The 2024 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival is now accepting entries for its 21st annual event.
The festival will accept films of all genres and from filmmakers at any level of experience, and there is no date-of-completion requirement. However, films must meet the Iowa Connection requirement. CRIFF searches for films from anywhere and by anyone, who happen to have an Iowa connection. That could be a crew or cast member who lived, worked or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or past, real or fictional).
The entry period has four deadlines, each with an increase in fees. There is a 10% discount for being a FilmFreeway Gold Member.
Every entrant is welcome to free admission and has the opportunity to schedule a personal Conversation with the Judges on April 7. During the Conversation with the Judges event, filmmakers will have an opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their films, as well as gain valuable information that may help them in any future projects.
In addition to being screened twice, official selections will be honored with a commemorative T-shirt, the entry featured in promotional statewide media, and advancement into the Eddy Awards competition, where they are judged by a panel of production industry experts.
Gold and Silver Eddy Awards are presented in each of the 12 categories. The Audience Choice and Student Audience Choice Eddy Awards are voted on by audience members. The $1,000 Collins Road Theatres Scholarship is awarded to a student filmmaker and the Iowa Connection Award will go to a film which best represents Iowa’s filmmaking community.
The film festival was created to provide a venue for Iowa-connected filmmakers to screen their work for peers and general audiences. The organization’s mission is to encourage independent filmmakers with Iowa ties to continue improving their craft, provide a venue to specifically showcase their films, present a unique cultural event to the community, grow the Iowa filmmaking industry, and offer opportunities for networking between Iowa-connected filmmakers everywhere.
The film festival will be held April 5-7, 2024, at Collins Road Theatres, located at 1462 Twixt Town Road in Marion.
Complete rules and information are available on the festival website, crifm.org, and on its FilmFreeway page. Additional information can be found on the festival’s Facebook page and other social media platforms or by emailing info@crifm.org.
