Chicago Underground Film Festival
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2012) |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Language | International |
| Website | http://www.cuff.org |
The Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is an annual nonprofit international festival dedicated to the exhibition of underground and avant-garde cinema, video, and performance.[1][2]The festival offers an opportunity for independent artists who are frequently overlooked by other conventional, market-driven film festivals to showcase and be recognized for their work though jury and audience awards.[1] In addition to screenings, the festival also hosts events to build community amoungst the audience. Founded in 1993, the festival is widely regarded as the longest running festival of its kind.[3]
History
The festival was founded in 1993 by Jay Bliznick with Mark Siska and Bryan Wendorf as an alternative to the mainstream film festival circuit, which was increasingly dominated by distributor product. The festival celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2023.
Purpose
CUFF welcomes a mix of films and videos of all lengths and genres, but the festival’s dominant focus is on works that chart new, experimental ground in form or content. The festival's mission is to showcase a selection of diverse films, videos, and related works to highlight filmmakers who take unconventional approaches to filmmaking and work to break boundaries in form, narrative, and length. It aims to provide audiences with a wide range of programming to promote innovative forms of media art and build an audience and community around the work.[6]
Festival program and events
While the festival has always explored the many different definitions of
Awards
The festival jury presents six jury awards to films and videos selected as the best or most interesting in various categories well as "Made in Chicago" awards, which recognize films and videos made by local filmmakers. The jury awards vary from year to year and are determined by the current year's jury. Some awards given are more typical for festivals, such as "Best Documentary,"
Past winners
| Award | Film Title | Director(s) | Nationality | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Jury Prize | My Mother's Cat | Annabella Schnabel | Hungary | [10][11] |
| Best Short Narrative | Pretty Pickle | Jim Vendiola | United States | [10] |
| Best Narrative Feature | Endless Content Forever | Jacob Gregor | United States | [10][11] |
| Best Experimental Short | Judy's Thoughts | Melody Gilbert | United States | [10] |
| Best Experimental Feature | The Lost Record | Alexandra Cabral, Ian Svenonius | United States | [10][11] |
| Best Documentary | Circus of the Scars: The Insider Odyssey of the Jim Rose Circus Slideshow | Cory Wees | United States | [10] |
| Best Animation | Boys Clap, Girls Dance | Dena Springer | United States | [10] |
| Audience Award | Provo | Emma Thatcher | United States | [10][11] |
| Award | Film Title | Director(s) | Nationality | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Race to Hell Award | The Deepest Hole | Matt McCormick | United States | [12] |
| Badass Bolex Award | Felix in Wonderland | Marie Losier | [12] | |
| Best Ghost Music Video Hybrid Feature | Ghost of the Golden Groves | Aniket Dutta, Roshni Sen | [12] | |
| Best in a Graveyard Short | Blessed Land | Phạm Ngọc Lân | [12] | |
| Best Pixelated Curiosity | Magic Explained | Paul Tarragó | [12] | |
| Honorable Mention | ( ( ( ( ( /*\ ) ) ) ) ) | Charles Fairbanks, Saul Kak | [12] | |
| Audacious Animation Award | Umbilical | Danski Tang | [12] | |
| Audience Award | Paper Shadows | Robert C. Banks Jr. | [12] | |
| Honorable Mention | Supermarket | Gianluca Abbate | [12] |
| Award | Film Title | Director(s) | Nationality | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records | Audience Award | Julia Nash | Country | source |
| Serpents and Doves | Honorable Mention: Short Documentary | Nellie Kluz | ||
| On the Rink | Made in Chicago Award | Benjamin Buxton | ||
| Black Dog | Honorable Mention: Animation | Joshua Tuthill | ||
| Dream Journal | 2018 | Honorable Mention: Surrealist Daymare | Jon Rafman | ||
| Anti-Objects, or Space Without Path or Boundary | Best Experimental Film | Sky Hopinka | ||
| The White World According to Daliborek | The Most "Problematic" | Vít Klusák | ||
| V/IRL | Best Documentary Short | Malia Bruker | ||
| Tomorrow Never Knows | Radical Empathy Award | Adam Sekuler | ||
| Girl Powder | Best Comedy Short | Annelise Ogaard | ||
| Common Carrier | Honorable Mention: Experimental Narrative | James N. Kienitz Wilkins | ||
| Craigslist Allstars | Spirit of CUFF | Samira Elagoz |
References
- ^ a b c "CUFF". cuff.org. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ a b "Chicago Underground Film Festival". FilmFreeway. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ WordPress.com, Create a free website or blog at (2017-05-30). "Bryan Wendorf – Ringleader of the Chicago Underground Film Festival". The Chicago Ambassador. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ Magazine, Screen (2023-09-13). "The 30th Chicago Underground Film Festival Is Here". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ Magazine, Screen (2023-09-13). "The 30th Chicago Underground Film Festival Is Here". Screen Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
- ^ a b c "Chicago Underground Film Festival". FilmFreeway. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ Circus of the Scars: The Insider Odyssey of the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow (2022) | MUBI. Retrieved 2024-05-02 – via mubi.com.
- ^ Tomorrow Never Knows (2017) | MUBI. Retrieved 2024-05-02 – via mubi.com.
- ^ Festhome. "Chicago Underground Film Festival". Festhome. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Chicago Underground Film Festival 2022". MUBI. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ a b c d "Chicago Underground Film Festival (2022)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Chicago Underground Film Festival 2020". MUBI. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
External links
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