We are excited to have you join us as we Celebrate the Future of Cinema!
Please read the submission guidelines carefully and feel free to contact us with any questions.
The Illinois Film Festival is for short films. A Short Film is a film less than 40 minutes in length.
- Live Action Short
- Documentary Short
- Animated Short
Deadline for submission is set by the Illinois Film Festival Board and subject to change without notice. The deadline for submission into the 2025 Film Festival is May 31, 2025.
All films must be submitted as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) which is the industry standard for cinemas.
Films are expected to be playable to a General Audience (see below).
Submissions should be submitted on a drive and sent to:
Illinois Film Festival
607 9th Street
Wilmette, IL 60091
By submitting the film and any additional artwork, you hereby agree to give the Illinois Film Festival a non-exclusive right to show, distribute, and display for the purposes of enhancing and promoting the Illinois Film Festival.
Advise the Illinois Film Festival if the submitted film has any of the following:
Violence
Swearing
Smoking
Nudity
Drinking of alcohol
Drug use
Note: no film will be shown which depicts illegal activities.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.