FILM SUBMISSIONS FAQs

How do I submit my film to ATLFF?

We only accept film submissions on FilmFreeway. If you are new to FilmFreeway, your first step will be to create an account and then to create a “project” for your submission. Check out FilmFreeway’s help pages for more information on how to get started submitting to festivals.

Please do not email us your films. We cannot consider any project that has not been officially submitted through FilmFreeway.

We strongly suggest that you have a permanent member of the crew submit your film (preferably the director or a producer). Please use an email address that is checked regularly in case we need to get in touch with you throughout the submission process. If there is an issue with your submission and we are unable to get in touch with anyone on the filmmaking team by our final submission deadline, we will be forced to disqualify your submission (without refund of submission fees).

When is the submission deadline?

You can find a full list of deadlines under the “Dates & Deadlines” section of our FilmFreeway page.

Please keep track of deadlines closely if you plan on submitting within a certain submission window. All deadlines are set for 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (with the exception of our final deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time).

Any submissions that are incomplete by our final deadline will be disqualified without refund of submission fees.

Does my film need to be a world premiere to submit?

We do not require a world premiere in any category, but premiere status is taken into consideration when making final selections, in the following ways:

Feature films that have been (or will be):

• Publicly released online

• Publicly available on VOD

• Publicly released DVD or other media

prior to the Atlanta Film Festival are not eligible to screen.

Short films that are available online are programmed on a case by case basis. Films that have screened online as part of a virtual festival presentation are still eligible to play at ATLFF.

It is the submitter’s responsibility to notify ATLFF of any updates in premiere status as they occur, especially if the film is selected for another festival in the state of Georgia.

Does my film need to be a Georgia Premiere to submit?

We strongly prefer to program works that have not yet screened in the state of Georgia. Exceptions to this rule may be made on rare occasions and are solely at the discretion of the programming team.

A Georgia Premiere is required for consideration in the feature competition categories, excluding the Georgia Feature Award.

How many films can I submit?

You can submit as many projects as you would like, as long as they are all eligible to screen at the Atlanta Film Festival. However, you must pay a separate submission fee for each submission.

I’m not sure which category I should submit my film to. Can you watch it and tell me?

Descriptions and eligibility requirements for each submission category are listed on the sidebar of our FilmFreeway page under the “Categories and Fees” section.

We’re unable to pre-assess films in advance for category fit, however if we think your film should be considered in a category other than the one to which it has been submitted, we will re-assign its category, so it can be properly assessed.

My short film is experimental but it’s also narrative (/documentary/ animated). Should I submit in ATLFF’s Experimental Short category or the Narrative (/Documentary/Animated) Short category?

It’s hard to say for sure without seeing the film itself, but it’s worth mentioning that ATLFF employs a fairly strict definition of the term “experimental” - we mean work that continues in the avant-garde tradition of filmmaking by setting aside narrative or other traditional structure in order to focus on the material of the medium. In general we advise that short films with one foot in the experimental world and one in the narrative (or doc or animated) world should submit to those latter categories and not to our Experimental Short category.

Also please consider looking at some of our recent ATLFF Experimental Short programs (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021) for an idea of how we’ve programmed this category in the past.

Is there a difference if I submit early?

If you submit early you will spend less money on your submission fee. Submitting early won’t increase your chances of getting accepted (though it may increase your chances of a well-rested programmer watching your film!).

All program slots are held open until we’ve watched and evaluated all submissions. Every year we program some films that were submitted early in the submission period and some that were sent in last-minute.

What are your submission fees?

You can find a full list of submission fees under the Categories & Fees section of our FilmFreeway page.

What screener formats do you accept?

All FilmFreeway submissions must include a streamable online screener of the full film. We do NOT accept DVDs, Blu-Rays, or files. We cannot evaluate your film based on a clip or trailer alone.

Online screeners may be uploaded directly to FilmFreeway or embedded from a third-party streaming platform (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).

The submitter is responsible for ensuring that their screener link and password is active through at least the Final Submission Deadline. In the event of a password or screener URL change after submitting, email us immediately. If we discover an error with the screener, we will attempt to email the submission contact for an update. Failure to respond by the final submission deadline will result in disqualification without refund of submission fees.

