Held annually in the Spring, the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival (ZMFF) celebrates bold storytelling from regional to international filmmakers, and highlights stories from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the greater Midwest.

The 6th Annual Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival will take place April 21–25, 2027 in person at the Zeitgeist Center for Arts & Community and surrounding venues in Duluth, MN! ZMFF brings 5 days of exceptional independent film, conversations, special events, and community to Duluth.

Featuring panels, skill building workshops and the ZMFF Pitch Competition*, the festival will award $18,000 in cash awards. With a focus on supporting a growing and thriving film ecosystem, ZMFF offers opportunities to connect with fellow artists and film lovers to inspire positive impact through storytelling. All are welcome!

ZMFF Submissions Categories include:
Indigenous Features
Narrative Genre Features
Documentary Features
Minnesota Genre Features
Minnesota Documentary Features
Horror Features

Indigenous Shorts
Narrative Genre Shorts
Documentary Shorts
Minnesota Genre Shorts
Minnesota Documentary Shorts
Horror Shorts
Midwest Student Shorts
Animation Shorts

🎉 CELEBRATING COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY
The Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival continues to serve as a vital cultural event in Duluth, offering film lovers, creators, and industry professionals the chance to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate independent cinema. With screenings, discussions, networking opportunities, and awards celebrations, ZMFF fosters a thriving environment for storytelling that reflects the diverse voices of our communities.

🫰🏼 Festival Alumni & Zeitgeist Media Art School students are eligible for a fee waiver! Please email: mff@zeitgeistarts.com 👀

*For more information about the ZMFF Pitch Competition or consider submitting to our Pitch Competition here: https://filmfreeway.com/ZMFFPitch 👀

Send any questions to submissions@zeitgeistarts.com.

Awards & Prizes

The Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Awards honor and celebrate excellence in storytelling through the art of filmmaking. The awards highlight filmmakers who push creative boundaries, inspire meaningful conversations, and captivate audiences. The awards categories and prizes include:

🏆 Best Documentary Feature Award $500
🏆 Best Narrative Feature Award $500
🏆 Best Documentary Short Award $500
🏆 Best Narrative Short Award $500
🏆 MN Filmmaker Award $500

Got a pitch for a film? Consider submitting to our Pitch Competition: https://filmfreeway.com/ZMFFPitch 👀

Rules & Terms

🚨 ABSOLUTELY NO AI GENERATED PROJECTS ARE ACCEPTED FOR SUBMISSION. 🚨

SHORT FILMS are classified as having a runtime of 1–30 minutes in length.
FEATURE FILMS are classified as having a runtime of 40–120 minutes in length.

Finished projects must be completed no earlier than January 2026 to be eligible for the 2027 festival.

All submissions must be in a visual format of 1080p or greater quality, 24fps, 25fps, or 30fps, and be 1-120 minutes in length.

All films must be submitted digitally, via links on Vimeo or Youtube or an attached digital download in MP4, WMV, AVI, Quicktime, or Apple ProRes format.

All films should be in their final form.

Any films that have a significant amount of non-English dialogue must include English subtitles.

Filmmakers must have the rights to their films, and through submitting thereby grant the Minnesota Film Festival the right to screen their film.

All submissions received by December 18, 2026 will be reviewed for the Festival’s 2027 programming (April 21-25, 2027). All applicants will be notified of inclusion or otherwise by February 22, 2027.

🚨 An English closed caption file (either .srt or .vrt format) is required if a film is selected. We strive to present all films with captions to increase accessibility to those in our community who are hearing impaired.

Final copies of accepted films must be received by March 8, 2027, with a daily fee of $5 for copies received after. Filmmakers will assume shipping and handling costs to the festival.

🚨 Films received on April 1, 2027 and after may not be shown due to inadequate time to prepare and test.

The Festival is unable to waive entry fees or provide discounts beyond those indicated. You may submit any number of titles; however, a separate entry form, preview copy, and entry fee are required for each title. Entry fees are not refundable. If the Festival determines a work is entered in the wrong category and needs to reassign it, any discrepancy in entry fees between the categories must be paid by the filmmaker.
41 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Julia Curry

    Great festival in a great space! Very considerate to young filmmakers :)

    May 2026
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  • Benjamin Morehead

    ZMFF was fantastic! Their staff was wonderful and communicative and our team was thrilled to be a part of it. Highly recommend!

    May 2026
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  • Claudia Tatinge Nascimento

    I had a wonderful experience! The curatorial work was great and the panels fantastic. I learned a lot, met many interesting professionals, and saw wonderful films--thank you for making my documentary Reasons for Moving a 2026 Official Selection!

    May 2026
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  • Joe Chvala

    Fantastic festival! Duluth is one of the most wonderful places on the planet and Zeitgeist is a major force in Duluth--it's a perfect combination. Thank you to Kelly, Matthew, Vera and John and all the people who make this great event happen. We all had a blast!

    May 2026
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  • Tristin Greyeyes

    The Zeitgeist festival was an incredible experience. I feel like I made so many new friends there, and would definitely consider coming back.

    April 2026
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