The 18th edition of the Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival was originally scheduled for November 2021 but was postponed due to Covid-19. The festival returned to Chicago Filmmakers' Firehouse Cinema for in-person screenings from March 18-19, 2022.
Festival dates: Streamed online November 14 - December 5
Winners
- Best of the Fest: 6 Months in 2063
- Best Arts Short: Dear COVID-19
- Best Comedy Short: She Had It Coming
- Best Documentary Short: NINE
- Best Sci-Fi, Action, Horror Short: 6 Months in 2063
- Best Growing Up, Growing Older Short: Miracle of Science
- Best Drama Short Film: Glimmer
- Honorable Mention & Judges Selections:
- Superhero Me
- Carny Trash
- Nameless Forest
- The Bottle
The 2019 Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival was help at Chicago Filmmakers' Firehouse Cinema located at 1326 W Hollywood Ave in the city of Chicago.
WINNERS
BEST SHORT FILM -
Minor Accident of War - Jakob Satzaria
SEMI-FINALIST SHORT FILM -
Anxiety - Tridib Chakraborty
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Pageant Mom, Down
Dickie & Bea
Ballhawks
Just Give Me a Minute to Change
The Sweatshirt
Programmers Awards
Best Foreign
Rock On, Dude!
Best Drama
Broken
Best Animation
King of the House
Best Comedy
Dickie & Bea
Best Musical Short
The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton
Best Documentary
Uncaged: A Stand-In Story
Best Horror
Keep Looking
Best Action
Vicarious
Best Sci-Fi
Dissidence (2084)
Festival dates: November 9-10
Winners
- Best Short Film: Sac de Merde
- Best Animation: Ian
- Best Drama: Tin Can
- Best Documentary: Scenes From A Visit
- Best Music Video: It's The Dystopian Future!
- Best Comedy: William Flugle's Travel Adventures with William Flugle
- Best Web Series: Geek Lounge
- Spotlight Award: Heather Has Four Moms
- Programmers Choice: Leia's Army
- Best SciFi: The Replacement
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Businessmen
- Tin Can
- Dear Dark Lord
- Leia's Army
- Midnight
Festival dates: November 10-11
Winners
- Best Short Film: Confession
- Best Drama: Counting
- Best Comedy: ctrl-alt-delete
- Best Animation: La Postina
- Best Foreign Language: Slush Ice
- Best Documentary: Calvin's Story
- Best Webisodic/New Media: Open Mic
- Best Experimental: Delicatessen
- Best Young Filmmaker: Recess
- Best Horror: Ding Dong
- Audience Choice Awards:
- To Those With Good Intent
- Rockabye
- Sputnik
- Tinder is the Night
- Tracker
Festival dates: December 2-3
Winners
- Best Short Film: Easy Life
- Best Drama: Muhammad Ali - The Olive Branch
- Best Comedy: That's Love
- Best Animation: Riptide Rhapsody
- Best Quirky Film: The Uptowners
- Best Documentary: Superfan
- Best TV Pilot/Webisode: Curfeud Episode 1
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Superfan
- Three of a Kind
- Secrets We Keep
- Carfield
- Sojourn
- Hard Knock Robots
- Boy
Festival dates: December 11-12
Winners
- Best Short Film: Who is Riley Oakes
- Best Drama: The Decision
- Best Comedy: Moving On
- Best Documentary: The Simple Gift of the Walnut Grove
- Best Animation: An Ode to Love
- Best Director: We Interrupt This Broadcast
- Best Horror/Suspense: Awakenings
- Best Science Fiction: Welcome to Forever
- Audience Choice Awards:
- The ART POLICE
- El Capo de Capos
- F the Moon
- Bark Mitzvah
- Out of Touch
- The Champion
- Family Meal
- In the Dark
Festival dates: October 9–12
Winners
- Best Short Film: The King of URL'S
- Best Drama: The Cut/ Le Coupe
- Best Comedy: Lez Be Honest
- Best Documentary: Cloth Paper Dreams
- Best Animation: Desmondo Ray
- Best Actor: The Discount of Ed Telfair - Jeff Bailey
- Best Actress: Lez Be Honest - Christine Rodriguez
- Best Supporting Actor: The King of URL'S - Adam Poss
- Best Supporting Actress: I Can See You - Brenda Strong
- Best Director: Vigilante - Benedict Sanderson
- Best Cinematography: Cloth Paper Dreams - Travis Tank
- Best Editing: Une balade a la mer - Damien Stein
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Journeyman
- Deflated, Twinkies & Donuts, magiCATastrophe
- The Amazing Mr. Ash
- Lucy
- Vigilante
- Beyond the Mat
- Post Reality
- The Heebie-Jeebies
- Love You Still
- The King of URL'S
2004
Festival dates: September 17–19
