"We of the craft are all crazy... all are more or less touched." - Lord Byron

"No great mind has existed without a touch of madness." - Aristotle

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams

SOMFF is a not-for-profit film festival with in-person screenings and CASH PRIZES. We specialize in eccentric films and films made in the Rocky Mountains.

Awards and prizes TBD

Examples of CASH prizes may include, but are not limited to, Best Narrative Feature, Best Eastern Idaho Film, Best Rocky Mountain Film.

Types of Films - We want to see crazy stuff from any genre. Unconventional dramas (Tree Of Life), Weird comedies (Nacho Libre), Absurd horror movies (Evil Dead II, House), Docs about the surreal (Virunga) or about eccentrics (American Movie, Loving Vincent), Misfit music videos (Turn Down For What), and Abnormal animations (Howl's, Flow). Films that celebrate creativity. Films that embolden the bizarre. Films with a Spark Of Madness.

Premiere Status – There is no premiere status requirement.

Attendance - If your film is selected to screen, it'd be nice if a representative for your film would come. But we understand if you can't.

What if my film is available publicly already? - It can be available online already, who cares.

Run Time –
• Short films (narratives and docs): 0–40 min.
• Feature films (narrative and docs): 40-120 min.

English Language or English Subtitles – All films submitted to the Spark Of Madness Film Festival (SOMFF) must be in English or have English Subtitles.

Eastern Idaho Film (films of any genre made in Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Rexburg, etc.) – To qualify as an Eastern Idaho Film, your project must meet one or more of the following criteria: 1) The director of the film is a current resident of Eastern Idaho. 2) At least 50% of the film was shot in Eastern Idaho. 3) Eastern Idaho strongly features as a character, setting, or plot point in the film.

Rocky Mountain Film - Films of any genre and budget made in the Rocky Mountain region (e.g., Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Canadian Rockies). To qualify as Rocky Mountain Film, your project must meet one of the following criteria: 1) The director of the film is a current resident of the Rocky Mountain region defined above. 2) At least 50% of the film was shot in the Rocky Mountain region. 3) The Rocky Mountains strongly feature as a character, setting, or plot point in the film. For features or short films made in Eastern Idaho, submit under those categories for an even bigger discount.

Refunds - SOMFF does not issue refunds.

Agreement of Use – Selected films agree to allow the festival to use screen shots, clips, trailers, posters, or other materials to promote the film and festival. Filmmakers and guests agree to allow the festival to use their likeness in any photo, video, or audio recordings to promote the film and festival.

Copyright – By submitting, filmmakers acknowledge they own the full copyright to their film, soundtrack, and all other elements contained within the film, and have the legal right to exhibit the film in the United States. The festival takes no responsibility for any copyright violations, and the filmmaker agrees they are the sole responsible party of their work.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Man, just after leaving Spark of Madness, all I can say is that I’m blown away.

    Excellent curation of shorts and features, lots of filmmakers and general audience members in attendance, and the support everyone showed one another was through the roof.

    Thank you to John, Ron, and everyone involved for creating what felt like a three-day filmmaker summer camp.

    Even if I don’t have anything to submit next year, I will 100% be coming again.

    May 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thanks, Dylan! We loved The Rabbit and can't wait for next year!

  • J-WAT Productions

    If there is one thing you look for in a film festival, it’s passionate programmers. I loved them coming up to me and introducing me to other filmmakers, what films I should check out, etc. Pocatello is Beautiful as well. And makes a great backdrop for the fest. Can’t recommend enough

    May 2026
    Response from festival:

    We LOVED Demonetize! Thank you so much for coming and we can't wait to see where the film screens next and what you're working on next!

  • Our film was selected which is a huge honor given the amount of great films and limited slots. It was pretty amazing to have our film be included in the festival. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend from Seattle. I feel like we missed out on a great opportunity to network, connect with other filmmakers and see some other great films. The festival was well organized and the communication excellent. I followed the festival via social media and it looked like it was a great IRL experience. The passion and love of film is clearly evident by the festival organizers. I think it will only get bigger every year. This is the type of festival we need. Shared human experiences mean more now than ever. . Thank you Spark of Madness for championing indie filmmakers and creating community. The best is yet to come for you! ❤️🚴🏻🖤🎬

    June 2026
  • I was honored to be a part of their inaugural festival! The programming was excellent across the board, I saw wonderful films of all budgets from all over the world, as well as some local gems. The communication with the festival was first rate, super friendly and swift communication, and the festival itself was a blast. Definitely recommend this fest, especially to anyone with a film that may be a bit genre-defying or contain, uh, a spark of madness?!

    May 2026
  • Lionel Frid

    Spark of Madness was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The festival truly feels passionate about independent filmmaking and genre cinema, creating a platform that is both supportive and creatively inspiring. Communication throughout was excellent, the programming felt carefully curated, and it was clear that the team genuinely cares about the filmmakers and the films they showcase.

    It was an honour to have *One More Photo* included, and I’m grateful to have been part of such a unique and energetic festival experience. Wishing the entire team continued success, and I look forward to following future editions.

    May 2026