Call for Entries Open
May 28, 2024

Discount Deadline
October 4, 2024

Early Deadline
November 8, 2024

Regular Deadline
December 20, 2024

Late Deadline
January 31, 2025

15th Annual Festival
April 27 – May 6, 2025

About the Festival

BWiFF will be presenting its 15th festival at the Classic Cinemas Elk Grove XQ, located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, from April 27-May 6, 2025. The 2025 Blue Glass Awards ceremony will be privately recorded and premiere on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 on YouTube and the festival website.

Award-winning films will be featured in a special BWiFF 2025 Encore event following the festival at the historic Music Box Theatre, located in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago’s north side.

Every year, the festival exhibits over 30 films from around the globe that compete for a variety of awards that range in genre, production, performance, and audience categories. Each film selected for exhibition and competition is screened in one theater over the course of the festival. Judges experience each film for the first time along with the audience. During the festival’s week-long run, filmmakers are encouraged to attend and participate in Q&A’s moderated by a festival judge and any potential filmmaker panels. Each accepted filmmaker will receive two (2) festival passes.

Beyond the summer festival, BWiFF is proud to present exciting programming year-round, including screenings, networking events, roundtables, and more through the organization’s Cinema Centennial and Imbibe Cinema programs. For information on year-round events and partnership opportunities, contact us.

Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival continues to build a reputation for exhibiting rare and compelling independent films while bridging the gap between the film-goer and the filmmaker.

Awards & Prizes

Best of Fest
Audience Favorite
Best of Illinois
Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Music Video
Best Animation
Best Experimental
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Lead Performance
Best Supporting Performance
Best Achievement by a Young Actor
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design
Best Original Score

*Awards are subject to change without notice. There must be at least two films in each category to be eligible. Each year, awards may be added or subtracted from the list above at the discretion of our guest judges.

Classic Cinemas Elk Grove XQ
1050 Elk Grove Town Center
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007

Hyatt Place Chicago/Itasca
1150 N. Arlington Heights Road
Itasca, Illinois 60143