2026 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMMING CELEBRATING FIVE DECADES OF FILM, CULTURE, AND CREATIVE EXCELLENCE
The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) today unveiled programming for its landmark 50th anniversary event, marking five decades as one of the nation’s longest running and premier celebrations of independent film and storytelling. This year’s festival promises an extensive slate of marquee films, notable talent, and special presentations, further solidifying ATLFF’s legacy as a cultural cornerstone in the Southeast and beyond. The film festival and 16th annual Creative Conference, which is the festival’s educational programming, will take place Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, May 3, 2026 at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta. Virtual screenings of selected films will be available from Monday, May 4 - Monday, May 11.
ATLFF ‘25 Alum, Christalyn Hampton, talks Oscar-nominated short ‘The Devil Is Busy’
Hampton has worked in the industry as a producer for years, but this is her first time directing. “The Devil Is Busy” tracks a day in the life of Tracii, the head of security at the Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation, an Atlanta abortion clinic, as she deals with clients, protestors, and the general anxiety of helping women get reproductive healthcare in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that took away American women’s right to abortion.
Celebrate 50 Sensational Years of Cinema at The 50th Annual Atlanta Film Festival!
The Atlanta Film Society invites you to the 50th Annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference, taking place from April 23rd to May 3rd, 2026. Filmmakers from all over the world will converge upon Atlanta to celebrate films ranging from documentaries to narratives, from shorts to features. Be one of the tens of thousands showing their love and support for independent film and filmmaking.
2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalists Announced!
The Atlanta Film Society is pleased to present the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalists. Chosen from 632 submissions, the following 29 feature film screenplays, 10 pilots, and 10 shorts represent the top 49 scripts of all entries.
THE 2026 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL & CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF FILMS
The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is pleased to announce the first wave of films programmed for the upcoming 50th Annual Atlanta Film Festival & Creative Conference (ATLFF), slated for April 23 through May 3, 2026. Each year, this first-wave announcement offers the earliest glimpse of the upcoming festival and highlights the exciting programming choices to come.
2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Semifinalists Announced!
The Atlanta Film Society is pleased to present the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Semifinalists. Please join us in congratulating these impressive authors and wishing them well as the programming team continues to narrow the list down to Finalists, and, eventually, 5 Winning Scripts!
49th Annual Atlanta Film Festival Films Nominated for Academy Awards
The Atlanta Film Society and the Atlanta Film Festival are honored to congratulate and recognize three films from the 49th Annual Atlanta Film Festival nominated for the upcoming 98th Academy Awards taking place on March 15th.
2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalists Announced!
he Atlanta Film Society is pleased to present the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalists. Chosen from 632 submissions, the following 88 feature film screenplays, 32 pilots, and 40 shorts represent the top twenty-five percent of all entries.
What ATLFF's Programmers Watched on Summer Vacation
At ATLFS, September means it’s time to buckle down to screening submissions for the yearly Atlanta Film Festival. Which in turn means that our long summer of watching whatever we want is over! Before the leaves turn and the weather cools down, our Programming team highlights some of the gems in this summer’s free time watching.
ATLFF Alumni Spotlight: Emily Sheskin
Touch base with us and the director of the Atlanta Film Festival 2023 Best Documentary Feature Special Jury Mention, Emily Sheskin.