⁣⁣The Chicago film industry was a central hub for motion picture production and exhibition before Hollywood became the undisputed capital of filmmaking. In the early 1900s, Chicago boasted the most significant number of production companies and filmmakers. This situation was partially preserved until 1920, when the Chicago film industry met decline for a combination of reasons, including the impact of the Great Depression. Not until the 1980s and early 21st century has Chicago experienced a film production revival. Movie production again entered Chicago in the 1980s, with the state of Illinois becoming a leader in money spent on film production. Blockbusters, such as Blues Brothers, Sixteen Candles, and The Dark Knight, have rejuvenated the Chicago film scene.
Inspired by this tradition, the mission of the Chicago Filmmaker Awards, aka Cifawards, is to recognize and reward independent filmmakers that are currently missing in mainstream Hollywood. Whether your talent is in front of the camera or behind it, we have a category for you. We are waiting to watch your films.
We are interested in professionally made independent works. Submissions are open for shorts, feature narratives, documentaries and animation, and even experimental films and music videos.
This will be a seasonal Awards event with yearly live screening. Each season, we will select the best-known movies and promote the winners through social media and the official website. Few of the winners of each season will be selected for our online event.

⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣An IMDB qualified festvial , Paris International Short Festival is an online-based bi-monthly award festival. During each edition, our jury selects the winners of each category through private screenings. The winners of each edition then are considered for the online screening. If this happens, they will be shown online and compete with other films-winners at the online event.

⁣⁣⁣New York International Women Festival is a seasonal competitive Festival dedicated to Film style, and female gaze in cinema.
First of all, it a festival that valorizes the work of women filmmakers. We are looking for a unique and innovative perspective from female filmmakers to introduce them and promote them. We also accept projects directed by non-female directors who have something important to say about womanhood.
Secondly, it is a festival to valorize the style and fashion in a film. Regardless of filmmaker gender, we aim to focus on the stylistic features of cinema to see what elements have made a film significant, to see how camera movements or set designs have been able to create a unique environment for the movie to be set in and to see how make-up artists, production designers and costume designers have been able to add their unique vision to these works of art. If you think you have a film with good taste, this is your festival and don't hesitate to submit your work.
The festival has a seasonal structure. First, the judges will privately review the submitted materials, and subsequently, they will announce the winners. The winner's projects will then be introduced to our social media.

⁣⁣Calgary Independent Film Festival (formerly Phoenix Genre/Comedy festival) is a bi-monthly online celebration of the best of independent cinema. The festival's goal is to present all forms of independent films to the general public. We accept all genres of films, including Horror, Action, Crime, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction, Sports, Thriller, War, Western, Student, Covid, Women Empowerment, Documentary, Experimental, LGBTQ, Animation from all around the world. All the best films of each month "might" get into our annual online event, which occurs once per year in Calgary. During the yearly event, the festival brings together new voices in the industry professionals in filmmaking to encourage and support new, creative additions to cinema arts.

⁣⁣⁣Hong Kong Indie Film Festival (HIFF) is a brand new, up and coming online bi-monthly film festival held in Hong Kong. Recognized by IMDB, HIFF is more than just a Film Festival; it is a strong connection among all filmmakers around the world. Hong Kong Independent Film Festival is a hub for international filmmakers to celebrate their premieres, thank their cast and crew, and meet their fans. Exposing young talented filmmakers to an environment of industry professionals with vast experience in their field is a priority for us. One of our top aims is to help first time filmmakers, regardless of their age, promote their talent. The objective of HIFF is to provide support to independent filmmakers globally through reviewing, judging, marketing, and distribution networking. We aim to create networks that lead to further opportunities for filmmakers.

⁣The San Francisco Women Film Festival is an online celebration dedicated to promoting the work of talented women filmmakers from around the globe. This dynamic event showcases a diverse range of both short and feature-length films, highlighting stories by and about women. Our mission is to amplify female voices in cinema, offering a platform not only to women filmmakers but also to male filmmakers who create films with a strong focus on women's experiences and perspectives.
The festival aims to inspire, educate, and entertain audiences by presenting a curated selection of films that challenge, provoke, and uplift. With a variety of categories, the festival encourages submissions from all genres, offering a unique opportunity for both emerging and established filmmakers to share their work with a global audience.
Whether you're an aspiring director, an experienced filmmaker, or an enthusiast of cinema, the San Francisco Women Film Festival invites you to join this vibrant celebration of stories that matter.

⁣⁣⁣The Seattle Movie Awards is a festival that showcases the best independent films from around the world. Every season we award the best film makers, writers and producers by inviting them to our online competition hosted in Seattle, US. We showcase various genres from non-fiction to fiction films.
Not only do we grant prizes to the winners, but we also connect film makers to our network of professionals. Connecting filmmakers with our extensive database of agents, distributors and other industry professionals. Our festival is also globally orientated meaning we not only look for Western films but also films from Africa, Asia, South America and Australia.

⁣⁣Sydney Indie Short Festival is an online seasonal film festival. The Festival is dedicated to international short films of all genres, especially low or no-budget ones, plus student films. From the pool of official selection, which has a very competitive acceptance rate, Sydney Short chose the nominees and award winners of the season. Each season, our jury selects the winners of each category through "private" screenings. Every submitted film has a chance to be a winner in the competition. Suppose you're looking for an opportunity to showcase your film in the best possible way to spread the news about it and experience a joyful festival atmosphere. In that case, the Sydney indie short Festival is what you need.

⁣Vancouver is a beautiful city that cultivates talent, friendships, and relationships within the entertainment arts industry. More than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs are generated by film and TV production in B.C.; more than 80 percent of these are in Metro Vancouver. Vancouver has the largest cluster of top VFX and Animation studios in the world, including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Animal Logic and others. All of this means that Vancouver is the ideal location to take the next step in your filmmaking career. Inspired by this infrastructure, the Vancouver International Movie Awards was created with both a seasonal and yearly structure. The festvial has both online and physical screenings. At the end of each season, the jury selects the winners of each category through private screenings. The winners of each season will be then considered for online screening. Furthermore, each year we will choose a few films from the winners for the yearly competition; if they get selected by the programming committee, they will be shown and compete with other films-winners at the annual event. The official selection nominees are more than welcome to attend our yearly screening event and red carpet ceremony. Winners will be announced on our website every season.

⁣⁣Our festival was founded to support and promote independent short films from all around the world. We recognize how difficult it is to get your short film ’out there’, and find a platform where your film can reach the right audience. We aim to promote and provide exposure to these films and organize a fun and culturally diverse night of indie cinema for filmmakers and cinephiles alike. Our program will reflect the diversity and opportunities within the short film genre, and our goal is to show films that the audience would otherwise have not seen, and leave a lasting impact.
We look forward to seeing your submissions and welcoming you to Stockholm Short Film Festival! Our submission window for our 1st edition is now open!
For each season, the official selection will be carefully picked by our panel of expert judges and will consist of the films nominated for an award. The movie that got an award will have the option to be screened online during our annual event if they get into the next round; they will also be promoted on our social media platforms and website.