ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL + CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2023 AWARD WINNERS AND EVENT RESULTS

ATLANTA, GA (May 12, 2023) — The 47th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) is proud to announce the award winners for the 2023 festival, which took place from Thursday, April 20 through Sunday, April 30, 2023. 

Today’s announcement recognizes filmmakers in 12 categories for their achievements and cinematic excellence. Winners of the Narrative Short, Animated Short and Documentary Short Jury Awards not only proudly took home their awards, but now also qualify for the 2023 Academy Awards®. ATLFF is one of less than twenty U.S. film festivals that is Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories: Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short. 

Most award winners were chosen by distinguished jurors from all backgrounds across the film industry. They include sibling filmmaker duo Soda Jerk for “Hello Dankness” which premiered at this year’s Berlin Film Festival; Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz for “Scotty’s Vag.” Caconne is a writer on Amazon Freevee’s 'Cruel Intentions', and previously wrote for Amazon’s 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Cinematographer Petter Ringbom for “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster,” who’s films have screened at SXSW, Tribeca, IDFA, and Hot Docs; among over a dozen other winners. The Audience Awards were determined by both virtual and in-person attendees. 

2023 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Best Documentary Feature:

Winner: DUSTY & STONES, Jesse Rudoy

Jury Special Mention: JESSZILLA, Emily Sheskin

Best Narrative Feature:

Winner: HELLO DANKNESS, Soda Jerk

Jury Special Mention: THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER, Bomani J. Story

Best Animated Short:

Winner: REST IN PIECE, Antoine Antabi

Jury Special Mention: ROSEMARY, A.D. (AFTER DAD), Ethan Barrett

Best Documentary Short:

Winner: BREAKING SILENCE, Amy Bench & Annie Silverstein

Best Narrative Short:

Winner: SCOTTY’S VAG, Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz 

Jury Special Mention: NO OTHER GODS BUT ME, Alex Spott

Best Cinematography (Presented by Panavision and Light Iron):

Winner: THIS WORLD IS NOT MY OWN, Petter Ringbom

Jury Special Mention: RED EARTH, Georg Koszulinski & Kate E. Hinshaw

Georgia Feature Film Award:

Winner: FENOM, Kayla Johnson

Jury Special Mention: THE ONLY DOCTOR, Matthew Hashiguchi

Georgia Short Film Award:

Winner: YOUNG KINGS, Jonathan Banks

Jury Special Mention: CONTENT: THE LO-FI MAN, Brian Lonano & Blake Myers

Audience Award Winners:

Feature Winner: LITTLE BROTHERS, Sheridan O'Donnell

Short Winner: SOUND TO SEA, Ryan Craver 

Previously announced winners of the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition are below. The following 5 Winning Scripts were chosen from 1,921 total submissions. 

Feature Screenplay Winners:

CHANCE BY UNFATHOMABLE FATE by Dmani Williams

FREAKNIK by Jon Vaude

THE SHIMMERS by Brendan Vogel & Ruth Sabin

Pilot Screenplay Winner:

THE SPACE SUITS by Landon Ashworth

Short Screenplay Winner:

I SEE YOU by Faith Dismuke

From a record-breaking nearly 10,000 submissions, ATLFF selected 155 works, a mix of narrative and documentary feature-length films, short films and creative media, for the 2023 festival. Of the selected works,  49% are directed by filmmakers who identify as female or non-binary, and 47% are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). In addition to the selected programming, ATLFF held 17 Marquee screenings and 24 Creative Conference events.

Continuing with a hybrid model of in-person screenings and digital screenings, the 2023 event drew in approximately 20,000 total attendees. Over 12,000 people attended 137 indoor screenings, panels, and events held at The Plaza Theatre, Tara Theatre, Rialto, Dad’s Garage, and other venues during the 10-day festival. An additional 8,000 people streamed screenings from ATLFF’s virtual catalog of over 150 films and 9 Creative Conference workshops, panels, or Masterclasses. 

With many of the in-person screenings selling out, the virtual presentation of the film catalog also proved to be a success. More than three months’ worth of content was streamed during the festival, with viewers in 41 U.S. states, and 27 countries across six inhabited continents. 

This year marks a considerable increase in both in-person attendance & the reach of virtual content, with more than double the in-person attendance and nearly double the number of countries that had people viewing virtual content from 2022.

