About CRIFF

The first Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival was held in 2001 at Mount Mercy University’s McAuley Auditorium. In the 20+ years since, CRIFF has continued to provide a venue for Iowa-connected filmmakers to screen their work for peers and general audiences. The organization’s primary goals are to encourage independent filmmakers with Iowa ties to continue improving their craft, to provide a place to specifically showcase Iowa-connected films, present a unique cultural event to the community, and to offer networking opportunities for the purpose of building the Iowa Filmmaking Industry.

DEI Statement

Film provides a unique opportunity for an audience to experience different perspectives. We get to step into a character and feel part of the story. The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival is proud to provide a platform where diverse stories are told. Year after year, we continue to learn, grow and be surprised.

We strive to uphold both an event and an organization where all people feel safe, respected and welcome. If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or feedback, please reach out to us at info@crifm.org.

The Eddy Awards

THE EDDY AWARDS are named after Thomas Alva Edison who, among his 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.

GOLD and SILVER EDDY Awards are presented in Professional, Pro-Am and Student categories for Features, Shorts, Documentaries, and “Freestyle” (experimental, music video, video art, etc.) films. We also award the AUDIENCE CHOICE EDDY, voted on by audience members.

Additionally, the COLLINS ROAD THEATRES SCHOLARSHIP ($1000) is awarded each year to a student filmmaker in order to further the recipient’s filmmaking education and career.

Finally, the IOWA CONNECTION EDDY is awarded to the film that best represents Iowa’s filmmaking community. The winner is a film that tells the world WHO is making films in Iowa, WHY they’re doing it in Iowa, and WHAT stories come from Iowa./