The Lake County Film Festival returns in 2026 for its Sweet 16 edition, celebrating sixteen years of independent cinema with a diverse, ambitious, and international slate of feature and short films. The festival runs March 12–23, 2026.

This year’s festival will screen films at three venues: the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Gorton Center in Lake Forest, and — for the first time — the Antioch Theater in Antioch, expanding the festival’s footprint and access across Lake County.

Gorton Center is proud to be one of the screening venues and offer a curated selection of short films from the festival catalogue! Some filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-show Q & A!

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