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LA Underground Film Forum

CA, United States

Festival overview

About LA Underground Film Forum

Physical film festival in CA, United States with submission categories including Experimental Short and Experimental Feature.

LA Underground Film Forum (LAUFF) is Los Angeles's premier showcase of experimentation in film, video and audio based mediums. It focus on avant-garde, art-house, independent and no/low budget filmmaking.

Our program provides a venue for filmmakers to reinvent and explore new approaches, to foster new forms of media art and to build an audience for such work. We aim to present a wide range of work exploring the many definitions and interpretations of the concept of “underground”.

We’re looking for films made with passion, obsession and drive; films that go beyond expectations and genre; films, video and audio projects that strive to push the boundaries of accepted form and content. LAUFF accepts all forms and genres: from drama, documentary, experimental, cult, art-house, foreign language, comedy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, animation, LGBT, indigenous, erotica to slow cinema and video art …

Schedule

Important Dates

Call for Entries Opens
Feb 16, 2026
Final Submission Deadline
Dec 31, 2026
Notification Date
Jan 6, 2027
Festival Starts
Feb 13, 2027
Festival Ends
Feb 13, 2027
Recognition

Awards & Prizes

LAUFF Award “Best Picture” Jury Award Independent Spirit Award Audience Choice Award Merit Awards (Award of Recognition in different genres and categories)
Eligibility

Rules & Eligibility

General Rules+

  1. Submissions of artists’ and independent film from any part of the world are welcome. * Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they will be completed prior to the Festival. * We recommend that non-English language films be subtitled in English. * By submitting, the filmmaker declares that they are the rightful owner of their film. * LAUFF reserves the right to use small portions and stills of accepted films for publicity and promotion of the festival event. * I, the undersigned, do hereby consent and agree that LA Underground Film Forum (LAUFF) and its employees, or agents have the right to present my film and to use these in any and all media, now or hereafter known, and exclusively

  2. I further consent that my name and identity may be revealed therein or by descriptive text or commentary.

  3. I do hereby release to LA Underground Film Forum (LAUFF), its agents, and employees all rights to exhibit this work in print and electronic form publicly or privately.

  4. I understand that there will be no financial or other remuneration for showcasing the film, either for initial or subsequent transmission or playback.

Current Categories, Deadlines & Fees

Category

Experimental Short

Experimental Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Experimental Feature

Experimental Feature currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Slow Cinema/Slow Film

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Video Art Film

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

LGBT Film

Any length, films made by LGBT community or about LGBT community.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Student Short

Student Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

First Feature

First Feature currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Documentary Feature

Documentary Feature currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Documentary Short

Documentary Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Narrative Feature

Narrative Feature currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Narrative Short

Narrative Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Animation Short

Animation Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Music Video

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Trailer

Trailer currently lists a maximum runtime of 3 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 3 minutes
Category

Foreign Language Short Film

Foreign Language Short Film currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Foreign Language Feature Film

Foreign Language Feature Film currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Student Feauture

Student Feauture currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Erotica Film

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

First Short

First Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Experimental Micro Short

Experimental Micro Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 3 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 3 minutes
Category

Underground Micro Short

Underground Micro Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 3 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 3 minutes
Category

Underground Short

Underground Short currently lists a maximum runtime of 40 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 35 early-bird, EUR 36 regular, EUR 37 late, and EUR 38 extended.

Current FeeEUR 35.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 40 minutes
Category

Underground Feature

Underground Feature currently lists a maximum runtime of 41 minutes. Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
RuntimeMaximum runtime: 41 minutes
Category

Cult Film

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Drama

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Comedy

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early
Category

Thriller

Listed fees include EUR 36 early-bird, EUR 37 regular, EUR 38 late, and EUR 39 extended.

Current FeeEUR 36.00Early