VORTEX FILM FESTIVAL
Our festival mission is to create a community of area cinema enthusiasts and filmmakers of all experience levels for networking, support, and inspiration. The Vortex Film Festival showcases movies produced by regional Midwest filmmakers and filmed in South Dakota and neighboring states.
The 2026 Vortex Film Festival is planned for September 25–27. Film submissions will open on Film Freeway April 1.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, film-lover, or just looking for something different in Vermillion, this festival is for you. Mingle with creative talent and experience film the way it was meant to be seen—on the big screen, surrounded by community.
In August 2023, we met Screams from the Basement Podcast hosts Casey and Sam who asked whether VCA had ever considered hosting a film festival at the Coyote Twin. We had, in fact, been dreaming of that since our early days renovating the theater. Exactly one year, one month, and one day later, we welcomed over 200 guests to the inaugural Vortex Film Festival with a lineup of 41 films, including the South Dakota premiere of nationally released Lost on a Mountain in Maine by South Dakota director Andrew Kightlinger.
Send us a message at events@vermculture.org to be a part of the only East River film festival!
Vortex Film Festival is supported in part by the South Dakota Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Vermillion Cultural Association, and the Coyote Twin Theater.
10 E. Main Street
A dedicated cinema for over a century, the Coyote Twin is an entirely nonprofit theater that screens current feature films and hosts special screenings and private rentals.
Our two auditoriums seat a combined total of 228 and feature industry standard digital projection and newly updated Dolby speakers. In 2023 we refreshed our lobby and concessions area for improved customer service, and as of 2025, our auditoriums both feature state of the art laser projection. We’re proud to be Vermillion’s local nonprofit cinema!
VERMILLION
ABOUT VORTEX
Homeland of the Lakota Wasé Wakpa community, seat of Clay County, and location of the National Music Museum and flagship institution University of South Dakota, Vermillion is nestled in the southeast corner of South Dakota, not far from the Missouri River. We are just 1 hour south of Sioux Falls, 40 mins from Sioux City, and an easy 2 hours from Omaha.
Vermillion’s bustling downtown features several local eateries, a lot of USD Coyote Spirit, and the Coyote Twin Theater, of course. Download the LiveVermillion mobile app to start planning your trip!