Crown Point International Film Festival (CPIFF) is an IMDb qualifying international competition recognizing excellence in filmmaking and screenwriting from around the world.

Each month, films and screenplays are awarded across multiple categories, with winners advancing to our annual Best of Fest Awards, a curated selection of the strongest work of the year.

Our mission is to celebrate bold storytelling and support filmmakers at every stage of their journey. CPIFF exists for creators who are committed to their craft, who push beyond mediocrity, and who use their work to make an impact.

Selected filmmakers and writers are not only recognized, but also given the opportunity to be showcased as part of our annual event, culminating in a live awards ceremony at the historic Logan Theatre.

Awards & Prizes

COMPETITION AND AWARDS

MONTHLY COMPETITION
-All categories are awarded monthly
-Winners are announced on the 2nd of each month
-Monthly winners are considered by the jury for Best of Fest nominations
-All monthly winners receive official CPIFF laurels
-Printable certificates are available upon request
-Monthly winners may order statuettes at cost of production and shipping

ANNUAL BEST OF FEST
-Nominees are selected by the jury from the pool of monthly winners
-Nominees are announced each Spring
-Live event held each Summer in Chicago
-All Best of Fest winners receive a complimentary Crystal Crown statuette, the official award of the Crown Point International Film Festival, presented at the live awards ceremony
-All Best of Fest nominees have the option to screen their film on EOFlix through a secure, scheduled virtual screening window
-All Best of Fest nominees are offered optional distribution through EOFlix, Entertainment Oxygen
-All monthly winners are considered for Best of Fest at no additional submission cost

SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS
CPIFF recognizes storytelling at every stage of the filmmaking process, including the script.
Requirements
-Industry standard screenplay formatting
-Screenplays are judged on story, structure, dialogue, character development, and originality.

Each month, our jury will award the best films through private screenings. Our jury may award honorable mentions to stand out performances or films that do not win a category award.

Rules & Terms

BY SUBMITTING YOUR FILM YOU AGREE TO ALL RULES AND TERMS LISTED BELOW.

ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We accept films of all genres, lengths, and languages. Non-English films must include English subtitles.

RULES & TERMS
1. By submitting, you grant Crown Point International Film Festival (CPIFF) the right to use excerpts of your film (including trailers, teasers, posters, and stills) for promotional purposes.

2. Entry fees are non-refundable.

3. Multiple entries are allowed. Each entry may also be submitted to multiple categories if eligible.

4. Winning categories may vary each month depending on the submissions received. If a submitted category does not meet the standard of a CPIFF award, it may be removed.

– Example: Films submitted to “Best 1st Time Director” must be the director’s first film of any kind. Otherwise, the submission will be disqualified from that category.

– Monthly winners may order trophies at cost of production and shipping.

– Annual Best of Fest winners will receive one complimentary statuette per winning category. Additional statuettes may be ordered.

– CPIFF reserves the right to refuse entries and the jury may disqualify a film at any time.

5. The individual or company submitting the film warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening consideration (private or public) and accepts these rules and regulations. Only films selected by the jury will be considered for Best of Fest (Film of the Year awards), which may be screened live and/or on a secure virtual platform.

6. By submitting, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless CPIFF against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, or expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising from issues related to copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screenings, or loss/damage of submitted media.

We do not accept:
- Amateur videos.
- Extremist or propaganda content from religious or political organizations.
- Films with poor production standard (bad sound, video resolution less than 720p HD, lack of subtitles/captions for non-English films).
- Pornography.
- We do not accept excerpts/scenes from films. You must submit the entire film.​

7. Submission constitutes acknowledgement and acceptance of all rules and regulations.
260 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Gregory Funaro

    So honored and grateful to win best feature screenplay (May) for Goldy from such an amazing festival. Great communication, great folks, great everything all around. Thank you so much!

    June 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for this Gregory! Congratulations are absolutely deserved. GOLDY is a genuinely exceptional piece of work. Bobby/Goldy is one of the more original antagonists we have come across in competition, and the Natalia reveal alone is the kind of writing that stays with you. Wishing you every success getting this one made. We hope to see you in future competitions!

  • Mark Soltermann

    Very professional and friendly communications dealing with them. They patiently took time helping me with the ordering of a statue for Best Drama Short March 2026 award for my film, "Just Another Bum". They are the only festival to date to have sent the Best Film Short notice directly to IMDB. I have had four other awards since then but had to notify IMDb myself personally. Can't comment on networking "yet" as this session was on-line and I obviously didn't meet anyone for networking but hoping to be invited to the 2027 Best of the Fest where I will be able to measure networking in person! All in all - a wonderful team to work with!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much, Mark, for the thoughtful review and kind words.

    We truly appreciate your support of CPIFF and are very glad you had a positive experience with our team throughout the process. It was an honor to recognize Just Another Bum, and we’re excited to hear about the continued success the film is having on the festival circuit.

  • federico cambria

    this is a professional festival! they have been really nice and online everyhting is clear and fast with this festival crew, and they make an interesting selection.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Federico, for your review and for being part of the festival. We’re glad to hear you found the process clear and professional, and we appreciate your kind words about our team and film selections. Wishing you all the best with your future projects.

  • Sonny Corona III

    I had a wonderful experience with the Crown Point International Film Festival. The communication was kind, professional, and welcoming throughout the entire process. I’m truly grateful that Last Supper was recognized with Best Thriller, Best Drama, and Best First Time Director. It means a lot to feel supported as an independent filmmaker. Thank you to the entire Crown Point team for creating a festival that celebrates and encourages indie artists! Wishing the festival continued success and growth in the years ahead!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much, Sonny. We truly appreciate your kind words and support. It was an honor to have Last Supper as part of the festival, and congratulations again on your awards! We’re very glad you had a positive experience, and we wish you continued success with the film.

  • Scott West

    Fantastic both times!!!!Perfect! Great!!! Super supportive!! A must for all independent film makers!!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for sharing “Back to Omaha” with us and for sharing such a wonderful review Scott!