UIUC Student Film Festival

SUBMISSION NOW OPEN! Go to:
go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions or use the QR code on the Illinois Student Film Festival Cover Photo

UIUC Student Film Festival is a celebration of student filmmaking, organized by students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Our mission is to help make a platform for diverse voices in filmmaking and create an outlet for young filmmakers to show off their talents. UIUC Student Film Festival showcases the talent of filmmakers campus-wide, across all Colleges and Departments. It is d

edicated to providing a platform of diversity, inclusion, social justice and creativity. The Festival helps to ignite intellectual growth, promote critical thinking, and inspire pure entertainment among the students and filmmakers who attend. UIUC Student Film Festival is open to all genres, themes, and categories. Last year, we received over 80 submissions and selected over 40. History
Every spring, the Media and Cinema Studies (MACS) department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a special class. Labeled as MACS 464, the course is focused on educating students about the various film festivals around the world, while also organizing film festival right here on campus run by non other than the students in MACS 464. This festival has existed for multiple iterations of the class over the years and has even gone through a few different names it has gone by. The festival began in 2010 and ran until 2012 under the festival title Movies to the MACS! The course was taught by Richard Leskosky and Ivy Glennon. In 2013, With Richard Potter as the MACS 464’s instructor and mentor, they hosted a new version of the festival, this time calling it the Illini Independent Film Festival. In 2014, headed by Alex Mobley, the festival expanded and was called Etcfilmfest. Programming from Etcfilmfest included live performances from The 92s, an alternative indie pop band from Palos Park, Illinois. Up until 2015, students submitted their films via DVD. But, when the festival began accepting submissions digitally, the festival found its lasting identity, this time the festival going by Illinifest and coordinated by the class instructor, Dora Valkanova. In 2019, Jon Knipp narrowed the submissions requirements to focus exclusively on the UIUC student filmmaking community. Over 40 UIUC students responded and 24 short films were selected. Because of the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic, the Festival moved online and renamed itself the Illini Film Fest for s live streaming event. In 2021, the Festival re-dubbed itself the UIUC Student Film Festival, with the intention of continuing its pledge to offer the best in student-produced cinema. Through MACS 464, students can both learn about film festivals and contribute to the medium's presence in Illinois by creating their own film festival that helps to showcase student talent and the diversity of short films from across the UIUC campus.

04/30/2026

Behold! The line-up for the 2026 Illinois Student Film Festival, May 2nd at 7pm. At the Spurlock!

04/28/2026

UPDATE! The Illinois Student Film Festival is honored to have received 56 short films to consider for the 2026 event. The official selection process has accelerated and we'll announce the films we'll screen soon. Thanks to all the wonderful student filmmakers who shared their vision with us.

And take a look at our official film festival poster, courtesy of the brilliant Valentina Grant! Beautiful!

Please join us THIS SATURDAY May 2nd for the 2026 Illinois Student Film Festival at the Spurlock Museum. Doors open at 6pm. Showtime is at 7. Complimentary concessions, soft drinks and popcorn. Filmmaker panel and trivia. Awards and prizes.

Celebrate student filmmaking!

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Media at Illinois College of Fine & Applied Arts at Illinois Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois

04/15/2026

IMPORTANT UPDATES!!
Hi festival fans! There are a couple important developments regarding the 2026 Illinois Student Film Festival.

First, we've moved the date! Due to an unforeseen conflict, the date for the event is now May 2nd! Same location, the Spurlock Museum, and the same time, 7pm (doors open at 6). Mark your calendars!

Also, for filmmakers in need of some extra time before they submit their work, the new deadline for submissions is Friday April 24th. If anyone needs a little extra time, please reach out! The link is https://go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions or you can use the QR code on the flyer below.

Thanks for rolling through these changes with us. We can't wait to see you all Saturday May 2nd at 7pm for the 2026 Illinois Student Film Festival!

CELEBRATE STUDENT FILMMAKING!

04/06/2026

REMINDER: The (soft) deadline for submitting your film to the Illinois Student Film Festival is April 17th! (Reach out if you have deadline issues). Use this link: go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions or the QR code on the flyer below.

The Illinois Student Film Festival is May 1st in the Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum. Doors open at 6pm and showtime is 7pm.

There will be free popcorn, concessions, and soft drinks. The La Paloma food truck will be there, too. $500 jury prize and $200 audience award! Plus trivia, door prizes, and more!

Celebrate student filmmaking with the Illinois Student Film Festival. Mark your calendar!

03/09/2026

Hi Festival Friends! The link is open for the 2026 Illinois Student Film Festival. We are accepting submissions from University of Illinois students! Any genre or format: drama & comedy, music & dance, documentary & travelogues, animation & experimental. The (soft) deadline is April 17th. Use this link: https://go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions or use the QR code on the graphic below. And remember! The Illinois Student Film Festival 2026 is May 1st in the Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock museum. Showtime is 7pm! Come see YOUR film on the big screen!

Liberal Arts & Sciences at IllinoisCollege of Fine & Applied Arts at IllinoisCollege of Media at IllinoisUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Location

Urbana

Contact the school

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Telephone

+17405413669

Website

http://go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions, http://go.illinois.edu/filmfestsubmissions

Address

810 South Wright Street
Urbana, IL
61801