We invite submissions to the Embarras Valley Film Festival. With a focus on horror and the thriller for this 13th year, the Embarras Valley Film Festival’s mission is to encourage broader appreciation for and study of film as a potent vehicle for human expression and communication through the exploration of cinematic arts involving people from Illinois and alumni of Eastern Illinois University. By screening horror and thriller movies from Illinois filmmakers and inviting audience participation in after-film discussions, we encourage members of the larger community to become aware of, and take pride in, the rich cultural and historical heritage of Charleston and the area. Films submitted to this festival will add to this mission and our horror/thriller theme.

Awards & Prizes

We will screen the top ten films submitted to our contest, providing a certificate, a laurel, and a small monetary prize based on our income for each winning filmmaker.

Rules & Terms

1. Films must be no more than 60 minutes long
2. Films must be directed by filmmakers from Illinois or alumni of Eastern Illinois University
3. Films must align with the festival theme: horror and the thriller in Illinois
4. Film submissions should include a synopsis that explains how your film meets guidelines 1-3
1 Review
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  • Thomas Nicol

    Submitted a few shorts; didn't get any indication of their acceptance status until the day the festival started. Then heard on Facebook from a filmmaker who showed up for the screening that he arrived to a dark, empty room. Multiple emails to the festival director went unanswered. When the festival director was tagged in the comment thread discussing the absence of a screening, it finally came out that they cancelled the screening for a lack of audience.

    To her credit, she did eventually refund the submission fees for the accepted shorts (minus Film Freeway's percentage), but due to the lack of communication and inability to attract an audience I cannot recommend submitting to this fest.

    November 2017
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