The Call for Entries for the 2017 Atlanta Film Festival is now open!

From March 24 to April 2, 2017, we will be celebrating our 41th anniversary and we are looking to you to help us make it our best yet.

Last year, we received over 4,700 film submissions from more than 120 countries across all 6 populated continents (sorry, Antarctica). Out of nearly 200 films that play the Atlanta Film Festival each year, roughly 80% of those come from submissions! In programming next year's festival, we are looking for groundbreaking works in narrative and documentary features and short films, animations, experimental films, puppetry films, music videos, virtual reality films and episodic pilots. We are pleased to have Pivot as our documentary film sponsor for 2017.

We received nearly 600 screenplay submissions last year, making for our most competitive Screenplay Competition since its inception in 2008. We are looking for innovative and compelling storytelling, for characters that surprise and challenge you, for words that pop off the page, and for narratives that twist and turn like a country back road. This year we’re accepting both feature scripts and pilot scripts; you’re more than welcome to submit in both categories. 

Films and screenplays must comply with category requirements and filmmakers must complete the process and payment to be considered for ATLFF '17. Have questions? Check out our Film Submissions FAQ and our Screenplay Submissions FAQ.

The Bureau of Creative Works Spotlights 12 Indie Filmmakers—Including ATLFF Alum!

12 independent filmmakers, 12 original short films.

The BUREAU of CREATIVE WORKS is a year long film experiment. We will give 12 independent filmmakers a small budget to produce 12 original short films. In joining The BUREAU, you become an integral part of a community of film-enthusiasts, and, most importantly, a community that doesn't simply curate the hard-work of artists after-the-fact, but instead, directly contributes to the earliest stages of creative work. 

As filmmakers and film enthusiasts, we share a responsibility to not only create and encourage quality films, but to provide a sustainable environment where filmmakers will feel supported and have access to the tools that they need to experiment and share their stories. 

Quality films don't happen in a vacuum, they require a supportive and collaborative environment.

One of the 12 filmmakers is ATLFF '14 Narrative Feature Jury Award-winner Leah Myerhoff ("I Believe in Unicorns"). Two more spots are open in the BUREAU, maybe they can be Atlanta filmmakers!

ATLFF Celebrates Women in Film with New Mavericks Film Series at Synchronicity Theatre

In partnership with Synchronicity Theatre, the Atlanta Film festival is proud to present the 2015 New Mavericks Film Series. The film series stems from our year-round program that supports women involved in various aspects of the Atlanta film community to achieve a strong voice in the local industry. Expanded from the festival’s acclaimed female-directed shorts block, New Mavericks meets on the third Wednesday of every month at Java Vino to provide networking opportunities, educational programs, opportunities for professional development, and more.

The upcoming film series will feature opening and closing night films, an animation workshop, an educational film screening on the history of the female filmmaker, and a block of local short films—all directed by women. Purchase a series pass below to get a discount on admission, access to all screenings and hangouts, discounts from area restaurants, and opportunities to win prizes!

AUGUST 21st & 22nd

OPENING NIGHT Friday, Aug. 21st @ 8pm
CHILDREN'S ANIMATION WORKSHOP & SCREENING Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 12pm
THE HERSTORY OF THE FEMALE FILMMAKER Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 2:30pm
FEMLANTA Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 5pm
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS Saturday, Aug. 22nd @ 5pm
(Q&A Director Leah Meyherhoff)

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The Future of Filmmaking with Brian Newman - Wed, Oct 30

 PushPush presents the fabulous Brian Newman (former CEO of Tribeca Film Institute and former Atlanta Film Festival Executive Director, among other notable work) in residence w/ PushPush for three days only (10/29 – 11/1) as part of development for the upcoming GRFX Series Project. He will do ONE public session only to discuss his massive expertise on this subject. Filmmakers – if you don’t know who he is you should!  The public event will be in less than 2 weeks, and we will post exact 411 here, and on our website. Blame the govt shut for the last minuteness. You can read about Brian’s work all over the WWW. Here is a quick link to his highlights. And stay tuned. This is not to be missed.

Wednesday, October 30, 7pm
489 Edgewood Ave, Atlanta 30312
Admission is $10 cash or card at door. RSVP at pushpushtheater@gmail.com.

~~Brian is also hosting a LIMITED number of private, hour-long consults from 10/29-11/1. Email PushPush at the address above to get on the list and schedule. Discounted fee is $75 (normally $150)~~

ABOUT BRIAN NEWMAN: Brian Newman is the founder of  Sub-Genre, a strategic consulting company focusing on business development projects in the entertainment and cultural industries. Brian is also the co-founder and CEO of Crowd Play, LLC a recently funded start-up launching a mobile application called Flicklist. Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute, president of Renew Media and executive director of IMAGE Film & Video. He blogs about film and new media at www.Sub-Genre.com.

Previously, Brian served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI), where he conceived and launched the Reframe project, a ground-breaking initiative in partnership with Amazon to aggregate, curate, digitize and disseminate as DVD and digital download and streaming over 1,000 hard-to-find films and videos to educational institutions, museums, galleries, and the general public. Brian developed all concepts for the accompanying website (www.reframecollection.org) which used open source cataloguing, social networking, curation and new web tools to help consumers, curators and educators to find, use and interact with film content.

As President of Renew Media, Brian initiated and led a merger with TFI in 2008, which consolidated and expanded both organizations programs. Renew Media, founded by the Rockefeller Foundation as National Video Resources, developed programs in support of film and new media artists. Programs included: the Media Arts Fellowships, awarding over $1 Million annually to film and new media artists; the “Looking At” traveling series of films to over 300 cities annually and numerous advocacy projects on behalf of independent filmmakers.

He speaks regularly on new media, innovation, audience development and the future of the industry. He is also lead acquisitions consultant for “Something to Talk About,” a new documentary series founded by Brainstorm Media and DirecTV, which will premiere 12 films annually on television, in theaters and on DVD and digital outlets. He was executive director of IMAGE Film & Video Center, producer of the Atlanta Film Festival, and has held positions at the IFP and the South Carolina Arts Commission.

Brian serves on the board of Muse Film & Television and is chair of the board of Rooftop Films, and was an officer of the board of Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media (GFEM) for five years. He authored “Inventing the Future of the Arts: Seven Digital Trends that Present Challenges and Opportunities for Success in the Cultural Sector” for the book 20 Under 40: Reinventing the Arts and Arts Education for the 21st Century. He was born in North Carolina and has an MA in Film Studies from Emory University.