CALL FOR ENTRIES

BEYOND CHICAGO

Submissions for the inaugural edition of Beyond Chicago 2025 are now open.

Earlybird Deadline | December 15, 2025 
Regular Deadline | January 15, 2026 
Final Deadline | February 15, 2026 

Looking for Beyond Fest (Los Angeles)?

Submit Your Film

Beyond Chicago is the first-ever expansion of Beyond Fest — the largest and most passionately attended genre film festival in the United States. Built in partnership with Chicago’s iconic Music Box Theatre, this inaugural edition takes place April 2–5, 2026, bringing four days of all-killer-no-filler screenings, premieres, repertory events, and late-night discoveries to one of the country’s most devoted film communities.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2013, Beyond Fest is known for its fearless programming, rowdy packed houses, and unforgettable in-person appearances from visionary filmmakers. With Beyond Chicago, that same spirit, energy, and cinematic exuberance comes to the Midwest for the first time, transforming the Music Box Theatre into a temple of big reactions, bold films, and communal moviegoing.

We’re seeking exceptional genre short and feature films that push boundaries in content and form — especially horror, dark comedy, and the unclassifiable. Filmmakers from around the world, and especially from Chicago, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes region, are encouraged to submit their wildest, weirdest, most uncompromising work.

Rules & Terms

Please note Beyond Chicago 2026 dates are not finalized and are subject to change.
Received press and additional promotional materials are not required.

Submission, Exhibition Formats

Films above 1 second and equal to/under 25 minutes are considered short length.
Films 60 minutes or more are considered feature length.

Submission format must be an online screener. Acceptable formats for submissions include Private Vimeo/YouTube links, and/or privately hosted video files. No DVDs or BluRays will be accepted. Submissions in a foreign language must be subtitled or dubbed in English. If submitting more than one film, a separate completed entry is required for each title.

Accepted films will be provided with technical specifications for exhibition copies upon acceptance and may need to provide a professionally authored DCP (not homebrewed).

Deadline, Notification, and Scheduling

Films are scheduled at the discretion of Beyond Chicago. Beyond Chicago retains the right to make changes to the published schedule at any time and for any reason. Beyond Chicago will notify all filmmakers of acceptance/rejection status via email by no later than March 2, 2026. The festival is dedicated to hosting a physical event; should a global pandemic necessitate a virtual pivot, all submitters will be contacted accordingly.

RELEASE

Submitting your film to Beyond Chicago in no way implies any ownership rights by Beyond Chicago to the submitted film. You retain ownership of your film.

Beyond Chicago is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Beyond Chicago from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening elements received. The individual or company submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

Neither party shall owe any liability to the other party arising under this agreement for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages, including, without limitation, loss of profit or business opportunities, except as expressly set forth herein. Neither party makes (and each party hereby specifically disclaims) any, representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the services contemplated by this agreement, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, implied warranties arising from a course of dealing or course of performance or any warranties relating to title or non-infringement of intellectual property. Neither party makes any representation, warranty or assurance concerning any minimum or maximum number of viewers or screenings or celebrities or special guests or events.

All information by Beyond Chicago, whether publicly posted or not, is subject to change without prior notice. All festival and screening decisions will be made by Beyond Chicago; all decisions are final.

Eligibility

To be eligible to screen, feature films require a minimum of a Chicago Premiere to be considered. Feature films already available on VOD before or during the festival are not eligible.

Short films have no premiere restrictions: if your short film is already viewable online, that is ok, however, if selected for the festival, you will be asked to make your film temporarily unviewable for the month surrounding the festival.

Films can be original or adapted works. However, ALL non-original portions of your film MUST be cleared and you must have permission to use someone else’s work. If you submit a film with copyrighted or trademarked materials included and you do not have written permission to use them, you will not be eligible to screen at Beyond Chicago. You must be legally authorized to represent the entire work, in writing.