A full list of jury members with brief biographies is included below, as well as film information for all award winners and honorable mentions. 

The 47th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference took place from April 25 - April 28, 2023. ATLFF is currently accepting submissions for the 2024 festival, which is confirmed to take place April 25 - May 5, 2024. More information can be found at https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/submit.

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL + CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2022 AWARD WINNERS AND EVENT RESULTS

ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2022) — The 46th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) is proud to announce the award winners for the 2022 festival, which took place from April 21 - May 1, 2022. This year’s prizes totaled more than $160,000 in cash and partner donations, representing the single largest amount offered in the festival's competitive categories. Additionally, ATLFF is pleased to share event facts and figures resulting from its hybrid blend of in-person and virtual presentations.

Today’s announcement recognizes filmmakers in 10 categories for their achievements and cinematic excellence. This includes the return of the Georgia Award, which has been awarded to one feature and one short. The Georgia Award will include a Kodak Package from Kodak Atlanta with $1,000 worth of Kodak motion picture stock being awarded to the winners.

Winners of the Narrative Short, Animated Short and Documentary Short Jury Awards not only proudly took home their awards, but now also qualify for the 2023 Academy Awards®. ATLFF is one of less than twenty U.S. film festivals that is Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories.

New this year, winners of Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Georgia Feature have been awarded nearly $20,000 of rental credit donated by the Plaza Theatre. This will allow the three films to have an Academy Award®-qualifying theatrical run at the historic movie theater, which is also the primary location of ATLFF in-person screenings and events. The Atlanta Film Festival is the first to offer this to feature films that win.

Award winners were chosen by distinguished jurors from all backgrounds across the film industry, with select awards determined by the film festival’s programming team. A full list of jury members with brief biographies is included below. In addition to the juried award winners, Audience Awards were determined by both virtual and in-person attendees.

2022 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Jury Award Winners:

● Best Documentary Feature: “After Sherman”, directed by Jon-Sesrie Goff

● Best Narrative Feature: “Hékate”, directed by Nadia Benedicto

● Georgia Feature Award: “Refuge”, directed by Din Blankenship and Erin Levin Bernhardt

● Best Animated Short: “Night of the Living Dread”, directed by Ida Melum

● Best Documentary Short: “Chilly & Milly”, directed by William D. Caballero

● Best Narrative Short: “Moshari”, directed by Nuhash Humayun

● Narrative Short Special Jury Mention for Acting: “The Bond,” performance by Ashley Wilkerson film directed by Jahmil Eady

● REEL SOUTH Short Award: “Winn”, directed by Joseph East and Erica Tanamachi

● Georgia Short Award: “Glitter Ain’t Gold”, directed by Christian Nolan Jones

● Georgia Short, Special Jury Mention: “Winn,” directed by Joseph East & Erica Tanamachi

● Best Cinematography: “Do Not Hesitate,” cinematography by Nadim Carlsen, film directed by Shariff Korver

● Cinematography, Special Jury Mention: “Master of Light” cinematography by Jurgen Lisse , film directed by Rosa Ruth Boesten

Special Career Award Winners:

● Phoenix Award: George Anthony Morton, Painter and subject of documentary, “Master of Light”

Programming Award Winners:

● Southern Documentary Fund Filmmaker Award – Feature: “A Homecoming I’ll Remember”, directed by Jasmine René McCaskill

● Filmmaker to Watch Award: Esteban Bailey, "El Extrano en la Casa Rivera"

Audience Award Winners:

● Virtual Exclusive Audience Award (Feature): “Daughter of a Lost Bird” directed by Brooke Pepion Swaney

● Virtual Exclusive Audience Award (Short): “The Bond” directed by Jahmil Eady

● Audience Award (Feature: “Refuge” directed by Din Blankenship & Erin Levin Bernhardt

● Audience Award (Short): “Glitter Ain’t Gold” directed by Christian Nolan Jones

Screenplay Winners:

● Feature Screenplay Awards:

“Gordito”, by Miguel Castillo

“Ruby Safeway” by Amanda Biggs

“St. Louis Superman” by Jon Alston and Ron McCants

● Pilot Screenplay Award: “Spesh” by Jeff Locker

● Short Screenplay Award: “Black Butterflies” by Tamara S. Hall

Special Jury Mentions:

• ”You Resemble Me” directed by Dina Amer

• ”Outta The Muck” directed by Bhawin Suchak & Ira Mckinley

• ”F1-100” directed by: Emory Chao Johnson

• ”My Grandmother is an Egg” directed by: Emory Chao Johnson

Award winners were selected from the lineup of 153+ works chosen from a record-breaking nearly 10,000 submissions, including 20% with ties to Georgia and a combined total of 74% directed by filmmakers who identify as female or non-binary and/or are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).

