Now in its 25th year, The Chicago Underground Film Festival, the longest running “underground” film festival in the world, is an internationally recognized program providing a venue for documentary, experimental and avant-garde narrative film and video. The festival’s mission is to select and screen film, video and related works presenting a diverse line up of moving image programming focusing on filmmakers working to reinvent and explore new approaches to established practices, to foster new forms of media art and to build an audience for such work. Our goal is to achieve these aims by presenting a fun, user-friendly and accessible event..if you suspect your film is “underground,” it probably is.

Before submitting your work, please read the guidelines.

Filmmakers who miss the Earlybird deadline have a chance to make the Regular deadline on December 1, 2017 and the Final deadline on January 6, 2018. The entry fees increase with each deadline so all filmmakers are urged to submit entries as soon as possible.

• Earlybird Deadline: Oct. 2, 2017 – Entry Fee: Features $35 (Students $25); Shorts $30 (Students $20)
• Regular Deadline: Dec.  1, 2017– Entry Fee: Features $45 (Students $35); Shorts $35 (Student $25)
• Final Deadline: Jan. 5, 2018 – Entry Fee: Features $55 (Students $45); Shorts $40 (Student $30)