Budding filmmakers and students alike will have a chance to showcase their creative talent and passion for the craft at the first annual Illinois Film Festival this Aug. 8, 2026.
The new initiative invites young, up-and-coming directors, writers, actors and visual artists to screen their short films for the public at the historic Wilmette Theatre, a staple of the North Shore community for the better part of a century.
Any filmmaker under the age of 25 who is an Illinois resident or is an enrolled student in the state is encouraged to apply via the Film Freeway contest portal. Guidelines for submission are also available on the festival’s main website.
The categories for festival submission include Live Action Short, Documentary Short or Animated Short. All submissions have a maximum runtime of 12 minutes, but there is no submission fee required.
An award ceremony following the screenings will recognize outstanding work in each category, with a $500 prize for the best film, writer, director and actor.
Charles Hutchinson, the festival’s founder, told the Pioneer Press that the event isn’t meant to overtax students, but rather give them the opportunity to create and tell their own story in a “short format that can really talk to anybody, regardless of your language, your culture, where you’re from or who you are.”
“You’re going to see some really imaginative, creative, wonderful stories come out of this,” Hutchinson added. “And you’re going to meet some really cool folks that maybe come on to be the next you know, John Hughes or Steven Spielberg or Liz Phair? Who knows?” (Phair grew up in Winnetka and graduated from New Trier High School).
Hutchinson said he got the inspiration for the festival while dropping his daughter off at orientation at Boston University. While walking around campus, he noticed a flyer posted outside the theater department advertising for a high school theater competition.
“I just thought that’s a cool idea that they would do that here, and being on the board of Wilmette Theatre, I’m like, we can do something like that in Illinois for movie makers…I just let it sit in the back of my head,” he said.
When Hutchinson returned to Wilmette, he discovered there wasn’t a comparable opportunity available for young filmmakers apart from the Chicago International Film Festival, which had limited entries for students.
“I realized that the Wilmette Theatre was actually a great place to do it because we have four high schools in New Trier Township and there’s Northwestern right down the road, and there’s Evanston Township [High School]…we should do this for Illinois students. Let’s give them a chance to really shine,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said he got exposed to the plethora of young artistry in the area through his daughter, who was a former dancer at New Trier Township High School.
While there is no official cap on total entries into the festival, not all will be accepted.
Organizers are looking to keep the event running time ranging from a couple hours to half a day and will be selective in regards to film quality, Hutchinson said.
The historic Wilmette Theatre plans to host as the event space, a decision Hutchinson hopes will bring more attention and activity to the community staple, which has undergone financial struggles in recent years as a result of revenue declines. The theatre closed temporarily during the pandemic to undergo interior renovations, but is now up and running for movie screenings, live music and community events.
Hutchinson said he hopes the first year of the Illinois Film Festival will be a launching point to broaden the scope, size and location of the event, with the goal that it would eventually travel across the state.
“We want this thing to go on, many, many years, and just be able to really showcase the talents that our young students and directors have here in Illinois,” Hutchinson said. “Let’s get these students involved in charting their own path, and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
Filmmakers are welcome to submit their work for consideration now through July 2026.
