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...
"What you get for your money is not just admission to the films but admission to a subculture" -- Roger Ebert
Founded in 1993, The Chicago Underground Film Festival is dedicated to the work of film and video makers with defiantly independent visions. Unlike many other "independent" film events our goal is not to imitate old guard, market-driven festivals such as Sundance. Instead we seek to create our own particular niche by presenting an accessible, user-friendly showcase for Avant-Garde and cult cinema. CUFF presents a wide range of work exploring the many definitions and interpretations of the concept of "underground". From alternative music films and political agitprop to high camp and formal experimentation. We like films that go beyond expectations and genre, films made with passion, obsession and drive.
The festival offers a mix of films and videos of all lengths and genres, focusing on work that is experimental in form or content. Panels and workshops augment this diverse programming. Of course, we also present nightly parties (including our infamous "Take The Filmmakers Bowling" party) as well concerts featuring performances by artists such as Pedestrian Deposit, Brett Nauke, Jeremiah Meece, The Ponys, Bobby Conn & The Glass Gypsies, Plastic Crimewave Sound, The Cheater Slicks, The Demolition Doll Rods, Califone, Frontier, Terre Thaemlitz, The Handsome Family, The Wesley Willis Fiasco, Maureen Tucker, The Gaza Strippers and the Waco Bros.
Recent programming highlights include the Chicago premieres of Tony Conrad: Completely In The Present by Tyler Hubby, The Love Witch by Anna Biller, The Alchemist Cookbook by Joel Potrykus, Ruined Heart by Khavn, Blood Below The Skin by Jennifer Reeder, Evaporating Borders by Iva Radivojevic, For The Plasma by Bingham Bryant and Kyle Molzan, Sailing A Sinking Sea by Olivia Wyatt, Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, Atlantis by Ben Russell, See You Next Tuesday by Drew Tobias, The Color Wheel and Impolex by Alex Ross Perry and American Arab by Usama Alshaibi,
In addition, CUFF has consistently honored the history of underground and independent cinema by presenting tributes and retrospectives of filmmakers such as Tom Palozzolo, Richard Kern, Kenneth Anger, George Kuchar, John Waters, Jack Smith, Paul Morrissey, Melvin Van Peebles, Doris Wishman, Larry Cohen, Alfred Leslie, Nick Zedd and Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Although the art of filmmaking is not competitive, The Chicago Underground Film Festival does give awards. The festival jury will present several awards to films and videos selected as best or most interesting in whatever categories they see fit. Additionally “Made in Chicago” and Audience Choice awards will also be presented.
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