Please read these guidelines before submitting.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

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

Preview copies must be secure online screener (Vimeo, Film Freeway, Withoutabox, etc.). We no longer accept DVDs as a submission format. 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 screener 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 a lot 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.

ENTRY FEES

Early Deadline: October 1, 2016 – Entry Fee: Features $35 (Students $25); Shorts $30 (Students $20) Regular Deadline: December 1, 2016– Entry Fee: Features $45 (Students $35); Shorts $35 (Student $25)

Late Deadline: January 6, 2017 – Entry Fee: Features $55 (Students $45); Shorts $40 (Student $30)

Entry fees must be in U.S. funds only. Pay through Film Freeway, Withoutabox or with this form through Paypal, check or money order. Checks and money orders should be made out to IFP Chicago (DO NOT make checks out to Chicago Underground Film Festival).

ENTRY FEE EXCEPTIONS
Entry Fees are not required from filmmakers who have screened at CUFF in the past. If you are working in a part of the world where an entry fee would prohibit you from submitting your film, contact us at info@cuff.org to request a fee waiver. Please understand that we rely on entry fees for the operation of the festival and only request waivers when necessary.

SHIPPING
Cost of shipping exhibition prints to the festival is the responsibility of the entrant. Exhibition copies must be sent to the festival prepaid. All film reels, cans, videotapes and cases must be labeled with the title of the entry. The festival will cover return shipping via FedEx or US Mail. The entrant or the recipient must pay additional charges for express shipping or transshipments to foreign film festivals. The festival cannot accept responsibility for damage or loss of materials while in transit. Please use only plastic or bubble pack envelopes when shipping entries.

MAILING ADDRESS
CHICAGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave. PMB #125 Chicago, IL 60647

United States

NOTIFICATION
The festival selection committee makes all programming decisions. If accepted we will notify filmmakers by email and phone by March 1, 2017. Films not selected will receive notification by email. If accepted, the print of your film or presentation video will need to be in our office by May 1, 2017. Be sure to indicate aspect ratio of your film/video as well as any other special screening/presentation information we might need to know, such as language/subtitles, file type, etc. CUFF prefers high quality digital files for exhibition of video work.

CATEGORIES
Please select only ONE category for your entry when completing your entry form. For our purposes ‘feature’ refers to films 40 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.

HOW TO CONTACT US
For more information email us at info “at” cuff “dot” org

Use the online entry form and pay with PayPal, check or money order, or submit through Film Freeway or Withoutabox using the links below: