Cedar River Film Festival

Cedar River Film Festival Celebrating films from the Heartland since 2023. Oster Regent Theatre, Cedar Falls, IA This will be a 17+ event.
(2)

The aim of the Cedar River Film Festival is to promote and present films made in the American Heartland (aka The Midwest). Our festival is based in Iowa, and we love how much creativity and diversity there is in Iowa and the states whose borders we share--you know who you are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska. The Cedar River Film Festival 2025 will take place on October 31st

and November 2nd at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls, Iowa just a stone’s throw away from (you guessed it) the Cedar River. Day 1: We will kick off our festival on October 31st with your offerings of horror films, sci fi and adult comedy to celebrate Halloween and all the things creepy and scary (heck, this year some political documentaries might quality). Day 2: Enjoy a day of Shorts, Features, and Documentaries that celebrate stories about the American Heartland. The Cedar River Film Festival is an annual event hosted by the Cedar Falls Community Theatre at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls Iowa.

We're finalizing our lineup today - announcements go out September 15th. Ticket go on sale soon. Hope to see you.
09/08/2026

We're finalizing our lineup today - announcements go out September 15th. Ticket go on sale soon. Hope to see you.

Working behind the scenes on our Official Festival Trailer.
09/06/2026

Working behind the scenes on our Official Festival Trailer.

Spent the last few days working up a tentative lineup, we've also developed some theming for each segment. With Submiss...
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.

07/31/2026
It's going to be a most Unexpected Halloween Weekend.Three days of films celebrating what we affectionately call The Hea...
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

Address

103 Main Street
Cedar Falls, IA
50613

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cedar River Film Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Cedar River Film Festival:

Shortcuts

Share

Category