How do I submit Virtual Reality films and how are they reviewed?

For 360° video — please provide either or both:

• Private 360-enabled screener (Vimeo, YouTube or Oculus Media Studio.)

• Downloadable video link.

NOTE: 360° video is reviewed via headset whenever possible.

For tethered/PCVR and other room scale/interactive projects: We REQUIRE a full video recording of the experience. While you may include app links and builds alongside that, the video screener is the primary format for consideration. Lastly, please detail any technical requirements for the exhibition (such as schematics, compatible HMD/tech, etc.).

Do you accept rough cuts/works-in-progress?

Yes. Just be sure to mark the submission as a rough cut/work-in-progress/WIP both in your cover letter and in the screener file itself (preferably as an intertitle before the start of the film). Please note which elements are incomplete (e.g. color correction, score, missing shots, etc.)

We watch and consider incomplete versions of films all of the time, and our programming staff is used to looking past some technical roughness to assess the core of a submitted film. Just keep in mind that if your film is selected, you’ll need to be prepared to deliver the final cut to us shortly after we notify you of your film’s selection (usually in mid-February).

I submitted last year and wasn’t accepted. Can I resubmit?

We do not recommend re-submission of films that we’ve already seen in previous year, unless the current version being submitted is a radically different cut or if the previous submission was a work in progress with lots to be done.

You should know, however, that in practice it’s rare for us to select a resubmitted film the following year. If you do resubmit, please note in your submission that the film was previously seen by us, and indicate what changes were made to the new cut.

Can I have a waiver?

Typically, only 2 types of project are eligible to receive submissions waivers for ATLFF:

• films by Atlanta Film Festival alumni

• films made by those living in countries in which international sanctions prevent them from paying a fee.

If either of these terms apply to you, please email us at submit@atlantafilmfestival.com.

A submission fee guarantees your work is properly viewed and considered, and neither submission fees nor waivers guarantee acceptance. Submission fees support competition cash prizes, festival travel support for attending filmmakers, and the small team of staff that watch thousands of hours of films each festival cycle.

Do you offer student discounts?

Yes, there is a discount for student work ($5 off of the submission fee). This discount can be activated on FilmFreeway by selecting the "Student" option during checkout. To qualify, you must have completed the film while enrolled as a student.

Do you offer discounts for Georgia filmmakers?

We offer a discounted submission fee for any project that meets the following requirements:

• The film was least partially filmed in Georgia

AND

• The director of the film resides in the state of Georgia.

Films that are not live-action are also eligible for the discount if the director resides in the state and produced the film at least partially in Georgia.

If your film meets the above criteria, email ga@atlantafilmfestival.com with proof of Georgia residency to receive your discount code.

How do I know you received my submission?

In your FilmFreeway account, under the “Submissions” tab, you can locate your submission to our festival. As long as the Submission Status is listed as “In Consideration,” your film has satisfied all of our requirements and is ready to be reviewed by our screeners and programmers.

Why is my Submission Status listed as “Incomplete?”

Films that are listed “Incomplete” at the time you submit are most likely missing a screener. Please check your submission again to ensure that your screener was uploaded properly.

Reasons a submission will be considered incomplete include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Screener is missing

• Screener has been deleted or password has been changed

• Screener is missing subtitles (if in a foreign language), audio, image, or any feature that prevents us from properly judging it

If we discover an issue with your submission during the submissions process, we will reach out to the submitter to correct the problem. At this point, we will also update the status of the film to “Incomplete.” If at any point your film is listed as “Incomplete” and you did not receive an email disclosing the reason, please reach out to us at submit@atlantafilmfestival.com.

I want to withdraw my film, can I get a refund?

Once a project is listed “In Consideration” on FilmFreeway, we are unable to offer refunds for any reason, including (but not limited to):

• Submission to the wrong category

• Change in premiere status or distribution

• Duplicate submissions

• Failure to pay the full submission fee by the final deadline

• Failure to provide a working screener by the final deadline

• Project’s failure to comply with submission Rules & Terms (as specified on our FilmFreeway page).

