The fifth annual 815HORTS Film Festival returns Friday-Saturday, November 13-14, 2026, to City Stage Studios (821 1st. Ave., Rockford, IL 61104). This year's festival is set to include; film screening blocks in the animated, documentary and live action genres; the Illinois Film Office’s Shortcuts Student Film Contest for the second-straight year; various educational sessions highlighted; special guest appearances; and a screening of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Shorts Tour, marking the fifth-straight year that 815HORTS has partnered with the world-renowned Sundance Institute.
815HORTS is also again partnering with the Illinois Film Office (IFO) to bring back the IFO Shortcuts Short Film Contest for Illinois students ages 22 and under.
To submit films for screening consideration, visit the 815HORTS FilmFreeway page HERE. More information about this year's festival will be released soon!
2026 SCHEDULE + FEATURED GUESTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2026
Education, Guests + Screening Schedule To Be Announced Soon!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2026
Education, Guests + Screening Schedule To Be Announced Soon!
2025 FEATURED GUESTS
DENAE BENITES
Baseball Player,
USA Women's
National Team
MADISON EGAN
Shorts Programmer,
Tribeca Festival
JAMES FORNI
Founder,
Octane Rich Media
PETER HAWLEY
Director,
Illinois Film Office
DR. LESLIE HEAPHY
Board Chair,
International Women's Baseball Center
JOSIAH SJÖSTRÖM
Founder,
City Stage Studios
ELAINE WYDER
Managing Attorney,
Convex Legal
2025 815HORTS PHOTO GALLERY
2026 815HORTS PARTNERS
CHAMPION SPONSORS
FRIEND SPONSORS
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
VENUE PARTNER
NONPROFIT PARTNER
SPECIAL THANKS
Sundance Film Festival + Luxe Productions + Peter Hawley
+ Don Hatton + Josiah Sjöström
2026 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR
A curated collection of six standout short films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival — including three Festival Award-winning titles — the 2026 Sundance Shorts Tour (99 minutes in duration) offers a mix of stories that highlight bold perspectives and next-gen storytellers. The 2026 Tour provides a curated glimpse into the Festival’s selections, highlighting the depth of narrative possibilities explored in the short film format. For those who couldn’t attend the 2026 Sundance Film Festival — held in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 22-February 1, as well as online — this tour invites audiences across the world to experience a collection of resonant, provocative, tender, and human-centered fiction, nonfiction, and animated shorts that showcase truly dynamic independent storytelling.
In 2026, the Short Film Programmers selected 54 short films to screen at the Sundance Film Festival out of 11,480 global submissions. Every year, a collection of shorts from the Festival’s most recent program is selected for this theatrical tour in dozens of cities.
CONTACT + PRODUCTION
Partnerships and Inquiries: Nick@PlusSevenCompany.com or 815.708.1644.