Chicago International Film Festival

Overview

The Chicago International Film Festival is the oldest competitive film festival in North America. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, the festival takes place annually in October in Chicago and is organized by Cinema/Chicago, a nonprofit arts organization. The 61st edition (October 15 to 26, 2025) presented 111 feature films and 70 short films from over 60 countries, including 4 world premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 18 US premieres. The 62nd edition is scheduled for October 14 to 25, 2026.

The festival's top prize is the Gold Hugo, awarded to the best film in the International Feature Competition. The 2025 Gold Hugo went to Sirat by Oliver Laxe (France/Spain), which also won top honors in the IndieWire Critics Survey at Cannes. The Silver Hugo Jury Award went to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia/France), with additional Silver Hugos for Best Director (Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling), Best Actor (Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent), Best Actress (Eszter Tompa for Kontinental '25), and Best Screenplay (Paolo Sorrentino for La Grazia).

For filmmakers, the festival offers an Academy Award-qualifying short film competition, a New Directors competition for debut features, and an OutLook competition for LGBTQ+ cinema. The festival requires at least a Chicago premiere for all submitted films, with US premieres given priority.

Festival History

The Chicago International Film Festival was founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, who remained involved with the festival for over five decades. At its founding, it was the first competitive film festival in North America, predating the establishment of similar competitive festivals in the United States. The festival has operated continuously for over 60 years.

The Hugo Award is named after the Hugo Boss fashion house, a longtime sponsor. The award statue itself is a silver replica of the Chicago skyline. The festival is organized by Cinema/Chicago, a nonprofit arts organization, with Mimi Plauche serving as artistic director.

The 61st edition opened with the documentary One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw and closed with Eternity by David Freyne. The centerpiece screening was Rental Family by Hikari. Special presentations included films from major directors including Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia, and Jim Jarmusch's Father Mother Sister Brother.

Submission Details

Submissions for the 62nd edition (October 14 to 25, 2026) are open via FilmFreeway. Films must be submitted via online screener (Vimeo or another secure platform).

Entry fees (2026 edition):

A 20% discount on submission fees is available for entries that already have required materials (press kit, stills, etc.) at the time of submission. Contact entries@chicagofilmfestival.com to inquire about the discount.

Eligibility requirements:

• Films must have been completed on or after August 1, 2025
• Films must have premiered (or be set to premiere) after October 26, 2025
• Films must be at least a Chicago premiere; US premieres are given priority
• Films that have previously shown online at US film festivals outside of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin are not eligible
• Films previously submitted to the Chicago International Film Festival are not eligible
• All entries must be in English or subtitled in English
• Notification date: September 14, 2026

Key Sections

• International Feature Film Competition - feature films competing for the Gold Hugo and Silver Hugo awards
• International Documentary Competition - feature documentaries competing for the Gold Hugo
• International Short Film Competition - short films competing for the Gold Hugo (Academy Award-qualifying)
• New Directors Competition - debut features competing for the Gold Hugo
• OutLook Competition - LGBTQ+ cinema competing for the Gold Q-Hugo
• Chicago Award - recognizing films with Chicago connections
• Black Perspectives - African American cinema, founded in 1997 in collaboration with Spike Lee
• Special Presentations - high-profile premieres and gala screenings

Past Winners

The Gold Hugo is the festival's top juried prize. Recent winners:

• 2025 Gold Hugo (Best Film): Sirat (dir. Oliver Laxe, France/Spain) - a father searches for his missing daughter in the Moroccan desert rave scene. Also won the Jury Prize at Cannes 2025. Acquired by NEON for US distribution with a limited theatrical run beginning November 2025 and wide release in 2026. Spain's submission for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.

• 2025 Silver Hugo (Jury Prize): The Voice of Hind Rajab (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia/France)
• 2025 Silver Hugo (Best Director): Sound of Falling (dir. Mascha Schilinski, Germany) - a multi-generational drama set on a German farmstead. Also won the Jury Prize at Cannes 2025. Acquired by MUBI for North American, UK, and Irish distribution with theatrical release January 16, 2026. Germany's submission for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.

• 2025 Gold Hugo (Documentary): Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (dir. Sepideh Farsi)
• 2025 Gold Hugo (New Directors): Short Summer
• 2025 Gold Q-Hugo (OutLook): Bouchra
• 2025 Chicago Award: One Golden Summer (dir. Kevin Shaw)
• 2025 Audience Award: Rental Family (dir. Hikari)

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

The Chicago International Film Festival has a long history of screening films before they achieved wider recognition. The festival has historically been an early platform for directors including Martin Scorsese, John Carpenter, Ava DuVernay, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Wim Wenders.

