Willy and Talli Wyler host a special luncheon seminar for film students at USA Film Festival, 1975








For samples of past program flyers (mailers), please see the Programs section of the site.

Upcoming program installment -
55th Annual USA Film Festival, April 2025

SUBMIT FOR 2025 -- Submission platform is currently OPEN

BE OUR GUEST IN DALLAS TO PRESENT YOUR FILM -- If your feature film is selected to play in the curated showcase, air travel (U.S.-based filmmakers only) and lodging will be provided (based on available resources) to enable filmmakers to be with us in person to present their works.
*(Note: Air travel and lodging resources are limited; We distribute these funds as films are booked/confirmed into the schedule until funds are exhausted.)

Final Deadline to submit films = March 5, 2025

Important Note:  Your short or feature film must be a Dallas-area premiere.
We will not consider films that have shown in our area before April 20, 2025.

How to submit a film:

SHORT FILM SUBMISSIONS -- Awards; Competitive

-Both U.S. and foreign works are accepted
-Must be a Dallas-area premiere
-Please use submission platform linked below to submit your film -- FilmFreeway)
-Submission fee varies $50-80 (See submission platforms for deadlines)
-Winning films are selected during the program by our visiting National Jurors (announced on Closing Night); Finalists are notified prior to the Festival

Important Note About Short Film Submission Fees and Fee Waiver Requests -- We apply the submission fee rules universally for all filmmakers. We cannot waive the fee for one filmmaker and not for all. Exception: If your previous short film has won a category award at the USAFF program, we have a donor fund to pay for your new submission fee.  (Past Category Winning Fillmmakers - Please contact us for information on how to submit your new short film.)

AWARDS -- Winning filmmakers receive a FREE DCP conversion of their film to keep. In 2021, over 70 short filmmakers were awarded free DCP conversions.

Over $1 million dollars in cash, prizes and travel expenses have been awarded.
For a list of past Winning Short Films click here.

FEATURE-LENGTH FILM SUBMISSIONS -- Curated Showcase; Non-competitive

-Both U.S. and foreign works are accepted.
-Must be a Dallas-area premiere.

Two submission options:

Option 1 - No fee
-You must mail us a playable* DVD screener (no online screener links accepted; no exceptions)
*NOTE: If your screener DVD will not play in our media, there will be no opportunity to re-send. Instead, we will contact you to provide a screener link and require payment of the full $60 entry fee; no exceptions.
-See submission platform linked below for deadlines and other instructions at FilmFreeway
DEADLINE FOR FREE SUBMISSIONS/Physical Media = January 15 (received in our offices by February 15)
After January 15, you can still submit via link w/fee -- see Film Freeway for details.

Option 2 - $40-60 depending on deadline
-Screener links accepted
-See submission platform linked below for deadlines and other instructions at FilmFreeway

USAFF Submission Platform (shorts & feature-length films)






Submissions are accepted year-round.

Filmmakers are encouraged to submit their works as soon as possible to increase their chances of acceptance.

Most recent program installment -
41st Annual KidFilm Festival January 2025

NOTE: KidFilm submissions (screener link) may be made via the following method:

filmfreeway.com/festival/kidfilmfestival

Both short films and feature-length works are accepted.

Submissions are accepted year-round.

Next program installment - Scheduled throughout the year

The Texas Filmmakers Showcase and TexFest showcases feature new works with a connection to the Lone Star State. Films eligible for inclusion include short and feature-length works shot in Texas and films by Texas filmmakers.

Filmmakers are invited to submit short or feature-length works to this non-competitive program. Please send a DVD screener (NTSC only please) with a synopsis and contact info (along with any other info you want us to have) to:

Program Coordinator
USA Film Festival/TEXFEST
6116 N. Central Expressway, Suite 105
Dallas, Texas 75206

Submissions are accepted year-round.

For the Spring Festival curated showcase (features and non-US shorts) -- We will contact you if we can schedule your work to play. Because last minute changes are typical for festival programs, there is no "deadline to hear" about the status of your film. We are rearranging the schedule up until it prints.

For the Shorts Competition -- Please do not contact the Festival regarding the status of your short film. Decisions for the Competition are exclusively in the hands of the Jurorsl. All entrants will receive a list of the winning films after the program in May.

We are sorry that we are not able to speak with every filmmaker about their work. Please understand that we receive hundreds of film submissions each year which makes it impossible for us to talk with or email every filmmaker about their work. Filmmakers can contact us after the Competition to receive Jury feedback and comments.