About Us

Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival (BWiFF) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that assembles character-driven independent film programming constructed by bold and innovative storytellers for the purposes of education, entertainment, and thought-provoking discussion.

The annual festival welcomes submissions from filmmakers that utilize story elements in a new and exciting way, presenting character-driven independent cinema that is fueled by the filmmaker's passion for the art of motion picture storytelling.

About the Festival

BWiFF presented 15 festivals from 2010 through 2025 at a variety of screening venues throughout the greater Chicagoland area, including Music Box Theatre, AMC Randhurst 12, and Classic Cinemas Elk Grove XQ. Each festival concluded with a Blue Glass Awards ceremony where the judges for each season recognized the award winners for that year. Awards were presented in-person on the last day of the festival until 2017 when the presentation transitioned to be privately recorded and later released via YouTube.

Over the course of 15 seasons, the festival received 3,538 entries in a variety of submission categories including shorts, features, music videos, and series pilots and selected an average of 30 films every year for competition. Official selections from around the globe competed for several different of awards that ranged in genre, production, performance, and audience categories.

With the exception of the festival's inaugural night, each film selected for exhibition and competition was screened in one theater. Opening night of BWiFF 2010 was the only time the festival ran two screens at the same time. Judges always experienced each film for the first time along with the audience.

Filmmakers were encouraged to attend and participate in Q&A’s moderated by a festival judge. When unable to attend in person, the festival team made efforts to coordinate a virtual Q&A immediately following their film. BWiFF always strived to build a reputation for exhibiting rare and compelling independent films while bridging the gap between the film-goer and the filmmaker.

Beyond the annual festival, BWiFF continues 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.

General Rules for Entries

All submissions were required to be entered by the early, regular, late, or extended deadlines outlined on FilmFreeway. Beginning in 2016, all eligible entries had to be submitted online via FilmFreeway. DVDs and blu-rays were previously accepted by mail along with a completed submission form (downloadable PDF) or using the online film submission form provided by Withoutabox (2010-2015).

The festival did not enforce any category subject restrictions. Films could be of any style or genre. Above all, BWiFF would seek strong, passionate, unique storytelling. Each submission was carefully considered solely on its own merit by the festival programming committee.

Any and all submissions for the festival must have been completed no earlier than the January two years before the event.

Awards & Prizes

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

*Awards were always subject to change without notice. A requirement of at least two films in each category was established to be eligible for an award. Each year, various awards were added or subtracted from the list above at the discretion of guest judges.

Support Our Organization

As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, BWiFF relies on the support of our community – and it doesn't take much to make a impact. Are you looking to show your support? Learn about the various ways you can contribute to our mission.