Continuing with a hybrid model with in-person screenings and digital screenings, the 2022 event drew over 24,000 total combined attendance. During the 11-day festival, more than 5,000 people attended 62 in-person events held at six venues, including the Plaza Theatre, Dad’s Garage, The Carter Center, Maison Rouge, Botanical Gardens, and Hotel Clermont as well as those who views streamed screenings from ATLFF’s virtual catalog of 77 films and 25 Creative Conference educational programming.

More than 2,265 hours of content were streamed during the festival, with viewers in . states, including District of Columbia, and 15 countries across 5 inhabited continents. The virtual format also allowed for over 75 festival filmmakers and over 50 industry experts and professionals to participate in the Creative Conference.

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL + CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2021 AWARD WINNERS

The 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) is proud to announce the award winners for the 2021 festival, running from April 22-May 2, 2021.

Winners of the Narrative Short, Animated Short and Documentary Short Jury Awards not only took home their awards, but now also qualify for the 2022 Academy Awards®. The Atlanta Film Festival is one of less than twenty US film festivals that is Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories: Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short. 

Audience Awards will be announced following the conclusion of the festival. For information on the 2021 Jurors (and the competition films), please visit www.atlantafilmfestival.com/2021/jury.

2021 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
CARTERLAND – directed by Jim Pattiz & Will Pattiz

SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR ARTISTIC SPIRIT AND INGENUITY (DOCUMENTARY FEATURE)
SOCKS ON FIRE – directed by Bo McGuire

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
CULPA – directed by Ulrike Grote

SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR RISING DIRECTOR AND LEAD ACTOR (NARRATIVE FEATURE)
LUDI – directed by Edson Jean, starring Shein Mompremier

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
UN DIABLE DANS LA POCHE – directed by Antoine Bonnet & Mathilde Loubes

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
SEAHORSE – directed by Nele Dehnenkamp 

HONORABLE MENTION (DOCUMENTARY SHORT)
SCARLET MEDUSA – directed by Spencer MacDonald

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
THE DRESS – directed by Tadeusz Łysiak

HONORABLE MENTION (NARRATIVE SHORT)
ANITA – directed by Sushma Khadepaun

HONORABLE MENTION (NARRATIVE SHORT)
BORN AGAIN – directed by Candice Onyeama

HONORABLE MENTION (NARRATIVE SHORT)
GEORGIA – directed by Jayil Pak

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (SPONSORED BY PANAVISION AND LIGHT IRON)
OFF THE ROAD – cinematography by Ernesto Trujillo

HONORABLE MENTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY)
SOCKS ON FIRE – cinematography by Matt Clegg

GEORGIA FILM AWARD
bustitOpen – directed by Danielle Deadwyler

FILMMAKER-TO-WATCH
Justice Jamal Jones – director of HOW TO RAISE A BLACK BOY

SOUTHERN DOCUMENTARY FUND FILMMAKER AWARD (PRESENTED BY THE SDF)
Recognizing excellence in documentary storytelling through a Southern lens.
SOCKS ON FIRE – directed by Bo McGuire
TEN LEAVES DILATED – directed by Kate E. Hinshaw, co-directed by Ebony Blanding

Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference Announces 2020 Award Winners and Event Results

ATLANTA, GA (October 8, 2020) — The 44th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) is proud to announce today the distinguished jury and audience award winners for the 2020 festival, which took place from September 17, 2020 – September 27, 2020. Additionally, as the first major annual event to be held in Atlanta with an in-person component since the pandemic began, ATLFF is pleased to share event facts and figures resulting from its unique and innovative presentation.

Today’s announcement recognizes filmmakers in 10 categories for their achievements and cinematic excellence. Winners of the Narrative Short, Animated Short and Documentary Short Jury Awards not only proudly took home their awards, but now also qualify for the 2021 Oscar® short list. ATLFF is one of the few festivals in the country that is Oscar-qualifying in three or more categories.

The award winners were chosen by distinguished jurors from all backgrounds across the film industry. They include Danielle Deadwyler, an actress and filmmaker known from her roles in series such as “Atlanta” and HBO’s “Watchmen;” Dawn Porter, an award-winning filmmaker who recently directed JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE; Toby Wilson, an art director for Sony Pictures Animation; and Logan Hill, a veteran arts journalist who has spent 20 years reporting for the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and GQ; among over a dozen others.

2020 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Best Narrative Feature:
THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS, directed by Robert Machoian

Special Jury Award - Narrative Feature:
NAFI’S FATHER (BAAMUM NAFI), directed by Mamadou Dia

Best Documentary Feature:
OVERSEAS, directed by Sung-A Yoon

Best Narrative Short:
ARABIAN ALIEN, directed by Meshal Aljaser

Best Documentary Short:
WATER CHILD (MIZUKO), directed by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo

Honorable Mention - Documentary Short:
COBY AND STEPHEN ARE IN LOVE, directed by Carlo Nasisse & Luka Yuanyuan Yang

Best Animated Short:
KAPAEMAHU, directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson

Honorable Mention - Animated Short:
THE KITE (POUSTET DRAKA), directed by Martin Smatana

Honorable Mention - Animated Short:
SH_T HAPPENS, directed by Michaela Mihalyi & David Stumpf

Best Cinematography:
LOOKING FOR LIFE (CHÈCHE LAVI), cinematography by Sam Ellison

Honorable Mention - Cinematography:
MALPASO, cinematography by Juan Carlos Gómez 

Georgia Film Award:
BEAST BEAST, directed by Danny Madden

Filmmaker-to-Watch Award:
Rachel Harrison Gordon (BROKEN BIRD)

Audience Award Winners:

• BEAST BEAST, directed by Danny Madden

• CURTIS, directed by Chris Bailey

• DADDIO, directed by Casey Wilson

• BEST SELLER, directed by Nora Kirkpatrick

From a record-breaking 8,500+ submissions, ATLFF selected 148 works, a mix of narrative and documentary feature length films, short films and creative media, for the 2020 festival. Of the selected works, 55 percent were directed by a female, 20 percent had ties to Georgia and approximately 50 percent were directed by a person of color. In addition to the selected programming, ATLFF held ten Marquee screenings and 32 Creative Conference events.

Shifting from in-person screenings and events to a drive-in and digital format, the 2020 event drew approximately 27,000 total attendees. An estimated 4,250 people attended 50 drive-in screenings held at three venues (The Plaza, Dad’s Garage and Pullman Yard) during the 11-day festival. An additional 22,750 people streamed screenings from ATLFF’s virtual catalog of 127 films and 32 Creative Conference workshops, panels or Masterclasses.

With many of the drive-in screenings selling out, the virtual presentation of the film catalog also proved to be a success. Nearly three months’ worth of content was streamed during the festival, with viewers in 42 U.S. states and 14 nations across all six inhabited continents. The virtual format also allowed for 65 industry experts and professionals to participate in the Creative Conference, including writer and producer Damon Lindelof, who held a virtual Masterclass just days after winning 11 Emmy Awards for HBO’s “Watchmen.”

A full list of jury members with brief biographies is included in the attachment, as well as film information for all award winners and honorable mentions.

The 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference is set to take place from April 22, 2021 – May 2, 2021. ATLFF is currently accepting submissions for the 2021 festival.

ATLFF '18 Audience Award-winners Announced!

The 42nd annual Atlanta Film Festival had both more films than ever, but also more attendees than ever! With nearly 28,000 festival-goers, it took us quite a while to count those ballots and declare our Audience Award winners.

Congratulations to MAYNARD (directed by Samuel Pollard) for winning the ATLFF '18 Feature Film Audience Award and to COLOR BLIND (directed by Daniel Oramas) for winning the ATLFF '18 Short Film Audience Award! See all of the other ATLFF Award Winners here.

In case you missed it during the festival, MAYNARD is currently playing at the Plaza Theatre!

Connor Simpson wins the ATLFF '18 Filmmaker-to-Watch Award for KUDZU!

