2026 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMMING CELEBRATING FIVE DECADES OF FILM, CULTURE, AND CREATIVE EXCELLENCE
The Film Festival and Creative Conference will return in-person from Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, May 3, 2026 and virtually from Monday, May 4 - Monday, May 11
ATLANTA, GA (March 23, 2026) — 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.
The 2026 lineup features a dynamic mix of narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and episodic content from both emerging voices and acclaimed filmmakers. Today’s announcement represents the Festival’s full slate of official selections with 154 films chosen from more than 5,500 submissions, alongside a robust offering of marquee screenings and special presentations. Festivalgoers can expect a compelling selection of marquee screenings and special presentations, both spotlighting bold storytelling and diverse perspectives that reflect the evolving landscape of global cinema.
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Atlanta Film Festival will also present a special selection of Legacy Screenings, honoring films that have helped shape Atlanta’s dynamic film landscape. This curated program will spotlight films from the festival’s history made by talent whose careers have flourished since their days in the ATLFF. Special Presentations this year will also include films that were either shot in Atlanta or created by filmmakers with strong ties to the city, underscoring ATLFF’s deep roots in the local creative community. Many of the Legacy Screenings will be complemented by special appearances from notable talent, including Emmy Award-winning actor, producer, and filmmaker Carrie Preston(Elsbeth, The Good Wife, The Good Fight and ATLFF ‘09 winner That Evening Sun), acclaimed filmmaker James Ponsoldt(Shrinking, Daisy Jones, Marvel’s Wonder Man and ATLFF ‘13 Opening Night The Spectacular Now), and Emmy-nominated director Craig Zobel(ATLFF ‘07 Winner Great World of Sound, HBO’s The Penguin, Mare of Easttown), among others.
“Reaching our 50th anniversary is both a celebration and a reflection of the creative community that has blossomed alongside the Atlanta Film Festival,” said Christopher Escobar, Executive Director of ATLFF. “This year’s programming honors that legacy while also looking ahead–spotlighting bold new choices, groundbreaking stories, and the next generation of storytellers and filmmakers shaping the future of the industry.”
With the 50th milestone, the Festival is celebrating the filmmakers who have grown alongside it. Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Mark Mori, whose filmmaking career began with the premiere of Building Bombs at the 1989 Atlanta Film and Video Festival (now ATLFF), returns this year with a special presentation ofBaristas Vs. Billionaires. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Susan Sarandon, the documentary chronicles the early days of the nationwide Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) movement.
“Bringing the story of this generational uprising of young workers to the 50th Annual Atlanta Film Festival is a true homecoming,” said Mori. “Years ago, I was a union steelworker in Atlanta before opening the '89 festival with 'Building Bombs. I credit Atlanta’s film community and that festival experience with helping launch my career—including our Academy Award nomination—and it’s incredibly meaningful to return, see how much both the city and festival have grown, and share the baristas’ fight with new audiences.”
Marquee programming announced today includes a selection of high-profile titles from leading distributors such as Lionsgate, Magnolia Pictures, Focus Features, Janus Films, and 1-2 Special. Highlights include Rose of Nevada, Power Ballad, Obsession, I Want Your Sex, Caroline, Late Fame, Silent Friend, and Romería, representing a diverse and highly anticipated cross-selection of new releases and acclaimed festival titles from around the world.
Complementing the film programming, the ATLFF Creative Conference, presented by CineFi, returns in 2026 with a dynamic lineup designed to empower filmmakers at every stage of their careers. Anchored by three core themes—outside-the-box tools for creative development, evolving approaches to film finance, and Atlanta’s signature micro-budget filmmaking mindset—the conference challenges creators to rethink traditional pathways and embrace innovative storytelling. Celebrating the South’s rich creative community, this year’s program features 36 in-person and 14 virtual events, totaling 50 panels, workshops, and presentations in honor of ATLFF’s 50th anniversary.
As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, ATLFF will also spotlight SOUND+VISION at The Goat Farm Arts Center, an immersive, multidisciplinary experience blending film, music, and art. Positioned as an immersive evening of live music, boundary-pushing virtual reality films, art installations, and standout music videos, the program highlights innovative storytelling at the intersection of mediums. Set against the backdrop of one of Atlanta’s most iconic creative spaces, SOUND+VISION will feature a curated lineup of artists and creators pushing the boundaries of visual and sonic expression. Additional details, including participating talent and schedule information will be announced soon.
