The 21st annual Chicago Underground Film Festival is now calling for entries. It will run on Apr. 2-6, 2014.

Please visit the CUFF website for full submission information. Selected information is presented below:

DEADLINES & ENTRY FEES

Early Deadline:
Oct 1, 2013
Entry Fees:
Features $35 (Students $20); Shorts $30 (Students $15)

Regular Deadline:
Nov 15, 2013
Entry Fees:
Features $45 (Students $20); Shorts $35 (Student $15)

Late Deadline:
Dec 15, 2013
Entry Fees:
Features $55 (Students $25); Shorts $40 (Student $20)

Guidelines

GUIDELINES
The Chicago Underground Film Festival exists to showcase the defiantly independent filmmaker. Our mission is to promote films and videos that dissent radically in form, technique, or content from the “indie” mainstream and to present adventurous works that challenge and transcend commercial and audience expectations… if you suspect your film is “underground,” it probably is.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
A completed entry form and an entry fee must accompany each film or video submitted.

Preview copies must be NTSC DVD or Blu-Ray or a secure online screener (withoutabox, Vimeo, etc). Foreign language work must be dubbed or subtitled in English. Please, do not send elaborate presentation materials, press kits, binders, etc. with your entry. All that is necessary to send is a clearly identified DVD and, if you like, a synopsis or contextual statement about your work. These are the only items that the programmers will see when they evaluate your submission. We don’t want you to pay for unnecessary materials, and they generate lots of waste. If your film is selected for the festival we will contact you about images and press kits. or better yet: put these materials online and type the URL into your entry form.

CATEGORIES
Please select only ONE category for your entry when completing your entry form. For our purposes ‘feature’ refers to films 60 minutes and over. ‘Experimental’ refers exclusively for non-narrative, non-documentary works. We reserve the right to re-categorize submissions as we deem appropriate.

AWARDS
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.

Please visit the CUFF website for full submission information.