For the fifth year, our Generosity crowdfunding campaign backers have been given the opportunity to participate in a Backers Jury for a unique award. The Filmmaker-to-Watch Award is chosen out of a wide selection of short films from the 2018 ATLFF lineup. 

2018 Filmmaker-to-Watch Nominees

• "Absent" | directed by Sudarshan Surehs
• "After Her" | directed by Aly Migliori
• "Brooklynn" | directed by Charlie Mysak
• "Emergency" | directed by Carey Williams
• "Kudzu" | directed by Connor Simpson
• "Runner" | directed by Clare Cooney
• "Sin Cielo" | directed by Jianna Maarten
• "Souls of Totality" | directed by Richard Raymond

Congratulations to Connor Simpson, director of KUDZU for being chosen by our Backers Jury as the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival Filmmaker-to-Watch! KUDZU screens Saturday, April 14 at 9:45 PM at the Hilan Theatre as part of the "Year of the Carnivore" short film block!

Check out Connor Simpsons reaction! 

Kudzu | directed by Connor Simpson, USA, 14:50
During a scorching summer in rural Alabama, a young boy wrestles with a deepening sense of remorse after the disappearance of his friend.

For more info on Kudzu, visit the Facebook Page! 

Meet the 2018 ATLFF Jurors!

The 42nd Annual Atlanta Film Festival is pleased to announce this year's jurors and competition selections.

On the Narrative Feature Jury, we have Ana Asensio (Filmmaker; SXSW 2017 Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize-winner), Kimber Myers (Film Critic, Los Angeles Times & The Playlist) and Melodie Sisk (Producer; ATLFF alumna). The narrative features in competition are Cardinals, Dead Pigs, Disappearace, Facades, Restos de Viento (Wind Traces), Strange Colours, Thy Kingdom Come and Tigre.

The Documentary Feature Jury includes Howard Barish (Owner, Kandoo Films, Inc.; Academy Award-nominated & Emmy Award-winning Producer), Laura Heberton (Producer; ATLFF alumna) and Peter Spirer (Founder, Rugged Entertainment [partner company of XLrator Media]; Academy Award-nominated Filmmaker). Films in the documentary features competition are Black Memorabilia, Freedom for the Wolf, Ingrid, Man Made, Nos Llaman Guerreras (They Call Us Warriors), Onibo, Silas and 306 Hollywood.

Our Academy Award®-qualifying Narrative Short Jury includes Ebony Blanding (Filmmaker, House of June; Filmmaker-in-Residence, Atlanta Film Society; ATLFF alumna), Ian Durkin (Senior Curator, Vimeo; Filmmaker) and Daniel Robin (Associate Professor of Communication, Georgia State University; ATLFF alumnus; Filmmaker). Abu Adnan, Arlo Alone, Conterfeit Kunkoo, For Nonna Anna, Krista, Laws of the Game, Magic '85, Men Don't Whisper, Pantheon, San Miguel and Wyrm are the narrative short films in competition.

Judging our Academy Award®-qualifying Documentary Short competition, we have Lisa Hasko (Manager of Fiscal Sponsorship & Documentary Programs, Film Independent), Emma Loggins (Founder & Editor-in-Chief, FanBolt) and Rachel Morgan (Creative Director, Sidewalk Film Festival). The documentary shorts in competition are All the Leaves Are Brown, Charming Strangers, Eighth Continent, Footprint, The Last Honey Hunter, Nuuca, Shot., Socks on Fire, Stay Ups, Street Racers and Zion.

On our Animated Short Jury—also an Academy Award®-qualifying competition—we have Molly Coffee (Filmmaker; Production Designer; Filmmaker-in-Residence, Atlanta Film Society; ATLFF alumna), Allyssa Lewis (Founder & CEO, My Animation Life; Animator) and Marcus Rosentrater (Filmmaker; Animator; Producer, “Archer;” Filmmaker-in-Residence, Atlanta Film Society; ATLFF alumnus). The films up for the animated jury prize are And the Moon Stands Still, The Box, Fundamental, Heaven, Ming, Nevada, Railment, Tête à Tête, Two Balloons and The Wolf Guru.

Additionally, our Generosity crowdfunding campaign backers have been given the opportunity to participate in a Backers Jury for the fifth year in a row. The Filmmaker-to-Watch Award is chosen out of a wide selection of short films from the 2018 ATLFF lineup and voted on by our Backers Jury.

