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For Immediate Release

Date: October 1, 1999

Contact: Bryan Wendorf
773/327-3456

Call For Submissions For The Second Annual Chicago Underground Film Fund

The Chicago Underground Film Festival is now accepting applications for the
Second Annual Chicago Underground Film Fund. Established in 1998, the Fund
is a completion grant program to aid underground and independent film and
video makers who share the festival's maverick spirit and defiant attitude
CUFF will award cash grants in the range of $500 - $2000 to selected
projects in the final stages of production that are in keeping with our
mission to promote works that push boundaries, defy commercial expectations
and transcend the mainstream of independent filmmaking. "As the independent
film world becomes increasingly homogenized it has become difficult for
truly cutting edge work to find funding", says Festival Director Bryan
Wendorf, "The Chicago Underground Film Fund exists to provide financial
support for projects that aspire to be more than industry calling cards."

In 1999 CUFF awarded grants to six projects: Ecstasy in Entropy by Nick
Zedd, Swinger's Serenade by Danny Plotnick, Straightman by Ben Berkowitz and
Ben Redgrave, Superstarlet A.D. by John Michael McCarthy, I'd Rather Be Dead
Than Mellow - The Life and Art of Robert Williams by Angi Glenn and Ana
Wolovick and Live! Nude! Girls! UNITE! by Julia Query. After receiving his
grant Ben Berkowitz, director of Straightman, said, "The CUFF grant was the
first vote of confidence we got from anyone. The money helped us finish
Straightman, but the recognition by our peers was equally as important to
our film."

The fund is open to all film and video directors and producers. We will
consider proposals for any existing project, regardless of length, genre, or
final exhibition format. Film projects in 35mm, 16mm, or super-8, and all
video formats are eligible.

The submission deadline for the fund is February 1, 2000 and awards will be
announced May 1, 2000. For grant applications or 2000 festival entry forms
contact the festival at 773/327-FILM,
Email [log in to unmask], or visit our website at http://www.cuff.org.

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Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite