ATLANTA, GA (November 25, 2024) —The Atlanta Film Society is proud to announce the launch of our Annual Atlanta Film Festival Seed & Spark crowdfunding campaign!

ATLFF is a vibrant celebration of independent cinema, showcasing diverse voices & innovative storytelling. As we look to 2025, your support is crucial! In a world craving connection & creativity, ATLFF amplifies emerging filmmakers, fosters dialogue, & inspires audiences. Join us in making magic!

 Mission Statement

The Atlanta Film Festival aims to celebrate independent filmmakers and diverse storytelling, fostering an inclusive community through innovative films and engaging discussions. By promoting artistic expression, the festival strives to inspire audiences and connect people through the power of cinema.

The Story

After struggling out of COVID to then being hit by the strikes, the overall instability of the film industry as a whole was a lot to overcome. We were so blown away by the love and support, and for all those who showed up and showed out to represent and support filmmakers at Atlanta Film Festival 2024. Being surrounded by thousands of independent film lovers seemed like a dream. For 10 days, the world felt normal. And it was the most spectacular feeling! As we head towards our 50th year in 2026, we are excited to continue to grow and support local filmmakers and continue to make them feel seen and heard.

To all those who attended, sponsored, worked, volunteered, and, of course, created the spectacular films - thank you. Thank you for allowing the Atlanta Film Festival to exist. And thank you for allowing us to entertain you. There is a saying, “It takes a village.” Traditionally, this statement is reserved for those bringing a child into this world. But, for us, it’s appropriate. Because we are nothing without our community. Our tribe. And because of you, ATLFF’24 was a smash hit. 

When you’re one of USA Today’s 10 Best Film Festivals and also Moviemaker Magazines' 25 Coolest Film Festivals - people are going to not only submit, but the stars are going to want to show up! ATLFF’24 had over 6,000 film and screenplay submissions from over 200 countries across the world. And films from people like Michael Showalter and Bill Duke were not only worthy of being screened but attended! And they weren’t alone - over 20,000 people flocked to the ATLFF to see what films were selected from those submitted.

And at the ATLFF, we make sure voices are heard, and all stories are told. That’s why we had: 

• 47% BIPOC Directed

• 49% women + non-binary Directed

• 23% of the total lineup programmed from submissions are Georgia films

We also have specialty tracks at the ATLFF, which include New Mavericks, which highlights strong female filmmakers or lead roles; Pink Peach, which shines a spotlight on LGBTQ narrative features, documentaries, or short films; and ¡CineMás!, which highlights Latin American programming, and Noire, which highlights films led by Black filmmakers.

 ATLFF’24 had 17 Marquee Screenings, with our Opening Night film “The Idea Of You” kicking things off with Director Michael Showalter in attendance, and A24’s “Sing Sing” closing things up with Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean 'Dino' Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez in attendance for a live Q&A.  We also had our 14th Annual Creative Conference with both in-person and virtual panels. 

But none of this would have been possible without all of the support from all of you! 

At ATLFF, we pride ourselves on championing the voices of independent filmmakers. Whether they’re from our home state of Georgia or from one of the 30 countries that submitted to ATLFF’24 - we showcase stories of all sizes and colors. It’s our mission to empower the independent film community and to launch film careers.  And thanks to our supporters, we’ve been able to do that for over 48 years! 

The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming that is provided year-round by its parent organization, the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Now in its fifth decade, ATLFF is one of only a handful of film festivals worldwide that is Academy Award-qualifying in all three categories: live-action short, animation short, and documentary short subject.

This means winners of our animated short, documentary short, and narrative short jury awards may qualify to be on a shortlist for Oscar® nominations.

Only a handful of film festivals are Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories, and we are honored to be one of them. And at the 94th Academy Awards, thanks to winning the ATLFF’21 Jury Award Winner for Best Narrative Short, THE DRESS was nominated for Best Live Action Short. More recently, our ATLFF’24 Georgia Short Film Award and Short Audience Award winner, MAKAYLA'S VOICE was picked up by Netflix.

We will be announcing details of the upcoming festival with each new goal reached!

As we said before, Georgia has become the powerhouse in production (Top 3, as a matter of fact), but you can’t have film & TV productions without the people who make that happen: the filmmakers themselves. For nearly 49 years, ATLFF has been a platform for empowering filmmakers.

Many of you give just as a way to give back. And many of you are a backer because it includes some impressive benefits.

We’re a judgment-free zone, so why you give is totally up to you; just know we appreciate you. That’s why we will provide some pretty sweet perks, from your name on the big screen to special VIP treatment. So, if you are definitely planning to attend the 2025 festival? Pledge today and save more on your pass than at any other time of the year. Year-round member? Pitch in $85 and get your 2025  membership to the Atlanta Film Society, which comes with all kinds of year-round perks, like invitations to free advance screenings, member-exclusive events, and more.

If we don’t raise 80% of $20,000, we don’t get a single penny pledged.

This is our 12th year running a crowdfunding campaign, but the pandemic followed by strikes and the state of the film industry as a whole has created new challenges for us to overcome. COVID-19 and the strikes has impacted us financially, limiting our impact on the film community. ATLFF has made some astonishing accomplishments over the last four decades, and the success of this campaign could play a big part in what we're able to do in the future.

Additionally, it is easier than ever to be an Atlanta Film Society member or to buy a badge for the Atlanta Film Festival, meaning some people who have done so through previous campaigns may already be set for 2025. We also face the challenge of trying to raise this money while the whole nation is going through an economic crisis. Now more than ever, we need your help to continue to do what we do best: support independent filmmakers.

We know you have a choice of organizations to support, and we are so thankful to be considered!

We succeed by our ability to help our community grow! Please share the social media copy below with your networks to help promote this campaign and get the word out there. Your help means so much to us, and the independent filmmakers in Georgia that we support!

Please share the following social media copy:

Every year, we ask you, our supporters, to help the Atlanta Film Festival by donating to our Seed & Spark Campaign. Your donations help us share stories from voices found around the world. And the stories from underrepresented storytellers. Once again, please donate to the #ATLFF. And to join us in our mission to #SupportIndieFilms! 

Find our complete shareable social media toolkit here. Be sure to tag us @atlantafilmfestival so we can see you and share with our community as well!

More information can be found for those looking to donate at https://seedandspark.com/fund/atlantafilmfestival-2025.