The ATLFF '18 Awards Brunch will take place on April 21, 2018. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.

Daveed Diggs to Receive the Inaugural ATLFF Innovator Award at our 2018 Opening Night Presentation of BLINDSPOTTING

The Atlanta Film Festival is pleased to unveil the Opening Night Presentation for the 42nd annual festival. BLINDSPOTTING, the upcoming feature film debut from director Carlos López Estrada starring Daveed Diggs, will kick off ATLFF on Friday, April 13, 2018. Diggs, who co-wrote the film with lifelong friend Rafael Casal as a provocative yet challenging love letter to their hometown of Oakland, will attend the April 13 red carpet screening at the Plaza Theatre with Casal and will receive an ATLFF Innovator Award.

This year, ATLFF will launch a new initiative to honor Originators, Innovators and Rebels in the film industry, a symbolic gesture in the spirit of key figures who have helped shape Atlanta's story. Daveed Diggs will be the first recipient of the ATLFF Innovator Award.

BLINDSPOTTING

Directed by Carlos López Estrada
USA, 2018, English, 95 minutes

Collin (Daveed Diggs) must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning.  He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles (Rafael Casal), work as movers and are forced to watch their old neighborhood become a trendy spot in the rapidly gentrifying Bay Area. When a life-altering event causes Collin to miss his mandatory curfew, the two men struggle to maintain their friendship as the changing social landscape exposes their differences.

Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about friendship and the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of Oakland.  Bursting with energy, style and humor, “Blindspotting,” boldly directed by Carlos López Estrada in his feature film debut, is a provocative hometown love letter that glistens with humanity.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 30, 2018. Badges on sale now!

Before the festival kicks off, the public is invited to an ATLFF Kickoff Party on March 30th at the Rialto Center for the Arts from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Festival attendees will be able to pick up their 2018 badges, purchase tickets and festival merchandise, receive program guides and enjoy food and drinks.

ATLFF '16 Jury & Audience Award Winners Announced!

Photo: Border Union Photography

2016 Jury Award Winners

• Narrative Feature Jury Award - HUNKY DORY (directed by Michael Curtis Johnson)
• Documentary Feature Jury Award - DRIVING WITH SELVI (directed by Elisa Paloschi)
• Documentary Feature Special Jury Award - JUANICAS (directed by Karina Garcia Casanova)
• Narrative Short Jury Award - THUNDER ROAD (directed by Jim Cummings)
• Documentary Short Jury Award - KRAINA (directed by Christina Tynkevych)
• Animated Short Jury Award - SHELL ALL (directed by Zaven Najjar)
• Music Video Jury Award - "Dove" performed by Pillar Point (directed by Jacob Krupnick)
   
• Filmmaker-to-Watch Award - ZELOS (directed by Thoranna Sigurdardottir)
• New Mavericks Award (presented by SPANX & The Sara Blakely Foundation) - DRIVING WITH SELVI (directed by Elisa Paloschi)
• Southern Spotlight Award (presented by Cineverse) - QUE SERA (directed by Robyn Hicks)
• Seed&Spark Award (for Crowdfunded Films) - EAT WHITE DIRT (directed by Adam Forrester) and THE NEW ORLEANS SAZERAC (directed by James Martin)

2016 Audience Award Winners

• Audience Award Feature - THE FOUNDERS (directed by Charlene Fisk & Carrie Schrader)
• Audience Award Short - HOTEL CLERMONT (directed by Heather L. Hutson)

ATLFF '15 Official Selection BEAR STORY Receives Academy Award Nomination

Bear Story (Historia de un oso)

ATLFF '15 official selection "Bear Story (Historia de un oso)" received a nomination for the Best Animated Short Oscar! Directed by Gabriel Osorio Vargas, the film tells the story of an old bear's life through a mechanical diorama.

Mountainfilm on Tour ATL '15 also featured a short film that went on to recieve an Academy Award nomination. "Body Team 12," directed by David Darg, also received a nomination for Best Documentary Short.

Body team 12

The Atlanta Film Festival is an Academy Award-qualifying festival in all three short film categories. The winners of our Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short Jury Prizes go on to become eligible for Oscar shortlist inclusion.