CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The 2025 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF) is seeking submissions from pro and hobbyist filmmakers with the first round of deadlines coming up Friday, Sept. 23.
Next year’s CRIFF will be held April 4-6 at the Collins Road Theatres, 1462 Twixt Town Road, Marion.
The festival is accepting entries statewide, nationwide, and worldwide for the 22nd annual event. Complete rules and information are available on the festival website and on its FilmFreeway page. The Festival accepts films of all genres and from filmmakers at any level of experience, and there is no date-of-completion requirement.
Films are welcomed from anyone, anywhere, however they must meet the unique Iowa Connection requirement. CRIFF celebrates the fact that people with ties to Iowa are in the production industry everywhere and searches for films from anywhere and by anyone, who just happens 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).
“In past years, films have been submitted from across the country and all over the world,” said Festival Director Eric Dean Freese. “If you don’t think your film qualifies, ask around…you just might have an Iowan on set!”
Professional, Hobbyist (replacing the ProAm category of past years), and Student (K-12 to post-graduate) filmmakers can enter Narrative Long Form/Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary, and Freestyle (experimental film, music video, prose, film/video art) categories.
The entry period has four deadlines, each with an increase in fees. There is a discount for being a FilmFreeway Gold Member. The first deadline is Friday, Sept. 23. Cost is $35 for pro and hobbyist, $30 for FilmFreeway Gold Members, $25 for student, $20 for FilmFreeway Gold Members. The other deadlines are: Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 20.
Every entrant, whether selected or not, is welcome to free admission, and has the opportunity to schedule a personal conversation with the judges on Sunday, April 6. This rare opportunity for one-on-one feedback has long been a hallmark of the festival, and is regarded by many filmmakers as the most valuable perk of entry.
In addition to being screened twice, Official Selections are honored with a commemorative T-shirt (with the film names on the back), 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 each year to a student filmmaker.
The Iowa Connection Award is unique to CRIFF and awarded to the film which best represents Iowa’s filmmaking community. Mr. Freese said, “To put it simply, it is a film that tells the world who is making films in Iowa, why they’re doing it in this state, and what Iowa stories are being told.”
In addition to screenings, CRIFF hosts a filmmaker VIP Lounge, guest podcasts, Q&A sessions and discussion forums. Student Cinema Sunday features all selected student films, with a discounted student ticket rate.
The CRIFF’s mission is to encourage independent filmmakers with Iowa ties to continue improving their craft, provide a venue to showcase their films, present a unique cultural event, grow the Iowa filmmaking industry, and offer opportunities for networking between Iowa-connected filmmakers everywhere.
For more information, visit crifm.org, and to enter, visit https://filmfreeway.com/CRIFF. Up-to-the-minute information can also be found on the festival’s Facebook page and other social media platforms. Email CRIFF at [email protected].
