The 2025 Lake County Film Festival

The Lake County Film Festival returns for its milestone 15th edition, bringing an exciting and diverse slate of films to local audiences from September 4–7 and September 12–15, 2025. The festival will screen more than 134 films, including 17 feature-length films and over 120 short films from around the world.

Screenings will take place primarily at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, with additional screenings hosted at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest.

True to its mission, the Lake County Film Festival remains dedicated to showcasing independent voices, powerful storytelling, and cinematic innovation—without a fixed theme, but with a commitment to quality and variety. The 2025 lineup includes everything from thought-provoking documentaries to boundary-pushing narratives and inventive short-form storytelling.

Film fans can explore the full lineup and schedule at 2025.lakecountyfilmfestival.org. Tickets, badges, and festival passes are now available at the-lake-county-film-festival.square.site.

This year’s event is presented with the generous support of the College of Lake County, with additional programming at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest.

As the festival continues to grow and evolve, its goal remains the same: to bring remarkable, often underseen films to appreciative local audiences—and to celebrate the community that makes it all possible.