Georgia Film Festivals

The state of Georgia has so many incredible film festivals worth considering for your festival run. Here are some of the best in the state, and the skinny on how and where to submit. The festivals are listed in order of their next dates.

Atlanta Film Festival

Dates: April 20th - 30th, 2023

Website: https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/atlff

Now in its fourth decade, the Atlanta Film Festival—one of only two-dozen Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the U.S.—is the area’s preeminent celebration of cinema.  The Atlanta Film Festival is one of the largest and longest-running festival in the country, welcoming an audience of over 28,000 to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films, selected from 8000+ submissions from all over the world.  It is also the most distinguished event in its class, recognized as Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, 10Best and Atlanta Magazine.

BronzeLens Film Festival

Dates: August 23-27, 2023

Website: https://bronzelens.com/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/BronzeLensFilmFestival

The BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Georgia, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that is dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. In fact, the mission of the BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta is two-fold: to promote Atlanta as the new film mecca for people of color and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers.

Macon Film Festival

Dates: August 17-20, 2023

Website: http://www.maconfilmfestival.com

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/MaconFilmFest

Surrounded by a rich musical and Southern culture, the Macon Film Festival celebrates independent films while promoting filmmaking for entertainment, inspiration education and economic development. The Macon Film Festival screens independent films from around the world in multiple historic theaters in the city's downtown district. The festival features film screenings, celebrity guests, special screenings and workshops throughout the four-day festival.

Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival

Dates: September 19-23, 2023

Website: https://morehousehumanrightsfilmfestival.com

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/MorehouseCollegeHumanRightsFilmFestival

The Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival (MCHRFF)  is a 3-day film festival highlighting documentaries and short films that provoke discussions about human rights and social justice. MCHRFF features competition film screenings, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and artist workshops conducted by masters in screenwriting, editing, directing, and producing films

Georgia Film Festival

Dates: September 15-16, 2023

Website: http://blog.ung.edu/georgiafilmfestival/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/GeorgiaFilmFestival

The Georgia Film Festival is a two-day film festival hosted by the University of North Georgia on its Gainesville campus. GFF is a festival built to celebrate filmmakers & works made in the state of Georgia and in the southeast. Attendees get to see independent films from Georgia and surrounding states and learn from industry experts through panels and workshops. Filmmakers get to showcase their work and build relationships.

Out On Film

Dates: September 21 - October 1, 2023

Website: https://www.outonfilm.org/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/OutOnFilm

One of the oldest LGBT film festivals in the country, Atlanta's Out on Film is dedicated to supporting the exhibition of LGBT film and video art forms. A nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, Out on Film was created in 1987 to inform, entertain, educate and enrich the regional LGBT community by recognizing the creative work of these artists and professionals, many with local connections. Out on Film's popularity is accomplished in part by offering multiracial and multicultural films, and over the years it has been recognized locally, nationally, and globally for showcasing films by, for, and about the LGBT community.

Georgia Latino International Film Festival

Dates: September 21-24, 2023

Website: https://georgialatinofilmfestival.org/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/GeorgiaLatinoFilmFestival

Each year during Hispanic Heritage Month the Georgia Latino Film Festival brings together four inspiring days filled with premieres, classes, panels, exclusive parties, and awards showcasing the top storytellers and filmmakers in the Latino Film Industry and Georgia.

Savannah Film Festival

Dates: October 21-28, 2023

Website: https://filmfest.scad.edu/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/SCADSavannahFilmFestival

The Savannah College of Art and Design presents the annual festival, filled with cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. Each year, more than 40,000 people attend the eight-day Savannah Film Festival. The festival is host to a wide variety of competition film screenings, special screenings, workshops, panels and lectures.

ME Film Festival

Dates: September 20- 24, 2023

Website: https://www.mefilmfest.com

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/MEFilmFestival

The ME Film Festival (Milledgeville-Eatonton) is an international industry initiative founded in 2013 as the Milledgeville Film Festival.  While working in Middle Georgia on the reality show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”, producer Jeremiah Bennett and Director BJ Golnick realized Milledgeville was a treasure trove for unique filming sites.  Not only is she the antebellum capital of Georgia, she is also home of acclaimed author Flannery O’Connor, whose family farm Andalusia is a world-wide pilgrimage destination. O’Connor’s alma mater “Georgia State College for Women” located in Milledgeville is now the state’s public liberal arts university, known as Georgia College.  Other hidden jewels include the Oconee River Greenway, Bartram Forest and the Central State Hospital campus, once the largest mental hospital in the world.

Rome International Film Festival

Dates: November 2-5, 2023

Website: http://www.riffga.com/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/RIFF

Since its inception, RIFF has prided itself on providing filmmakers with a truly unique, sophisticated and welcoming experience, featuring two full days of screenings, parties and professional networking and development opportunities. Emerging as a favorite among regional audiences, the festival has garnered strong support from local businesses and eager film lovers from the surrounding community. It was selected as one of “20 film festivals worth the entry fee” by MovieMaker Magazine.

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Dates: February 2024

Website: https://www.ajff.org/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/AtlJewishFIlm

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is a multi-week cinematic exploration of Jewish life, culture and history. Seeking to use the power of film to both entertain and educate, AJFF challenges conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing both the Jewish and global communities. In 2015, a record-breaking 38,600+ moviegoers attended the AJFF, cementing its status as the highest attended Jewish film fest on the planet.

RENEGADE Film Festival

Dates: On hiatus for 2024

Website: https://renegadefilmfest.com/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/RenegadeFF

THE RENEGADE FILM FEST is built on elevating marginalized voices, fostering a sense of community and empowering one another to create. We are proud to showcase diverse content and promote inclusion & visibility in order to bring a sense of balance and equality to independent cinema.

South Georgia Film Festival

Dates: March 2024

Website: http://southgeorgiafilm.com/

Film Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/SOUTHGEORGIAFILMFESTIVAL

The South Georgia Film Festival showcases the art and industry of filmmaking across the region. It includes feature films and shorts, with a broad educational component featuring panels and Q&A’s of visiting filmmakers. These include PBS directors, professionals from Hollywood and Atlanta, and independent filmmakers. Projects from college and high school filmmakers are also included, as they compete for potential scholarships to Valdosta State University.