2026 CRIFF - Cedar Rapids Independent Filmmakers / Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival

April 9-12, 2026

Collins Road Theatres • Olympic South Side Theater • Ideal Theater

The Iowa Connection

CRIFF celebrates the fact that people with ties to Iowa are in the production industry EVERYWHERE. We search for films from anywhere and by anyone, who just happen to have an Iowa connection.

That could be a crew or cast member who lived, worked or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or former, real or fictional).

We’ve had films submitted from all across the US, and around the world! We tell skeptical filmmakers that if you don’t think your film qualifies, ask around…you just might have an Iowan on set!

Download a PDF of the Official Program.

The Eddy Winners!

This year, our record number of 121 submissions had a record total running time of over 53 hours. The record number 65 Official Selections (seeing a trend?) total over 27 hours. Increasing numbers often creates opportunities to expand the screening schedule. In addition to the traditional Friday-Sunday screenings at Collins Road Theatres, we added Thursday night, April 9 screenings in Cedar Rapids’ historic NewBo District at the Olympic South Side Theater and Ideal Theater.

We sincerely thank all filmmakers for sharing their work. All Official Selections are winners in our book, but here are the filmmakers who took home the coveted Eddy trophy.

Student Freestyle
Gold – Self-Portrait (Mirroring), by Negar Soufi, University of Iowa (Iowa City)
Silver – The Mouse, by Lucas John Gregory, University of Iowa

Student Narrative Short Form Film
Gold – ACORN, IOWA, by Madison Taylor Wolfe, Loyola University (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Silver – Tenderloin, by Andrew Sloth, University of Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia)

Student Documentary
Gold – Ride On: The Story of Gwen Maiers by Ryan Haywood and Lucas Schoaf, Loras College (Dubuque)
Silver – Midnight Metro: A Fashion Story, by Madeline and Hannah Carlton, Des Moines Area Community College (Des Moines)

Student Narrative Long-Form Film
Gold – Life After Life, by Josian Turner, Noah Elgatian, JP Smith and Brenda Severson, Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo)

Hobbyist Short Form
Gold – Hit It Off, by Chris Veninga and Mithi Sivaprakash (Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
Silver – Relax, by Alannah Swenka (Coralville)

Hobbyist Documentary
Gold – Garden of Des Moines: ONE YEAR LATER, by Teri Underhill (Des Moines)

Hobbyist Feature
Gold – On Our Way, by Dillon Jacobson
Silver – Ellie and Xavier, by Benjamin Schmidt (Dubuque)

Professional Freestyle
Gold – Saving Silhouettes, by Kristopher J. Gathercoal (Grand Junction)
Silver – Do Androids Dream? by Scott Marczewski

Professional Narrative Short Form
Gold – Alien: Lost Transmission Fan Film, by Connor Andrew Botts, Ben Mayer and Kevin Shepherd – Mediaverse Studios (Marengo)
Silver – The Valley of the Devil, by Chase Stine (Des Moines)

Professional Documentary
Gold – From Iowa and Back: The Vietnam Era, by Jeremy Glazier, Gerard Estella and Megan Turner (Cedar Rapids)
Silver – The Collins Story – The Internet Connection, by Annette Juergens Busbee (Cedar Rapids)

Professional Narrative Feature
Gold – Jury of Her Peers, by William Rock (Des Moines)
Silver – Your Lips Never Left Mine, by Matthew Kozlark and Felicia Ricci (Ridgefield, Connecticut)

Collins Road Theatres $1000 Scholarship
FREADOM on Trial: Rights and Responsibilities in Island Trees Board of Education v. Pico, by Adrian Gillette, Bettendorf Middle School (Bettendorf)

Iowa Connection Eddy Award
Jury of Her Peers, by William Rock (Des Moines)

Audience Choice Eddy Award
Detour, by Beth Ann Hinde and Demian Alan Mancino, Cedar Rapids

Student Audience Choice Eddy Award
Waverly 217, by Grace Potratz, University of Iowa

Forum: A.I. – Evolution & Ethics in Filmmaking
Saturday, 3:40 p.m.

Is AI-assisted filmmaking…still filmmaking?

AI is here, and it’s already changing every step from writing to delivery. Is AI expanding creativity, or replacing it? Does it lower barriers and empower new voices, or just flood the space with low-effort content Some people see opportunity. Some see existential threat. Whose roles are most at risk? Will AI replace jobs, or just shift skillsets? And, what does it mean for independent filmmakers vs. big studios?

Student Forum: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Sunday, 2:05 p.m.

So you’re getting a degree…congratulations. Now what? Can you build a career in Iowa? Are you ok doing corporate work as a stepping stone…or is that too “sellout”? Do you need a “real” job, while chasing your dreams on the side? From staying local to seeking opportunities, from side gigs to full-time, we’ll dive into real-world choices facing emerging filmmakers. Hear honest perspectives on how to navigate the industry, make a living, and define success on your own terms.

In addition to being screened twice for our enthusiastic audience, Official Selections are honored with a commemorative shirt with their name on the back, your entry featured on promotional statewide media, additional complimentary passes, and advancement into the Saturday night Eddy Awards competition. Gold and Silver Eddy Awards are presented in Professional, Hobbyist, and Student categories for Features, Shorts, Documentaries, and “Freestyle” (experimental, music video, video art, etc.) films. We also award the Audience Choice Eddy and Student Audience Choice Eddy, voted on by audience members. The Iowa Connection Eddy is awarded to the film that best represents Iowa’s filmmaking community. It’s a film that tells the world WHO is making films in Iowa, WHY they’re doing it in this state, and WHAT Iowa stories are being told. Finally, the Collins Road Theatres Scholarship is awarded to a student filmmaker to further the recipient’s filmmaking education.

Celebrating Student Filmmakers

They’re the future of the art and industry. Student filmmakers are integral to the festival’s success, so we value giving them red-carpet treatment.

Our host venue generously continues its COLLINS ROAD THEATRES $1000 SCHOLARSHIP, awarded to a student filmmaker in order to further the recipient’s filmmaking education and career.

We are also proud to present Student Cinema Sunday, a special screening of just student films. Student tickets for this special session are at a greatly reduced rate. At the close of this event, we’ll present the Student Audience Choice Eddy Award!

The Festival is open to the general public, and the Saturday night Eddy Awards Ceremony is free with any other Festival ticket purchase.

The Eddy Awards

The Eddy Awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison who, among many other pursuits, was a pioneer in motion picture technology. The term eddy is also defined as “a current moving contrary to the direction of the main current,” which is a suitable description for independent filmmakers, who often go against the current trends in mainstream cinema.