• Improper use of a discount code or waiver

• Rejection from the festival

• Withdrawing your submission for any reason

Can we send you updated versions of our already-submitted film?

Yes, but:

You must replace the embedded or uploaded screener in your FilmFreeway project with the updated version. If you only email us the new version without switching it out on FilmFreeway, it won’t get seen by us. For more info on replacing your screener, see this FilmFreeway help topic.

When you submit your film to ATLFF via FilmFreeway, it immediately goes into our queue for consideration, and is assigned to screeners and programmers at their earliest availability. Once we’ve seen and considered your submission, re-screening to assess subsequent versions of your film is not guaranteed.

My film just got accepted to another festival, will that mess up my chance at ATLFF?

First of all, congratulations! Getting your film selected at a festival is a big deal. Secondly, there’s no need to “save” your world premiere for us; as noted elsewhere in this FAQ, ATLFF does not require world or US premiere, we only ask that your film hasn’t screened in Greater Atlanta (or preferably, in Georgia) before.

So whether you accept (or not) a premiere at a festival in another state won’t matter for us. And we’d much rather your film play at as many festivals as possible, so we’d never advise you to turn down a chance to screen elsewhere.

When will filmmakers be notified of the final decisions for the Atlanta Film Festival?

Our Notification Date is listed on our FilmFreeway page. In the unlikely event that we need to change this date, we will notify, in writing, all filmmakers with work submitted.

All submitted filmmakers will hear from us with a final selection decision on or before our posted Notification Date.

How will we be notified?

Accepted films will receive an invitation letter by email. Films that are not accepted to screen will also be notified by email by the notification deadline.

It’s past your notification date and I still haven’t heard anything, what’s the deal?

We almost definitely tried to notify you by email, but it missed your inbox.

Please make sure the email address associated with your submission remains active throughout the submission process. Also, please add each of the following accounts to your address book to prevent ATLFF communication regarding your submission from going to spam: submit@atlantafilmfestival.com, noreply@filmfreeway.com

If my film is programmed, am I guaranteed an in-person screening?

All accepted films will screen at least once during the festival, with the possibility of an encore screening for select films/shorts blocks when appropriate. All scheduling, screening venues, digital platforms, and time slots are at the discretion of the ATLFF staff and are subject to change.

For 2023’s festival, we presented all programming in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and we intend to do so again for successive festival editions.

What genres do you accept?

EVERYTHING! Yes, that includes experimental, puppetry, horror, sci-fi, action, etc. You name it, we have played it.

Will you take a look at my film and tell me if I should submit to you?

We cannot review any film that hasn’t been formally submitted to us.

Perusing our past program guides (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021) is the best way to get a sense of what we program. But keep in mind, our program is going to look different every year. The number one thing we’re looking for is originality. We watch thousands of films every year, and we’re always on the search for films that present something new and really stand out.

How long can films be?

We have no upper limit for runtime, however films must be submitted to the proper category according to length. In accordance with Academy rules, short films must have a run time of 40 minutes or less. If the film is longer than 40 minutes, it is classified as a feature film.

If I submit to one category, will I be considered for others I may be eligible for?

Your film is only considered for the category (or categories) you submit to. Read the category descriptions carefully, and email us if you have any questions.

Do you have any ratings limitations? Do you program films with strong content and language?

We have no ratings limitations on films submitted. We program films with a variety of content, from kid-friendly to work that would only be appropriate for mature audiences. Our mission is to program great films and a strong lineup first and foremost.

Do you have a preference for local films or films with local connections?

Being from Atlanta or Georgia does not guarantee your film’s acceptance to ATLFF. However, we strive to be a strong advocate of local talent and filmmakers. We are proud to highlight homegrown talent and films with local ties. In each of the past several years, Georgia films have made up 20-25% of our program.

We offer a discounted submission fee for any project that was at least partially filmed in Georgia AND comes from a director who resides in the state of Georgia. Email ga@atlantafilmfestival.com for more information.

Do you have competition sections?

Yes. Jury Prizes are awarded in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Animated Short, and Documentary Short, Georgia Feature, and Georgia Short.

There are normally 6 to 8 feature films in each feature competition section (Narrative and Documentary) and 10 to 15 films in each short film competition section (Narrative, Documentary, and Animation).