“Reaching 50 years gave us a unique opportunity to look back at the stories that have defined us while embracing the ones that will shape the future,” said Jonathan Kieran, Programming Director of ATLFF. “This lineup is about discovery–bringing audiences powerful, unexpected films and creating space for new voices to break through in meaningful ways.”
Additional Marquee programming, including Opening and Closing Night red carpet presentations, will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the full Creative Conference lineup, additional talent, attendees, and more.
The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com and through the ATLFF 2026 app. Festival badges and individual tickets are now available for purchase here (badges) and here (individual event tickets).
Applications for press credentials for ATLFF 2026 are now open and can be submitted here.
Press materials and assets, including past press releases, logos, and film stills can be found here.
MARQUEE SCREENINGS
Rose of Nevada
Dir. Mark Jenkin
Cast: George MacKay / Callum Turner / Rosalind Eleazar / Francis Magee // 1-2 Special // 1hr 54mins
A mysterious boat returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Silent Friend
Dir. Ildikó Enyedi
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai / Luna Wedler / Enzo Brumm / Léa Seydoux // 1-2 Special // 2hrs 24mins
Set in the botanical garden of a medieval town in Germany. Three epochs, three personalities, three sometimes clumsy but sincere attempts to free themselves and to create links with the plants and the world of the garden. An encounter.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Power Ballad
Dir. John Carney
Cast: Paul Rudd / Nick Jonas / Peter McDonald // Lionsgate // 1hr 38mins
Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick's song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
I Want Your Sex
Dir. Greg Araki
Cast: Olivia Wilde / Johnny Knoxville / Mason Gooding / Charli XCX // Magnolia // 1hr 30mins
Elliot lands a job for Erika Tracy as her sexual muse.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Caroline, Caroline
Dir. Adam Carter Rehmeier
Cast: Samara Weaving / Kyra Sedgwick / Kyle Gallner // Magnolia // 1hr 45mins
A young woman joins a charming con man on the run, leaving a trail of crime and passion as they hustle through the Southeast in search of her estranged mother.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Late Fame
Dir. Kent Jones
Cast: Willem Dafoe / Jake Lacy / Greta Lee // Magnolia // 1hr 36mins
Legendary New York poet Ed Saxberger's forgotten works captivate an eccentric group of young creatives, reigniting his artistic passion. Their intrigue intertwines with the bewitching presence of actress Gloria.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Romeria
Dir. Carla Simón
Cast: Llúcia Garcia / Mitch Martín / Tristán Ulloa // Janus // 1hr 54mins
With her mother's diary in hand, Marina's search for official documents for university leads her to her biological family on the Atlantic coast. What starts as an administrative quest reveals long-buried family secrets.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Obsession
Dir: Curry Baker
Cast: Michael Johnston / Inde Navarrette / Cooper Tomilson // Focus Features // 1hr 48 mins
After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic gets exactly what he asked for. However, he soon discovers that some desires come at a dark and sinister price.
#NarrativeFeature #MarqueeScreening
Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story
Dir. Neil Berkeley, Judd Apatow
Cast: Judd Apatow / Joel Bamford / Maria Bamford // 1hr 56mins
Comedian Maria Bamford weaves her mental health experiences into hilarious, uplifting comedy, showing how she channels personal vulnerability into artistic power through raw authenticity.
#DocumentaryFeature #MarqueeScreening
The Brittany Griener Story
Dir. Alex Stapleton
Cast: Brittney Griner / Cherelle Griner / Lindsay Kagawa Colas / Raymond Griner // ESPN // 1hr 47mins
WNBA star Brittney Griner's journey from playing abroad to her detention in Russia, her fight for freedom, and her work to help other wrongfully detained Americans.
#DocumentaryFeature #MarqueeScreening
LEGACY SCREENINGS
Daughters of the Dust
with special guest Julie Dash
Julie Dash // 1991 // English, French// Kino Lorber // 1h 53m
A languid, impressionistic story of three generations of Gullah women living on the South Carolina Sea Islands in 1902.
#NarrativeFeature #LegacyScreening
The Spectacular Now
with special guest James Ponsoldt
James Ponsoldt // 2013 // English // A24 // 1h 35m
A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."
#NarrativeFeature #LegacyScreening
The Accountant
with special guest Ray McKinnon
Ray McKinnon // 2001 // English // Warner Bros. // 35m
The O'Dell farm is on the rocks. A non-traditional accountant comes with a variety of ways to save the farm.
