We want your film. And we want it now. We’ve been living off of a high since the festival for 2013, casually dreaming up big ideas over beer and green bean fries, getting giddy over how well the films from 2013 are doing now, and missing our new friends who stumbled into Bay City in September. But, alas, we’re ready to kick it into full gear. But first, we need the films.

We want you to dazzle us with your film, so hard that sparkles come out of our eyes when we tell other people what we’ve just seen. We want you to tickle our fancy so hard that we can’t help but laugh out loud. Tell us such a touching story that we start using our score sheets as tissues. Shock us. Horrify us. Make us remember your film as we fall asleep later that night. If you can do any of that, you’re in, for sure.

Submissions are currently being accepted for feature-length, animation, shorts, foreign language, documentary, music-focused feature, and late-night feature films.

But with all your creative genius you may be wondering why you should take a chance on us. Well, because we are fun. Hell’s Half Mile Film Festival is backed by awesome volunteers who boast about the festival, the fun, the community, the films, and all that comes with it to any willing ear. We try hard to give filmmakers a unique experience—starting with paying for your travel and hotel accommodations (for a limited number of filmmakers). And once you arrive, we’ll whisk you away with free passes, catered receptions, a great downtown experience, interaction with the community, and plenty of free time to network with the other visiting filmmakers.

“I’ve never been to a fest that has such a positive immediate energy like yours, particularly letting the filmmakers get to know each other,” said David Spaltro of Things I Don’t Understand.

Hooked yet? Well even if you are, there’s also this: if your film is accepted into the festival, your fee will be refunded. Plus, if you’d like to submit again in the future, you’ll receive a fee-waiver for future projects and free all-access passes to any future festival (rather your film is in the fest or not).

Once accepted into the festival, we take special care to promote the hell out of your film. We aren’t afraid to tell the community and social networks what we love. And this doesn’t stop when the festival does; we continue to support our past filmmakers as they go on to new projects.

“Hell’s Half Mile gives me warm feelings in my heart,” said Kenny Stevenson, writer and actor for Love, Sex, and Missed Connections. “The warm feeling in my pants is possibly unrelated. It’s worth every minute and it’s the kind of festival that you make movies for.”

Okay, okay. You’re thinking that’s all well and good, but what you really want is some recognition. Don’t worry. We also have audience choice awards, a programmers’ choice award, and a $1000 cash prize for the Hell’s Half Mile jury award.

So pop around our website, check out our venues, browse our past films, watch some videos from last year’s festival, and get a sense of who we are. You can even stalk us on Facebook and Twitter.

To submit your film, visit the submission page on withoutabox. The final deadline is May 1, 2014 (WAB extended deadline) with earlier deadlines and discounted fees before that. See the page on WAB for more details and deadlines located within each submission category.