The Various Artists Independent Film Festival (VAiFF), a Chicago-based competition festival for independent filmmakers worldwide, begins taking submissions November 1 for the “fall season” of its inaugural festival, slated for October 7-8, 2017, at ShowPlace ICON in the South Loop. The festival is sponsored by Various Artists TV, an independent network and website launched earlier this year in Chicago. The network streams films and shows from independent filmmakers and gives viewers the option to vote for their favorites; it also provides production services to independent filmmakers or small business owners looking to “crew up” a film, TV commercial, web series, or music video.
According to McClinton, combining the familiarity of independent film screenings and competitions with the convenience of mobile streaming and the ease of social media also lent itself to extending the submission process. “The competition is a year long, so we can make the best of the opportunity the Internet gives us and bring exposure to as many filmmakers as possible,” McClinton notes. “We also include social media as a way to engage people from around the world who may not normally be exposed to the festival world.”
