Documentary Film (Student)

Best Animated Film
Best Animated Film (Student)

Best Music Video
Best Music Video (Student)

Best Experimental Film
Best Experimental Film (Student)

Our top feature length film prize is the Mosaic Spotlight Award. It is awarded to the top feature film out of all categories. That film is also then selected as the feature film for our #2023MWFF opening night screening.

THE SUBMISSION PERIOD FOR OUR NEXT FEST IS NOW OPEN!

The entry period for the 2022 fest will be October 1st, 2022 - June 25th, 2023.

2023 MWFF SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

- Each filmmaker may submit up to, and no more than, three (3) films. A separate entry fee in US currency and separate submission form is required for each film entered.

- Film duration must be between 1 second and 45 minutes including credits and opening sequences for short film categories. All films 46 minutes or over will be placed in the feature film categories.

- Films should be within an American “R” rating (Go to MPA: https://www.filmratings.com/RatingsGuide to see what each rating means) or lower and final decisions on content are at the ultimate discretion of the preliminary judges who will be previewing the films before the event.

- Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry into the MWFF and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.

- Entrant will allow usage of clips from the film for promotional use on television, radio, in print, and at live MWFF events.

- If their work is selected for the fest, the entrant will allow usage of the full film for an in-person and live MWFF screening.

- If the in-person fest or event is cancelled and an online fest or screening is necessary, the filmmaker retains the right to not screen the film online if desired.

- Films should either be in English or have English subtitles on the film in open-caption. Non-English entries submitted without English subtitles are not eligible.

- Films may be entered into ONE category only.

- Films must be submitted by June 25th, 2023.

- To be eligible for awards in their category, films must have been made on or after January 1st, 2022. Films made prior to that date will be considered for screening at the fest, but will not be eligible for competitive awards.

- Films previously submitted to the MWFF are NOT eligible.

- If your film is selected, a high quality HD download (minimum 720p) of your film (if not already submitted) and any EPK or marketing materials will be requested.

Any questions or clarifications should be directed to us at: info@mosaicfilmfest.com prior to submitting your film(s).

Our panel will review all submitted films and we’ll let you know by July 24th, 2023 whether or not your film(s) has been selected for this year’s Mosaic World Film Festival.

Full session listings, screening schedules, and online ticket pre-sale links will be posted by August 1st, 2023.

Award-winners for each category will be announced at our #2023MWFF Opening Night Event on Friday, September 15th, 2023.

All filmmakers who have a film selected for the #2023MWFF event will receive a complimentary VIP full fest pass, which will allow them (and a guest) admission to all receptions and screening sessions at the festival.

Good luck!

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Eva Colmers

    An exciting mix of excellent films, good communication and a passionate, knowledgable festival team make the Mosaic World Film Festival stand out for me. I wish I could have attended in person but was honored that our doc QUINN won an award. Thanks so much and I will submit more films in the future to this festival.

    September 2022
  • Mykhailo Bogdanov

    Great festival with an awesome venue and a very engaging audience.

    September 2022
  • martin del carpio

    Thank you for awarding my film The Dark Forest best experimental. I wish I could've been there since it looks like it would've been a fun festival to be a part of. Thanks again!

    September 2022
  • Thanks for letting my film "Chocolate" be selected. I look forward to the end of the epidemic soon so that I can have the opportunity to attend the festival live. Keep safe!

    September 2021
  • Nora Mariana

    What a fantastic festival! Wonderful lineup, great communications, and very welcoming organizers. They managed to put together an extraordinary festival even in the midst of a pandemic. I can't recommend this festival enough and very much hope we can experience it in person someday soon! -- Team ALINA

    October 2020