Cedar River Film Festival

08/28/2026

Spent the last few days working up a tentative lineup, we've also developed some theming for each segment. With Submissions open until August 31st, this will change pretty massively over the next few days. But it's fun to dream.

08/26/2026

Check out this pretty amazing Hearst Film Scene line-up hosted by the Hearst Center for the Arts. Theme is Dystopian Films that take place around 2026. Metropolis gets added flavor with live music from drummer Josh Hakanson and bassist Will Yager. The line-up also includes 4 horror shorts from a CRFF favorite Carrsan T. Morrissey. They gave our festival a nice plug as well!

A few revisions to the Hearst Film Scene schedule for you. Definitely no shortage of film events this fall at The Hearst Center for the Arts plus the 3-day Cedar River Film Festival at Cedar Falls Community Theatre.

08/23/2026

https://filmfreeway.com/CedarRiverFilmFestival

08/05/2026

Submissions are open, save 25% off by using the waiver code: CRFF25

https://filmfreeway.com/CedarRiverFilmFestival

07/31/2026

07/31/2026

It's going to be a most Unexpected Halloween Weekend.

Three days of films celebrating what we affectionately call The Heartland, stories that prove Iowa and the states that border it are far more surprising, hilarious, haunting, and inspiring than people give them credit for.

From laugh-out-loud comedies and edge-of-your-seat thrillers to unforgettable documentaries, animation, horror, and everything in between, this year's Cedar River Film Festival is a celebration of the unexpected.

Historic Oster Regent Theatre
October 30 – November 1

Cedar River Film Festival
Midwest Films. Quietly Unexpected.

🎬 Filmmakers:
Submissions remain open through August 31!
Use waiver code CRFF25 to save 25%.

Tickets and the full lineup arrive in September.
Follow this page or visit mycfct.org/crff to be among the first to see what's coming.

And finally, a huge thank you to the endlessly talented Mija Henderson, who somehow took a pile of half-formed ideas from our team and transformed them into the incredible artwork below. It's everything we hoped this year's festival would be: unexpected, a little mysterious, unmistakably Midwestern, and impossible to ignore.

07/29/2026

There's still time to submit your film to the 2026 Cedar River Film Festival, but don't wait!
Regular Deadline: July 31st.
Submit by July 31st, and you'll save $15 before late entry fees begin.

We're looking for outstanding films from Iowa and the surrounding states: features, shorts, documentaries, animation, horror, comedy, drama, and everything in between.

Join us this October as we celebrate the incredible storytellers of the American Heartland at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Don't miss your chance to be part of this year's festival.
Submit today through FilmFreeway. Link in Comments. See less

07/27/2026

Your story deserves the big screen.

There's still time to submit your film to the 2026 Cedar River Film Festival—but the regular deadline is coming up fast!

Regular Deadline: July 31

Submit by July 31 and use waiver code CRFF25 to save 25% on your entry.

We're looking for the best films from Iowa and the surrounding states—features, shorts, documentaries, animation, horror, comedy, drama, and everything in between. If you've created something special, we'd love to see it.

This October, your film could be screening on the big screen at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls, Iowa, alongside some of the American Heartland's most talented filmmakers.

Submit today: https://filmfreeway.com/CedarRiverFilmFestival

Tag a filmmaker who needs to see this, and don't miss your chance to be part of the 2026 Cedar River Film Festival!

There's still time to submit your film to the 2026 Cedar River Film Festival, but don't wait!
Regular Deadline: July 31st.
Submit by July 31st, and you'll save $15 before late entry fees begin.

We're looking for outstanding films from Iowa and the surrounding states: features, shorts, documentaries, animation, horror, comedy, drama, and everything in between.

Join us this October as we celebrate the incredible storytellers of the American Heartland at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Don't miss your chance to be part of this year's festival.
Submit today through FilmFreeway. Link in Comments. See less