Big Teeth Film Fests:
Filmmaking is in our DNA
(it’s somewhere between the N and the A).
We love creating original short films and supporting Chicago’s independent film community through our own Chicago short film festivals. For this reason, we started various film festivals to both feed our love of the craft and support the art of filmmaking itself.
Big Teeth 60-Second Film Fest
WHAT: The Big Teeth 60-Second Film Fest is an annual event that takes place as part of the Ravenswood Art Walk in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. It is a 10-13 minute showcase of original short films all one-minute in length. Each film is inspired by a famous work of art that is chosen at random by the filmmaker. All of the participants are current or former Big Teeth employees as well as friends, freelancers and collaborators of all stripes.
WHEN/WHERE: This show happens once per year at the Big Teeth studio. Screenings happen every 20 minutes from 11AM-6PM, and are free to the public.
WHY: The Big Teeth 60-Second Film Fest began as a way to take the skills we use on a daily basis and apply them for the sake of art and entertainment. This annual event has become a great way for us to engage our local community while also recharging our creative batteries with new ideas and methods of filmmaking. Now in our 9th season, we see familiar faces every year who tell us it’s their favorite part of the Art Walk (aw shucks).
[Insert quotes we’ve gotten from former attendees]
WANNA SEE MORE? For winners and yearly programs click here.
LOVE this festival!!! I now associate it fully with Ravenswood Art Walk and look forward every year!
Michael K.
Big Teeth 60-Second Film Fest Attendee
SUBMISSIONS: Got a short that you want the world to see? Visit bigteethsmallshorts.com to submit to an amazing Chicago Short Film Festival.
WHAT: Big Teeth Small Shorts Film Festival (BTSSFF) is a bi-annual short film showcase in Chicago that features only super short films (up to 5 minutes long). Each event is a one-night screening where you will see between 35-40 shorts from all over the world by filmmakers of all stripes. It is an independent film event that is meant to appeal to any type of movie fan from super snob to Marvel Marvin.
WHEN/WHERE: Screenings happen twice a year at Facets, Chicago’s favorite independent cinema house. To purchase tickets or find out more visit bigteethsmallshorts.com.
WHY: After the success of The Big Teeth 60-Second Film Fest, we fell in love with the idea of curating a really great show that supports truly independent filmmakers while also providing a really cool cultural experience for film snobs and “regular” folks as well. Film festival submissions are a funny thing and there are so many artists pouring their heart onto the screen in search of an audience, but the rules or the fees of so many film festivals make that a huge challenge.
We believe that there are tons of talented filmmakers out there who either can't afford to make longer films or believe in very short form storytelling, and we want to help them showcase their work at an independent film event that honors those who make the films and those who love to watch them.
Big Teeth Small Shorts Film Fest
This was my first festival! So much fun! Every one [film] is so different and unique. This is great!
Dane L.
Big Teeth Small Shorts Film Fest Attendee
WHY SHOULD I CARE? AREN’T YOU A VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY?
While hosting short independent film festivals may not seem like it directly correlates to what we do at Big Teeth, spoiler alert: it does. Since the point of the work we do is to actually make videos that people will want to watch whether it's for marketing, or brand recognition or whatever, seeing thousands of short films a year and curating them into a well crafted, intentional showcase allows us to be on the pulse of trends, as well as connecting with potential collaborators across the globe.
Filmmaking is art and science. By creating spaces for the art to be seen, it not only just feels good to give so many voices a venue, but it keeps our own brains fresh and inspired.
DO YOU FOCUS ON ANY PARTICULAR GENRES?
We’ve experimented with so many different ways of arranging and rearranging the submissions we receive and what we’ve come to realize is that part of what makes our shows special is that there’s so much variety in genre, in style, in medium, in age, race, religion and nationality of the filmmakers. The unexpectedness of a screening in that one thing that’s right up your alley might come before the weirdest, oddest thing you’ve ever seen, and you may end up liking the oddball better! Or you may hate it. Either way, you’ll experience something unique and different from scrolling the Tiks and the Toks all night long. And you’ll be supporting independent artists and filmmakers which is a pretty nice bonus.