#NarrativeFeature #LegacyScreening
Great World of Sound
with special guest Craig Zobel
Craig Zobel // 2007 // English // Magnolia // 1h 46m
When a man answers an advertisement to train as a record producer, he's excited by the prospect of signing undiscovered musicians, only to discover his new job isn't all it's cracked up to be.
#NarrativeFeature #LegacyScreening
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Plazadrome Presents EXISTENZ
with special guest Violet Lucca, author of David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials
David Cronenberg // 1999 // English // Dimension Films // 1h 37m=
A game designer on the run from assassins is forced to playtest her latest virtual reality creation after it's sabotaged by "Realist" activists hellbent on destroying the virtual world.
#NarrativeFeature #SpecialPresentation
Richard Jewell
with special guest Paul Walter Hauser
Clint Eastwood // 2019 // English // Warner Bros. // 2h 11m
Security guard Richard Jewell is an instant hero after foiling a bomb attack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but his life becomes a nightmare when the FBI leaks to the media that he is a suspect in the case.
#NarrativeFeature #SpecialPresentation
Baristas vs Billionaires
with special guest Mark Mori
Mark Mori // 2025 // English // 75m
Starbucks baristas in Buffalo, N.Y., unite against corporate exploitation, sparking a nationwide uprising among working-class Millennials and Gen Z as they challenge a powerful billionaire CEO and fight for their rights.
#DocumentaryFeature #SpecialPresentation
Brannu: The Urban Horseman
Adelin Gasana // 2025 // English // 1h 48m
Atlanta horseman Brandon Fulton battles with local government as he builds a 27-acre horse ranch in southwest Fulton County
#DocumentaryFeature #SpecialPresentation
Bo Legs: Marvin Arrington, Sr., An Atlanta Story
Adelin Gasana // 2023 // English // 1h 56m
Born in Atlanta, then a segregated city of the Deep South, Marvin Arrington grew up to help galvanize the city of his birth into the international, cosmopolitan metropolis that it is today.
#DocumentaryFeature #SpecialPresentation
2026 Official Selections
NARRATIVE FEATURES
Babystar
Joscha Bongard // 2025 // German // 98 minutes
Born into her parents' influencer empire, 16-year-old Luca spirals when a new baby "star" threatens her identity and commodified life.
#NarrativeFeature
Berehezade
Danae Reynaud // 2026 // Spanish // 91 minutes
Bere, a stand up comedian, has to win her kidnappers over to be released from her entrapment. A strange and absurd bond forms between them.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #NarrativeFeature
Danny Is My Boyfriend
Lucy Sandler & Mechi Lakatos // 2025 // English // 100 minutes
After discovering they’re dating the same man, two misfits fumble their way through a half-baked mission to get revenge.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #NarrativeFeature
Elsewhere at Night
Marianne Métivier // 2025 // French, Tagalog, English // 106 minutes
From countryside calm to urban unrest, strangers' lives cross, torn between staying and leaving, chasing new dreams.
#NewMavericks #NarrativeFeature
Frogtown
Costa Karalis // 2026 // English // 85 minutes
A slice-of-life exploration of the weird and wonderful residents of a small town in North Florida and what they believe in.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeFeature
Lesson Learned
Bálint Szimler // 2024 // Hungarian // 119 minutes
Young teacher Juci attempts to challenge the outdated methods in her school, while new student Palkó, recently relocated from abroad.
#NarrativeFeature
Montréal, ma belle
Xiaodan He // 2025 // French, Mandarin Chinese // 117 minutes
A 53 year old Chinese immigrant in Montreal finally confronts her repressed desire for women and begins an affair with a young Québécoise.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #PinkPeach #NarrativeFeature
Mudville
Adam Pinney // 2026 // English // 87 minutes
Ray Patterson, a struggling aging dad, attempts to make it back into the major leagues, while fending off an encroaching metaphysical force.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeFeature
Party USA
Jared Sprouse // 2026 // English // 90 minutes
When Taylor can't get her shift covered, she makes a deadly mistake that sparks a downward spiral of red, white and blue-collared chaos.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeFeature
Seahorse
Aisha Evelyna // 2026 // English // 84 minutes
A sous chef’s pursuit of stability is tested by the return of her estranged father, now living on the streets of Toronto.
