Welcome to Iconic: Chicago Independent Film Festival, created to bring together those who dare to speak to the world through images and those who are ready to hear that language.
Chicago is a city where stone and water engage in an eternal dialogue, where the wind turns the streets into music, where every nook and cranny has its own story to tell. There has always been a thirst for freedom here. And that is why this city has become a magnet for independent cinema, which needs no permission to exist.
Independent cinema is born here as a revelation, like a sudden wind from Lake Michigan that changes the direction of the sails. It does not obey the laws of the industry; it seeks new perspectives, new ways to talk about the important things, new voices that know how to sound new.
Independent cinema is like a mirror broken into pieces, each of which reflects its own truth. It is a voice that sounds even when they try to silence it. It is a gaze that sees what others ignore. The Iconic Festival was created to bring together daredevils and dreamers, directors and screenwriters, actors and cinematographers, critics and viewers, everyone for whom cinema is a way to look into the very heart of a person. It is a space where a film becomes not a product, but a revelation, not a commodity, but a cry, a whisper, a song, a light.
The Iconic Festival was created as a space where seekers of truth and creators of new worlds meet. Here, cinema is an act of resistance, a declaration of love, a challenge to the familiar, a desire to capture eternity in a single frame.
We call on you, those who know how to turn light and darkness into stories, who are capable of creating myths and destroying illusions. Bring your film to Chicago, and it will become part of the independent film manifesto. Let your stories become part of the city's rhythm, part of the festival, part of the very independent cinema that changes not only viewers but the world itself.

Venue:
New Acropolis
4001 N Ravenswood Ave, 204B
Chicago, IL

Awards & Prizes

Main festival awards
Best Film
This award is presented to the film that has become the absolute heart of the festival. We recognise not only the mastery of all its elements — direction, screenplay, acting, visuals and sound — but also its ability to evoke the feeling that cinema exists for: shock, empathy, catharsis. The Best Film is a work that will remain in the memory long after the screen goes dark.
Best Short Film
There is a special magic in the short form: to fit a whole life into a short film. We recognise films that have managed to express an idea concisely and powerfully, without losing depth and emotional force. The criteria here are the integrity of the concept, the precision of the dramaturgy, and that feeling when a short film turns out to be greater than a feature-length canvas.
Best Documentary Film
We award works that honestly and deeply explore reality. This prize goes to films where the author's vision meets the truth of facts, and the camera becomes a witness to a life that cannot be ignored. Sincerity, investigative courage, and artistic form are the main criteria.
Best Debut
This award recognises the courage of first steps. We honour directors and teams who are presenting their film to the world for the first time but already have a voice that cannot be ignored. A debut should not be just an application, but a full-fledged statement about oneself.
Best Experimental Film
Films that break with convention and invent new ways of communicating with the audience. We are looking for boldness, originality, and the ability to break down the boundaries of the familiar and create a new language.

Rules & Terms

1. Who can participate
Films are accepted from directors, producers, film studios and independent teams from around the world. There are no restrictions on experience: debuts and mastery are equally valued here.
2. What is accepted
Completed films, unfinished or rough cuts will not be considered.
There are no genre restrictions; we accept any meaningful experiments in cinema.
However, there is one boundary that we strictly enforce. We do not accept films in which art is replaced by hatred, where the pain of others is used as a weapon, or where human rights are violated. Our festival is a territory of freedom, and that freedom begins with respect.
3. Technical requirements
Format: DCP, MP4 or MOV (H.264, ProRes).
Resolution: no lower than Full HD (1920x1080).
Subtitles: required if the film is not in English.
Sound: stereo or 5.1, finalised mix.
4. Deadlines and submission
Each film must be submitted via filmfreeway.
Along with the film, you must submit a brief synopsis, poster, stills from the film and, if desired, the director's biography.
5. Copyright
By submitting a film, you confirm that you own all rights to its use, including music, images and text. The festival respects your work and asks for the same in return.
6. Selection
The jury evaluates films based on their artistic value, originality, technical quality, and emotional impact. There are no algorithms here — only a fresh perspective and honest conversation about cinema.
7. Screening
A film that has been selected may be screened at the festival once or several times as part of the programme. Your work will become part of the big screen, and therefore part of a big conversation.
Also, by submitting your film, you automatically consent to the use of excerpts from your film for promotional materials and advertising for the festival.
8. The finale
By submitting your application, you agree to the festival rules. But remember: this is not a dry formality, but a step towards destiny. Here, your film can meet its audience — and change them, and with them, the world.