The mission of the Chesapeake Film Festival is to enrich, entertain, educate, and inspire by presenting the finest in environmental, narrative, documentary, and student films to the Chesapeake Bay community, Easton’s vibrant cultural hub, and audiences beyond. Through cinema, we shine a light on stories that resonate locally while addressing issues that impact the Maryland Eastern Shore and the vast watershed we call the Chesapeake Bay.

Now entering our 19th year, the Chesapeake Film Festival will host a three-day live event on October 8–10. Screenings and programs will take place at some of Easton’s most celebrated venues, including the Academy Art Museum, the historic Ebenezer Theater, and the Talbot County Free Library in downtown Easton, Maryland.

Our most recent festival was filled with standout cinematic moments. Opening night featured Loving Vincent, the groundbreaking hand-painted animated feature directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman. Environmental Night highlighted the captivating The Grand Salmon, directed by Jess Wiegandt. Presented last year were exceptional documentary films including The Rewilders from Canada and Shelter, directed by Anita Groener, from Ireland. We also screened the documentary feature Holding Liat, directed by Brandon Kramer, alongside our Jury Prize winner The Pearl Comb, directed by Ali Cook. We are thrilled to share that both Holding Liat and The Pearl Comb were in consideration for Oscars by the 98th Academy Awards Committee.

The Chesapeake Film Festival is deeply committed to sharing diverse, inclusive, and cinematic stories. We celebrate films from both local and international filmmakers, whether emerging voices or established filmmakers. Every submission is screened with care and equity by our programming team, evaluated for both production quality and the power of its storytelling. We are especially searching for films that have richly layered characters, nuanced story lines, poignant messages, or comedic and light-hearted themes.

Whether you are a filmmaker or a passionate film enthusiast, we invite you to submit your work to the Chesapeake Film Festival for consideration – Our Bay, Our World, Our Festival!

Awards & Prizes

The Chesapeake Film Festival presents awards to outstanding films. In 2025, the Chesapeake Film Festival presented awards for films in the following categories: Documentary Feature, Narrative Dramatic Short, Narrative Comedy Short, Narrative Feature, Environmental Feature, Environmental Short, Spotlight on Maryland, International Short, Student Short, Audience Award, and the Jury Prize. For a list of previous award winners visit www.chesapeakefilmfestival.com

Rules & Terms

The General Rules are as follows:

1) The Chesapeake Film Festival is accepting entries that were completed less than 2 years ago.
2) All films for consideration must be submitted online through https://filmfreeway.com/chesapeakefilmfestival. The regular deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026. The extended deadline for submissions is June 21, 2026.
3) Filmmakers will be notified by approximately July 1, 2026 if their film has been accepted to the Chesapeake Film Festival.
4) Upon acceptance following a signed contract, additional exhibition copies and press materials will be requested. Contracts and deliverables for selected films will be due by July 15, 2026. All exhibition materials and media including film links, trailers and promotional stills must be received no later than July 15, 2026. The individual or distributor submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
5) Submission fees are non-refundable.

SELECTION CRITERIA & REVIEW

A valuable service that comes with each submission to the Chesapeake Film Festival is critical feedback from an expert and experienced panel of film reviewers. The review panel will provide a summary and feedback to each filmmaker, upon request, whether the film is accepted to the festival or not.
32 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
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Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Luca Caserta

    The Chesapeake Film Festival is a truly high-quality event with a top-notch selection and excellent communication!
    Unfortunately, I couldn't attend in person, but the Festival's staff kept me thoroughly informed about the progress of my short film "The Reach" and its reception by the audience.
    My sincere thanks to the Jury for honoring the film as Best International Short.
    I definitely recommend this Festival to filmmakers all around the world!

    October 2025
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  • Shoshana Rosenbaum

    From our writer/producer Julie Gold, who attended: "Easton, Maryland is a charming town on the Eastern shore, replete with the shops, clothing stores, and restaurants. The venues, including the spectacular public library and the Prager Family Center for the Arts (also known as the Ebenezer Theater) are lovely, with the Prager Center having particularly high quality sound, projection, ambiance, and seating. Venues are super close to each other and easily walkable.

    October 2025
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  • Trish Neufeld

    On behalf of team 'The Rewilders', a huge thank you to the CFF for 1) having selected our film to screen at this year's festival, 2) for the incredible professionalism by the CFF team during leadup and execution of the festival, and lastly 3) for awarding The Rewilders as Winner of the Environmental Short category.

    An amazing event all around, with incredible team behind it, and awesome films showcased. Plus great networking and social events. 10 out of 10!

    October 2025
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  • Danielle Weinberg

    We had a wonderful experience with the Chesapeake Film Festival. Cid and her team do an excellent job organizing and communicating with filmmakers. There are good events, discussions, and programming. Highly recommend!

    October 2025
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  • Mikheil Gabaidze

    Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to present my work to your festival audience. It is a great honor for me. I hope that film lovers enjoyed watching the film. I wish you great success.

    October 2025
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