Winners
- Best Short Film: Directing Rye
- Best Cinematography: Just Like You Imagined
- Best Animation: The Lester Show
- Best Comedy: Unemployed
- Best SciFi Short: Untitled 003: Embryo
- Best Documentary: The Harvest
- Best Music Video: Drunken Liar
- Creepiest Short: Victim
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Two To Tango
- Robot Boy
- Untitled 003: Embryo
- Rocketscience
- Reservations
- Very Proud House
- The Fridge
- Unemployed
- Victim
- Fly Away
- Notes from the Space Time Continuum
- Fishing For Trauster
- Honorable mention:
- Edmund
- Consideration
- SPIN
- Sunday Morning Stripper
- The Next
- Gay By Dawn
- Euro American
2005
Festival dates: September 30 - October 2
Winners
- Best Short Film of 2005: SKYLAB
- Best Sci-Fi: Alliance
- Best Horror: Short Shadow Man
- Best Documentary: Kings of Christmas
- Best Comedy: Dating Tips for Seniors
- Best Youth Film: My First Kiss
- Best Animation: Emilia
- Best Music Video: High Speed Scene
- Best Action Film: Lucky (Australian)
- Best Foreign (tie): Hamoudi & Emil / Le Carnet Rouge
- Best Experimental (tie): Allison / Jane Lloyd
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Totem Pole
- Skylab
- Alliance
- I Spy With My Little Eye
- Pumpkin of Nyefar
- Wishtaker
- You're Breaking Up
- Flatbush
- Gopher Broke
- Mr. Dramatic
- Lucky (Australian Action Film)
- Roadkill
- Breaking into Bollywood
- Poet of Canis
- I Killed Zoe Day
- Good Vibrations
- Honorable mention:
- TOXIN
- Duct Tape + Cover
- MJD
- SHOES
- 13 Waffles
- Wishtaker
- Detroit: Not for Wimps
2006
Festival dates: September 29 - October 1
Winners
- Best of Fest: La La Land
- Best Animation: Dry Sky
- Best Horror Film: Recently Deceased
- Best Documentary Short: Rising Above the Wave
- Best Music Video: Melody Nife
- Best Youth Short: Winter Attack
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Get Me Brenda Vaccaro
- Keg of the Dead
- La La Land
- An American Revolution
- Nowakowsky
- Like Father Like Edison
- The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band
- Imbroglio
- Snoozer
- The Life and Death of a Pumpkin
- Searching for Mr. Stupendo
- Great American Youth
- Honorable mention:
2007
Festival dates: September 21–23
Winners
- Best of Fest: The Trainee
- Best Comedy: The Planning Lady
- Best Music Video: 1992
- Best Scifi: D-I-M, Deus in Machina
- Best Chicago Film: The European Kid
- Best Documentary: Ghost Town: 24 Hours in Terlingua
- Best Animation: I Met the Walrus
- Audience Choice Awards:
- The Meter
- The Planning Lady
- Land of the Free
- Two Days Notice
- Dog Jack
- The Trainee
- W.O.R.M. - Worldwide Organic Replicating Molecule
- Call of Nature
- Unraveling
- Release
- The Von
- Honorable mention:
- Mommy! Mommy! There's a Monster on the Stairs!
2008
Festival dates: September 11–14
Winners
- Best of the Fest: Science Fair
- Best Comedy: Home Cooked Meal
- Best Music Video: The Life Here
- Best Chicago Film: Greg's Leg
- Best Documentary: Baby Face
- Best Animation: The Flower
- Best Youth Film: Super Kitten and the Power Pets
- Audience Choice Awards:
- Small Comforts
- Looking Up Dresses
- Near Miss
- Living with Landmines
- Find My Way
- The Un-Gone
- Miracle Investigators
- Mallow
- Last Dance
- Directors Cut
- PUSH
- A Man's Image
- Honorable mentions:
- Y Not
- Terminus
- Piñatas Revenge
- Verboten
2009
Festival dates: September 10–14
Winners
- Best of the Fest: Sky People
- Best Break-Up Film: L.O.V.E.
- Best Romantic Comedy: True Love
- Best Youth Entry: Sparks in the Night
- Best Artistic Movie: Stringing in the Streets
- Best Romantic Movie: A Time of Flowers
- Best Revenge Movie: Alessandra
- Best Music Video: City of Noise
- Best Horror Movie: Tinglewood
- Most Disturbing Movie: Grandma's House
- Best Foreign Film: Stella
- Best Political Drama: October Surprise
- Best Comedy: A Small Silent Film About Death
- Best Demented Movie: Fish & Chip
- Most Profane Statement: James K. Polk was @#?!ing Awesome
- Honorable Mention:
- Melt Down
- Max & Helena
- More Than You Can Chew
- CAMFBH
- Ex-Bully
- WoW! What A Great Question!
- My First Experimental Film
- The Only One
- The Disconnection of Cyrus Bent
- People's Choice Awards: Under The Table In Barcelona, At Last, Okemah!
