⁣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.

⁣⁣Philadelphia World Film Festival is an online based bi-monthly festival. PWFF is looking for independent projects from all genres, particularly low or no-budget ones, as well as from all countries, especially from those traditionally underrepresented in the global film industry. The submitted projects are judged through private screenings by a random team of invited experts from academia and film industry from the region. From the pool of official selection, which has a very competitive acceptance rate, PWFF chose the nominees and award winners of the edition.

⁣Phoenix Shorts is a monthly and yearly online IMDb qualified festival. We encourage the breadth and variety of views and supporting the best up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. Each month, our jury selects the winners of each category through private screenings. Every submitted film has a chance to be a winner in the monthly competition. If they get selected by the programming team of the yearly event, the winners of each month may be then considered for the annual online competition. If this happens, they will be shown and compete with other films-winners at the yearly online event. It's an excellent opportunity to provide a platform and to introduce your work. We believe your talents must be showcased early to propel the filmmakers of the future into their feature film careers. We are here to recognize and spotlight creative and talented filmmakers like you. Winners will be announced on our website and social media pages every month. You can submit your works through FilmFreeway.

⁣⁣We are a young cinephile group inspired by French cinema; our first love and point of entry to cinema were through the French new wave. When we watch films by Goddard and other masters of the new wave, we realize how the language of cinema could be diverse and different. French cinema was a bomb for us and changed our mindset about the art of filmmaking wholly. This festival is our dedication to the French cinema.
We prefer films with new /subversive looks. We hope to discover unheard voices and introduce them to the world. If you have a project ready, even a tiny one, don’t hesitate to submissions. We are here to promote your works and show your talent to the world.
This will be the second year of the festival. We started quietly; we had little chance for a great exposure during Covid time. Still, we have managed to organize physical events and invite young filmmakers to share their voices. We hope you make our event bigger with your physical presence. We believe films are made for big theatres, and a festival must respect this.

⁣⁣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.

⁣⁣We are a young cinephile group inspired by French cinema; our first love and point of entry to cinema were through the French new wave. When we watch films by Goddard and other masters of the new wave, we realize how the language of cinema could be diverse and different. French cinema was a bomb for us and changed our mindset about the art of filmmaking wholly. This festival is our dedication to the French cinema.
We prefer films with new /subversive looks. We hope to discover unheard voices and introduce them to the world. If you have a project ready, even a tiny one, don’t hesitate to submissions. We are here to promote your works and show your talent to the world.
This will be the second year of the festival. We started quietly; we had little chance for a great exposure during Covid time. Still, we have managed to organize physical events and invite young filmmakers to share their voices. We hope you make our event bigger with your physical presence. We believe films are made for big theatres, and a festival must respect this.

⁣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.

⁣⁣Brooklyn International Short Awards is an online awards event. The festvial will welcome any independent project from all genres. The Festival is looking for independent projects from all genres, particularly low or no-budget ones and all countries. The selection process has two parts. First, the submitted projects are judged through private screenings by our internal programming team, and they will select the Finalist films of each edition. Then the Festival’s jurors, who are a random team of invited experts mainly from the film industry, will privately review the films and award the best projects. All of the winners will receive the official laurel and an achievement certificate and can request an online screening. Winner’s announcements will be released through our social media to help promote the films.

⁣⁣⁣The IMDb qualified festvial of San Francisco Indie Short Festival is happy to welcome filmmakers from all over the world and short films of all genres. Our main goal is to showcase their brilliant projects in the beautiful city of San Francisco for a diverse audience of cinephiles. It is a world-class event committed to present the best of this beautiful art called 'Cinema' and dedicated to all generations of filmmakers. The festival has a monthly and yearly structure. First of all, through "private" screenings, a team of professional screeners will evaluate all the submitted short films during each month. All the highest scored films will be reviewed by at least three judges who will decide through "private" screenings the best of each season. All the seasonal winners will receive the Official Laurels and the winning-category certificate for each season. We will announce the winners of each month through our social media. In the second stage, we will hold an annual event. Here, the internal committee selects the candidates for the yearly event from each month's winners. The selected films will compete for the annual awards.

⁣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.