NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY'S

ALTGELD HALL
116 Altgeld Hall
Dekalb, IL 60115

Check out the awesome 2022 Film Selections here soon!

We will be announcing our 2022 film selections very soon!

Any night out in a big city has the potential to be a good night, the risk of being a bad night, and typically ends up somewhere in between—but only some nights can claim to be That Night.

The night where little choices lead to big decisions, chance encounters to second chances, Uber drivers keep themselves busy in the strangest of ways and taking the wrong pill can be really bad for the upholstery.

For Stacy, an artist with one eye on the future of design and the other stuck looking hopelessly at his ex-lover, that night is tonight. 

Two middle-aged quirky singles are at the same restaurant waiting, fretting, getting anxious to meet the other one they connected with on OK-cupid with a 90+ compatibility rating. Twenty minutes later, they can’t stand it anymore and text to see who has the better table. After his sip of liquid courage and a slip on split beer and her last swipe of lipstick, they meet. His compliment and her lack of conversation leads them to “laying all the cards on the table.” They go back and forth with his wants, her needs, their compatibilities, leading to a kiss until he declares, “I talk to my mother every day.” Among all of the outrageous revelations of themselves this is the deal breaker. His phone rings.

With a timeshare on the line, three couples compete to set up their single friend by midnight on New Year's Eve.

When 5 friends share what scares them the most, a visitor might be the answer.

A young woman brings her new boyfriend home to meet her not-so-tolerant parents for dinner.

In an effort to give filmmaking one last try, failed director Kipp Swanson accepts a job to document the alleged horrors of a local haunted home. He assembles a team of inept "ghost hunters", including his reluctant ex-girlfriend.

Realizing his comedy career is going nowhere, a cough syrup addicted clown quits drinking and starts a band in order to get the attention of his estranged wife.

Kevin, Emmett, and Ronnie are clowns struggling to find work in a world that is afraid of them. After running over and killing a homeless old man in their clown car, the three clowns have to find a way to dispose of the body to prevent further defamation of clowns.

While on their first mission, two rookie agents are put to the test on a mission gone wrong.

A friendsgiving goes awry when the relatives show up uninvited... What do you give up and gain for family?

Rita and Marty are planning a last “last hurrah” friendsgiving party before she gets knocked-up with a baby. Unexpectedly, her very mid-western relatives show up, his dream girl is a plus-one, a female best-friendship unravels, and a gray divorce looms large. Set against an impending “snowpocalypse” storm, the party-goers are trapped in the apartment, forced to deal with bombs of love and friendship… and what we give up and gain to start a family.

Ben struggles through his insignificance after his best friend gets him a job at a local graveyard, where he encounters pranks, mourners and the inevitability of the inevitable.

Pretty Metal is a proof of concept dramatic comedy about a rising female pop group of high school besties who reinvent themselves as a heavy metal band in order to chase fame and fortune after their star member leaves them. Pretty Metal explores the themes of redemption, family, and control. Audiences will be amazed to learn that this film was made in July 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Roy and Joy Wernecke show local TV host Mark Messina some secrets to cooking a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

Lyle, a frustrated Mormon missionary and Sarah, a lonely housewife of a televangelist, have long been chained to the harsh trappings of strict religion and forced to suppress their innermost sexual desires. Can the firm guidance of their religious tutors keep their “sins” at bay? Should it?

A young couple gets asked a Would You Rather question by a mysterious homeless man pertaining to a situation where, if caught in a pinch, would they rather poop in the bathroom at a party and clog the toilet or go poop outside in the bushes. Unknowingly, he has cursed them to live out their respective answers at a party later that night.

Mark thinks he throws the best parties and he's invited his friends to prove it. A fancy mansion. A murder mystery. And his best bud by his side. The only thing that could go wrong is the guest list.

For the last 150 thousands years, mankind has longed for a time when all of human knowledge and wisdom could be at his fingertips. And with the internet and mobile devices, that time has finally come.
However, there have been some unexpected consequences.

With its interactive user interface and pre-loaded content, buk is the new (and best) alternative to traditional e-readers.

Learn about our 2022 Laugh or Die Screenplay Finalists below soon and see who wins best screenplay at the festival!

Learn about our 2022 Laugh or Die Screenplay Semi-Finalists below soon!