Film Festivals and Online Video Contests: News Bytes

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. Entries must be submitted on 1/2" (standard VHS in either NTSC or PAL/SEACAM formats) videocassette or NTSC DVD. Foreign language work must be dubbed or subtitled in English. In addition to your entry, please enclose a written description or synopsis, as well as any press kits, reviews, or publicity materials you might have.

ENTRY FEES
$30 per entry postmarked by May 1 2004. $35 for entries postmarked after May 1 and received by June 1. Submissions received after June 1 will be considered for the following year's festival. Entry fees must be in U.S. funds only. Checks or money orders should be made out to Chicago Underground Film Festival. Entry Fees are not required from filmmakers

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
Programming decisions are made by the festival directors and our selection committee. We will notify filmmakers by email. If accepted, the print of your film, or presentation video (BetaSP or Mini-DV), will need to be in our office by August 1, 2004. The festival does not pay rental fees for submitted work that is programmed. Be sure to indicate aspect ratio of your film/video as well as any other special screening/presentation information we might need to know.

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 awards to films and videos selected as best in these categories: Narrative Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Experimental, Animation, and "Made in Chicago". An Audience Choice award will also be presented.

Chicago Underground Film Festival
167 N. Racine
Chicago, IL 60607

www.cuff.org