The Washington Underground Film Festival (WUFF) is not your average film festival. Nestled in the heart of Woodinville’s buzzing brewery scene, this one-night celebration of cinema is dedicated to the wild, the weird, and the wonderfully low-budget. From gritty horror to mind-bending sci-fi, from experimental shorts to cult classic throwbacks, we’re showcasing the kind of films that don’t always get the spotlight—but damn well deserve it.

And the best part? This is our inaugural year—our first howl into the void—and we’re looking for filmmakers who want to be part of something bold, bizarre, and unapologetically underground.

To honor our roots, films made in the state of Washington can be submitted for free this year. Whether your film was made in 2025 or 1995, we want to see it. Shorts, features, experimental projects, no-budget masterpieces—we’re interested in it all.

Genres we’re obsessed with:

Horror (yes please)

Sci-fi (the stranger the better)

Cult & underground gems

Experimental oddities

DIY masterpieces

Anything weird, wonderful, or uncategorizable

If it’s unique, we want it.
If it’s weird, we need it.

Awards & Prizes

While this fest is mostly about the love of film and a good craft beer buzz, we’ll be handing out awards in categories like:

Best Underground Feature

Best Short Film

Most WTF Moment

Best Washington-Made Film

Audience Favorite

Cult Classic in the Making

And many more…

Get weird. Get recognized.

Rules & Terms

Eligibility: Films from any year are eligible for submission. Made it when you were in high school? Let’s see it

Ownership: Submitters must legally own the rights to the film they are submitting.

Film Length:
Short Films: Must be under 40 minutes.
Feature Films: Must be 40 minutes or longer.

Submission Fees:
Free submission for residents of Washington State. (No more than 2 submissions per filmmaker)
Non-residents may be subject to a submission fee.

Content Restrictions:
Films with excessive nudity are eligible to win but may be censored during live screenings.

Code of Conduct: Don’t be a dick. This applies to both submissions and interactions within the festival community.
7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Sea-Hoon Jeon

    Unfortunately, I was only able to confirm that my film Perfect Wall was screened through the schedule on the festival’s official website. There were no on-site photos posted on the festival’s SNS, and only a few images appeared on FilmFreeway. I did not receive a laurel or a certificate.

    I sent an inquiry via email regarding these issues, but I have not received any response.

    The experience was disappointing, and the level of communication and service was extremely poor. I hope the festival gets better in the future.

    December 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We've sent you laurels twice now. We also posted photos of the event, which yes... we had. But if you're terribly upset still, we're happy to refund the $6 you paid to be in our festival.

  • Jason Alan Rodriguez

    Exceptionally Communicative & Well-Programmed Festival

    Although our team was unfortunately unable to attend the Washington Underground Film Festival (WUFF), we were incredibly grateful to be an official selection for Surface Obsidian and can highly recommend this festival based on the positive experience we had leading up to the event.

    The communication from the WUFF team was absolutely excellent—prompt, clear, and very professional at every stage. They made the submission and selection process easy and transparent.

    Beyond their outstanding organizational skills, the programming itself was truly impressive. WUFF showcased an amazing lineup of films, giving a strong platform to many talented Northwest area filmmakers. It's clearly a festival dedicated to genuine independent cinema.

    If you value a festival with great curatorial vision and organizers who prioritize clear, consistent communication, WUFF is a must-submit. We hope to attend in person next time!

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Michael Dorfman

    Fantastic films and incredible filmmakers! Honored to be selected to screen at this epic celebration of underground/DIY cinema. Great communication! Highly recommend!!

    November 2025
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  • Peter Grey

    We were so happy to receive an Honorable Mention to this amazing festival! Thanks for taking the time to recognize our efforts! Thank you so much, Cheers!

    November 2025
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  • Markham Samuels

    Thanks so much Washington Underground Film Fest for having us as part of the festival! It was wonderful to be included and join the festival in this year's program! Thanks again from everyone on the "Firecrow" team :)

    November 2025
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