CREATIVE CONFERENCE
Presented by Cine Fi
In-person and virtual panels, workshops, and in-depth conversations with industry experts from Atlanta to Los Angeles and New York
For 16 years, the Atlanta Film Festival has curated a robust lineup of educational programming, known as the Creative Conference, as part of our annual film festival. The 2026 Creative Conference offers 38 in-person panels, workshops, and presentations, as well as 12 new virtual panels and conversations for a total of 50 events to celebrate 50 years of independent filmmaking. Sessions bring together filmmakers, industry leaders, scholars, and creatives from across the country, with a focus on practical tools and community-building in independent film. This year’s programming emphasizes filmmaker development and the enduring indie spirit, with sessions on emerging storytelling formats, alternative financing, practical effects, evolving distribution models, and micro-budget production.
The Creative Conference serves to educate, entertain, engage, and enlighten festival-goers by pulling back the curtain on film and television production, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how projects get made. While covering a wide range of topics, our programming focuses on craft, collaboration, community building, and the future of filmmaking.
2026 Creative Conference
