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.

Key Sections

• International Feature Film Competition - feature films competing for the Gold Hugo and Silver Hugo awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography
• 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
• Special Presentations - high-profile premieres and gala screenings

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

What Filmmakers Should Know

Academy Award qualification: The festival's International Short Film Competition is Academy Award-qualifying. Winning the Gold Hugo for Best Short Film makes a short film eligible for Oscar consideration in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Film category, subject to Academy rules. This makes Chicago a strategically important festival for short filmmakers pursuing an Oscar campaign.

Premiere requirements: Chicago requires at least a Chicago premiere. US premieres are given priority. If your film has already screened at multiple US festivals, particularly outside the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin region, it may not be eligible. Plan your festival strategy accordingly: if you are targeting Chicago, do not screen at other US festivals first unless they are within the tri-state area.

Competition structure: The International Feature Film Competition is the festival's headline competition, with 43 films competing in 2025. The New Directors Competition is specifically for debut features and offers a separate Gold Hugo. 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.

Audience and press: Chicago is America's third-largest city with a large, diverse audience and strong media infrastructure. The festival's audiences are particularly engaged with international and documentary cinema. The city's concentration of film critics and cultural journalists provides meaningful press coverage, including reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, and national outlets like IndieWire.

Programming scope: The 2025 edition screened 181 films total (111 features, 70 shorts) from over 60 countries. The festival's programming historically emphasizes Eastern European, Latin American, and Asian cinema, reflecting Chicago's immigrant heritage and audiences' interest in world cinema. Special Presentations in 2025 included films by Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Jim Jarmusch, Chloe Zhao, Paolo Sorrentino, Jafar Panahi, Park Chan-wook, Richard Linklater, Joachim Trier, and Noah Baumbach.

Submission strategy: The late deadline fee for features jumps to $200, which is 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 take advantage of the student rates, which start at $20 for short films.

Major Awards

• Gold Hugo - Best International Feature Film (2025 winner: Sirat by Oliver Laxe)
• Silver Hugo, Jury Award - second prize (2025: The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania)
• 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)

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.

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.