Sandy Film Festival celebrates the power of film and artistic expression. This festival observes film as a gateway to mental health and understanding within the community, at the same time promoting the collaboration and development of future filmmakers.

Sandy curates a selection of screenings that encourage critical thinking & conversation, while also introducing people to the historic neighborhood of Bronzeville.

We do accept international films, however, they MUST be submitted with english subtitles to qualify.

Awards & Prizes

Each category is subject to an honorary award. Judges will be exposed to filmmakers who have made submissions within the corresponding category, and can choose to connect with filmmakers on projects moving forward.

Feature Category Judges:

Larissa Cortes
Creative Producer & Project Manager, Chromista TV
Larissa has a demonstrated history of working in the fine art industry as well as production. Her personal work often has ties into her Mexican heritage and the never ending narrative of self discovery.

Jeff Broadway
Director and Producer
Jeff specializes in documentary film and commercial content. His feature documentary credits include Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story, Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton, and Living On Soul. He is the Chief Content Officer for the creative studio PHNTM.

Short Film Category Judges:

Aissa Rose
Writers' Assistant / Script Coordinator for MAX's RAP SH!T (S1 & S2), HBO's RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS (S2)
Aissa Rose Gueye is a Senegalese-American writer and filmmaker raised in New York. Aissa's filmwork has been featured in Issa Rae Presents, Afropunk, Blackstar Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival, and Montreal International Black Film Festival.

Cody Wilkins
Comedian and Writer
Cody's work can be seen most notable on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon & Season 3 of Fox’s Call Me Kat. Cody has also written desk pieces for VICE, commercials for Nintendo.

Erica Duffy
Founder, Camera Ambassador
Erica Duffy is a renowned entrepreneur and visionary who has made a significant impact in the film and video production industry. She is most notably known for founding Camera Ambassador, a highly respected boutique equipment rental house in Chicago. She also founded the Community Builders Grant, a $20,000 film fund, and The Call Sheet Magazine, a print and digital publication that celebrates today's filmmakers.

Music Video Category Judges:

Kevin Kloecker
Vice President Creative & Content Development, Capitol Records
Kevin works closely with Offset, Ice Spice, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Troye Sivan, Beck, Maggie Rogers, Sam Smith, and many more. He aims to help evolve audio visual content within the new music landscape, working with filmmakers from all over the world, as well as new technologies.

Sofia Kerpan
Video Editor, VMA Nominated Music Video Editor 2021
Sofia Kerpan is an award-winning editor whose work spans the narrative, documentary, commercial, and music video categories.Her work has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival three times, including the feature documentary For Khadija (2023) and the film Bumblebees (2022). Throughout her career, Sofia has frequently collaborated with Petra Collins on various short films. One of their notable projects in 2023 was Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire,” for which Sofia won an MTV Video Music Award (VMA) for Best Editing. This project also earned her two Webby Awards in 2024 for Best Music Video and People’s Choice Winner.

Reels Category Judge:

Rachel Vazquez
Director of Brand Partnerships, Libsyn Ads
Rachel is a seasoned professional in the advertising industry. Her career began at Viacom, now known as Paramount Global, as a digital advertising analyst. Since then Rachel has worked at SiriusXM, and most recently, Rachel served as a Global Brand Partnerships Manager at TikTok, where she shaped innovative strategies and led first-to-market executions for one of the most dynamic platforms today. Rachel has demonstrated her prowess in crafting memorable narratives across all mediums that captivate audiences within minutes - sometimes even seconds - and inspire action.

Rules & Terms

BEST FEATURE:
Films must be no longer than 150 minutes, and no shorter than 50 minutes. The submitted project must be either scripted or improvisational fiction, or a fictionalization of actual events to be considered narrative, and include re-enactments or other fictionalized depictions of actual events to be considered a documentary. Feature films have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions that impact Festival eligibility. Films that have been screened at any number of festivals or other public theatrical exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released via any home video or other public distribution platform anywhere in the world are eligible for this category.

BEST SHORT:
Films must be no longer than 22 minutes and no shorter than 2 minutes. This includes scripted or improvisational fiction, nonfiction or documentary, experimental film or video, animation, or any other short-form film or video project. Short films have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions that impact Festival eligibility. Films that have been screened at any number of festivals or other public theatrical exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released via any home video or other public distribution platform anywhere in the world are eligible for this category.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
Can be any length as long as music is the main mode of communication throughout the film (not dialogue). Silent films with or without musical scores can be entered into this category as well. Musicals may be entered into this category too. Music Videos have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions that impact Festival eligibility. Films that have been screened at any number of festivals or other public theatrical exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released via any home video or other public distribution platform anywhere in the world are eligible for this category.

BEST REEL:
Must be no longer than 1 minute. Must be no shorter than 15 seconds. This category is best suited for branded content, commercials and viral reel content. Reels have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions that impact Festival eligibility. Reels that have been screened at any number of festivals or other public theatrical exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released via any home video or other public distribution platform anywhere in the world are eligible for this category.

JUDGING
Selection criteria includes factors such as storytelling, cinematography, acting, and overall production quality. Depending on the category chosen, judges will look for elements of originality, boundary-pushing, or experimentation, as well as authenticity, honesty, and emotional resonance. Overall we assess a film's ability to heal and move people emotionally, looking for works that provide meaningful experiences for audiences.

SUBMISSION
The submitted film is final and cannot be altered. Unfortunately, our festival's submission deadlines are very strict and we cannot accommodate changes to submissions after they have been received. This policy is in place to ensure fairness and equal treatment to all filmmakers who have submitted their work to us.

If selected, films will be promoted through the Sandy website, social media channels, press releases and and other media coverage. Sandy Fest brings together a range of industry professionals, from other filmmakers to producers, distributors, and investors. The Sandy website is a platform that provides opportunities for networking and building connections that can lead to future collaborations and opportunities. Winning a Sandy Award, can be a significant boost to a filmmaker's profile, helping to generate buzz around their work and open doors to new opportunities. Even being selected to screen at Sandy Fest can help to garner positive reviews and attention from critics and audiences alike. We encourage filmmakers to use Sandy Fest to create a narrative around their work that appeals to fans and industry professionals alike.
3 Reviews
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Quality
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Networking
  • Mikheil Gabaidze

    Congratulations on the successful completion of the festival. It was a great honor for me to present my work to your audience, and I hope you enjoyed watching the film. Many thanks to the jury and the festival organizers, and I wish you continued success. You are welcome to visit Georgia.

    December 2025
    Helpful
  • Paper Horse Pictures

    Participating in the Sandy Film Festival was a fantastic experience. Although we couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts, we were thoroughly impressed by the festival’s exceptional support and dedication to both the films and the filmmakers. Their professionalism truly made an impact.

    October 2024
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  • K. F. Jacques

    This one is worth it! Sandy Fest is a great organization and an even better event! Very unique. Lots of attention to the details of the event! Looking forward to the next one!

    October 2024
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