Films placed in competition are chosen solely at the discretion of the ATLFF programming team. Acceptance to the festival does not guarantee placement in competition.

Do you screen films out of competition?

Yes. Most of our films will screen out of competition. Films that screen out of competition may still be eligible for non-juried awards. Each year we have an Audience Award for both features and short films (voted on by the audience after each screening).

Do you program international films?

Yes, we love international films! Each year, we screen films representing around 40 countries, selected from submissions received from over 110 countries.

Do you prefer films with celebrities?

We prefer great and interesting stories. If a star happens to show up in a really great film, great! But it’s not a requirement. If you look at our film guides from previous years (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021), you’ll see that the vast majority of films we program do not have big names in the cast.

Do you program films that are already available online?

We’ve often included short films that have already been made available online by filmmakers, and we expect to do so again in the future. However, any feature films that are publicly available online are not eligible to screen at the Atlanta Film Festival.

Note that this only applies to films that are PUBLICLY available to screen. Films that have screened online as part of a virtual festival presentation are still eligible for screening at ATLFF.

Will you actually watch my film?

Yes! ATLFF’s programming team works for about 7 months of each year to make sure that every film submitted to us is seen by someone on the ATLFS payroll, i.e. a programmer with the decision-making power to put films forward for final review.

Volunteer screeners also screen submissions alongside ATLFS programmers, however volunteer screeners are not empowered to add or remove films from final consideration.

Who are your programmers?

You can see info about our programming staff here.

In addition to our year-round staff programmers, we also work with seasonal contract programmers, who watch submitted films and deliberate on final programming decisions. Programmers who work with us have also programmed at places like SFFILM, Tribeca, Sidewalk, Slamdance, New Orleans Film Festival, and others.

Who are your screeners?

Our screening committee is made up of more than 100 volunteers. Some are academics, some are filmmakers, some have been attending ATLFF for years, some screen for other festivals, and others are past ATLFF alums.

Who makes final selections?

Final selections are made exclusively by ATLFF programmers. Screeners assist in the process by providing additional feedback on submissions, but they do not select our program or eliminate films from consideration.

Can I find out how my film is doing once I’ve submitted?

The submission review process is long and complex, and typically does not conclude until very close to our notification date, so we’re not able to offer any informal updates in response to emails from submitted filmmakers. You will always be notified of any changes to your submission status. As long as the status of your FilmFreeway Submission is listed as “In Consideration,” it is still a contender for ATLFF selection.

I want to join the screening committee but I also worked on a film that was submitted to ATLFF. Can I still volunteer?

Yes, but screeners who were involved in the production of a submitted film will be restricted from judging films in the same category they submitted in (e.g. an editor on a submitted Narrative Short cannot screen in the committee’s Shorts division, however they may be able to screen in the Features division). Failure to disclose involvement in a submitted film will result in immediate dismissal from the screening committee.

I saw that you’re an Academy-Award qualifying festival. What does that mean?

We are Academy-Award qualifying in our Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short categories. That means that each year, the film that wins our Best Narrative Short jury award qualifies for the Best Live-Action Short category, the film that wins our Best Documentary Short jury award qualifies for the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category, and the film that wins our Best Animated Short jury award qualifies for the Best Animated Short Film category at the following year’s Academy Awards.

For more information on the Academy Award qualification process, please refer to AMPAS’s Academy Awards RULES & ELIGIBILITY Website.

How do I know if my film is in competition?

If your film is selected for the ATLFF program, the Programming team will notify you of your film’s competition status in your acceptance letter. An invitation to the festival does not guarantee that a film will play in competition.

What are the Georgia Film Awards?

Our Georgia Film Award has grown into two juried awards – Georgia Feature Award and Georgia Short Award. Eligible shorts and features with Georgia ties are entered into these competition categories.

What are ATLFF’s captioning requirements?

All accepted films must provide captions in order to screen. Filmmakers can access a complete captioning guide here: https://www.3playmedia.com/learn/popular-topics/closed-captioning/

Films without captions are eligible to submit, but will be required to create a caption file after acceptance in order to screen.