Greetings Earthlings! The Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest is looking for Northwest filmmakers (WA, OR, ID residents) to submit their UFO themed short films, documentaries, animations, or music videos to be shown on September 22nd, 2023 at the beautiful McFiler’s Chehalis Theater in Chehalis, WA.

This is your chance to get your UFO themed film shown to a live audience of filmgoers, filmmakers, and UFO enthusiasts and to be part of the inaugural year of this film festival!

The NWFSFF is a part of The Chehalis Flying Saucer Party. This two-day celebration remembers pilot Kenneth Arnold’s historic flight from the Chehalis Airport on June 24th, 1947, when he encountered a formation of UFOs in a cultural touchstone that gave birth to the term “flying saucer” - and kickstarted modern UFOlogy as we know it!

This festival benefits the Lewis County Historical Museum.

Awards & Prizes

The Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest jury is composed of film producers, local personalities, UFO nerds, and audience community members. Their decisions on official selections, award nominees and award winners are final.

Category awards will include: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Music Video and Audience Choice.

$200 Cash Prize for Best Film.
$100 Cash Prize for Audience Choice (all submissions eligible)

Best Film winner will also be screened the following evening right before the classic flying saucer feature film (TBA) during Day 2 of the Chehalis Flying Saucer Party.

All winners will receive a custom trophy and bragging rights.

All chosen submitters will receive a VIP pass to the 2023 Chehalis Flying Saucer Party.

Rules & Terms

Submission Eligibility:
The Northwest Flying Saucer Film Festival welcomes for consideration short films of 30 minutes or less. Submissions must be related to the UFO genre: Sci-Fi, flying saucers/UFOs, extraterrestrials, Men In Black, alien invasion, etc. You can have a Bigfoot in your movie but he better be flying a spaceship!

Filmmakers must be based in the Northwest (WA, OR, ID residents only)

Submissions can include narrative, documentary, animation, or music videos.

There are no production date limits for submissions.

All submissions not originally in English must be subtitled in English.

Please keep entries "family friendly" - no EXCESSIVE cursing/violence, no sex/nudity, no racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia/etc - we ultimately just want everyone in the audience to feel welcome. Try not to exceed a PG-13 rating. Just use common sense.

If your submission is selected, you will receive a free admission to the film festival and a VIP pass to the 2023 Chehalis Flying Saucer Party.

The Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest does not offer fee waivers.

Submission Materials:
1) Entry fee must be paid by credit card or PayPal. Entry fees are non-refundable.
2) Private online/FilmFreeway screener link (preferred) or 2 preview DVDs (NTSC only) postmarked by the listed deadline and mailed to the festival's attention at (museum address?) Please test DVDs before sending. DVD+RW and DVD-RW are not acceptable formats. DVDs will not be returned.