Recent alumni trajectories:

• Sirat (2025) - won Gold Hugo at Chicago, then received NEON distribution and Academy Award shortlist placement in five categories
• Sound of Falling (2025) - won Best Director at Chicago, then received MUBI distribution and became Germany's Oscar submission
• Saint Frances (2019) - produced by James Choi, who won the Silver Hugo at Chicago in 2009. Went on to win the SXSW Special Jury Award and received theatrical distribution through Oscilloscope Laboratories

The festival's International Short Film Competition winners regularly advance to Oscar consideration.

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

Chicago's programming historically leans toward Eastern European, Latin American, and Asian cinema, reflecting the city's immigrant heritage and audiences' interest in world cinema. If your film is an international production or deals with cross-cultural themes, it aligns with the festival's curatorial focus.

The late deadline fee for features jumps to $200, significantly higher than the early deadline ($90). Submit early if possible. The 20% discount for complete submission materials (press kit, stills) can save an additional $18 to $40 per entry. Student filmmakers should use the student rates, which start at $20 for short films.

If your film is a first feature, consider whether the New Directors Competition or the International Feature Competition is the better fit. The OutLook Competition (Q-Hugo) is for LGBTQ+ films and has its own jury.

Plan your festival strategy carefully: if targeting Chicago, do not screen at other US festivals first unless they are within the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin tri-state area.

Industry Reputation Notes

Chicago is regarded as a strong festival for audience engagement and press coverage rather than as an acquisitions marketplace. The city's concentration of film critics (Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, IndieWire) provides meaningful reviews for selected films, and the festival's 40,000+ attendees represent a large, diverse audience.

Compared to peer festivals, Chicago occupies a distinct position. The New York Film Festival is more tightly curated and closer to the awards-season industry orbit. AFI Fest is more acquisition-focused. Chicago differentiates itself through its competitive structure, its emphasis on world cinema from underrepresented regions, and its Academy Award-qualifying short film competition.

Awards / Accreditation

The festival is Academy Award-qualifying in three short film categories: Live Action Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short. Winning the Gold Hugo for Best Short Film makes a short eligible for Oscar consideration, subject to Academy rules.

Major awards:

• Gold Hugo - Best International Feature Film (2025: Sirat by Oliver Laxe)
• Silver Hugo, Jury Award - second prize (2025: The Voice of Hind Rajab)
• Silver Hugo, Best Director (2025: Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling)
• Silver Hugo, Best Actor (2025: Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent)
• Silver Hugo, Best Actress (2025: Eszter Tompa for Kontinental '25)
• Silver Hugo, Best Screenplay (2025: Paolo Sorrentino for La Grazia)
• Silver Hugo, Best Cinematography (2025: Gergely Palos for Silent Friend)
• Gold Hugo, International Documentary (2025: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk)
• Gold Hugo, New Directors (2025: Short Summer)
• Gold Q-Hugo, OutLook Competition (2025: Bouchra)
• Gold Hugo, Short Film - Academy Award-qualifying
• Chicago Award (2025: One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw)
• Audience Award (2025: Rental Family)

The festival is not FIAPF-accredited.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The festival's Academy Award-qualifying short film competition is its most strategically valuable asset for short filmmakers. Winning the Gold Hugo for Best Short Film places a film on the Oscar long list. Chicago requires at least a Chicago premiere, with US premieres given priority. If your film has screened at multiple US festivals outside the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin region, it may not be eligible.

The International Feature Film Competition is the headline competition, with 43 films competing in 2025. The New Directors Competition is for debut features and offers a separate Gold Hugo. Chicago is America's third-largest city with a large, diverse audience and strong media infrastructure. The 2025 edition screened 181 films total from over 60 countries, with audiences particularly engaged with international and documentary cinema.

Watch

See Also

Use the Festival ROI Calculator to model the total cost of submitting to and attending the Chicago International Film Festival, including submission fees ($20 to $200 depending on category and deadline), travel to Chicago, and accommodation. Use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator to assess your likelihood of selection based on film type, runtime, and premiere status. For broader festival strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For independent film distribution, see Distribution Deals Explained.