#InCompetition #Noire #NewMavericks #NarrativeFeature
STARJUICE
Austin Coombs-Perez // 2026 // English // 79 minutes
An energetic comedy following community college acting students in a surprising intergalactic love story.
#InCompetition #NarrativeFeature
SUMMER LOST
Timothy Hall // 2026 // English, Catalan // 82 minutes
A man attempts to keep his terminal illness a secret while attending a wedding, but an unexpected romance reshapes his future and his past.
#GeorgiaFilm #PinkPeach #NarrativeFeature
The House Was Not Hungry Then
Harry Aspinwall // 2026 // English // 93 minutes
A young woman takes refuge in an empty house in the Scottish countryside but soon starts to feel something watching her.
#PinkPeach #NarrativeFeature
Third
Alexander Parkinson // 2026 // English // 84 minutes
When Ernesto mysteriously falls into their lives, Thomas and Sandra begin to shake the middle-age malaise clouding their marriage.
#Georgia Film #PinkPeach #NarrativeFeature
Valentina
Tatti Ribeiro // 2025 // English, Spanish // 84 minutes
A series of bureaucratic mishaps plagues Valentina as she tries to tackle a simple to-do list at the El Paso-Juarez border.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #¡CineMás! #NarrativeFeature
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
¡Quba!
Kim Anno // 2024 // spanish // 70 minutes
¡Quba! is an LGBTQ revolution, where music becomes manifesto and theater becomes a weapon of love in the face of Cuba’s evangelical church.
#¡CineMás! #PinkPeach #NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
B. F. Skinner Plays Himself
Ted Kennedy // 2025 // English // 73 minutes
If the psychologist B. F. Skinner is right about human behavior, this is a biographical film of a nonperson.
#DocumentaryFeature
CHILD OF DUST
Weronika Mliczewska // 2025 // English, Vietnamese // 92 minutes
After a lifetime of longing, Sang, an unwanted child from the Vietnam War, finally meets his newly found, ailing father in the U.S.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
Dwarf Neon Mayfield
Leland Nally // 2026 // English // 80 minutes
Intimate and personal moments from rural Kentucky as people struggle to live in the aftermath of a series of cataclysmic storms.
#InCompetition #DocumentaryFeature
Far from Maine
Roy Cohen // 2026 // English, Hebrew, Arabic // 99 minutes
Haunted by the killing of a Palestinian friend from his youth, an Israeli filmmaker embarks on a cinematic dialogue across time
#InCompetition #PinkPeach #DocumentaryFeature
LAND WITH NO RIDER
Tamar Lando // 2025 // English // 86 minutes
The last cowboys of New Mexico eke out a fragile survival in a world of isolation and rugged beauty as drought devastates the American West.
#New Mavericks #DocumentaryFeature
Maintenance Artist
Toby Perl Freilich // 2025 // English, Japanese // 95 minutes
Chronicles the extraordinary life and work of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the New York City Sanitation Department’s first artist-in-residence.
#NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
Riverkeeper
Jason Goldman // 2026 // English // 86 minutes
A veteran riverkeeper joins the resistance against Atlanta’s Cop City, exposing a troubled reality of race, politics, and the environment.
#GeorgiaFilm #DocumentaryFeature
Steal This Story, Please!
Tia Lessin, Carl Deal // 2025 // English // 101 minutes
Amy Goodman takes on soldiers, politicians, and corporate media in a fearless pursuit of truth.
#NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
The Eyes of Ghana
Ben Proudfoot // 2025 // English, Twi, Ga // 90 minutes
Chris Hesse, personal cinematographer to the forgotten African icon Kwame Nkrumah, races to save over 1,000 films that reveal the hidden origin story of African independence.
#Noire #DocumentaryFeature
The Gas Station Attendant
Karla Murthy // 2025 // English // 83 minutes
A daughter reflects on her father’s life‚ weaving the story of his journey from the streets of India with the realities of life in America
#NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
TheyDream
William D. Caballero // 2026 // English, Spanish // 89 minutes
A director and his mother use animation to revive a lost Puerto Rican family, learning art means both remembering and releasing loved ones.
#InCompetition #PinkPeach #¡CineMás! #DocumentaryFeature
When We Were Live
John Moore // 2025 // English // 93 minutes
A found footage documentary about the nation’s longest-running public access TV channel and the unique Austin folks who brought it to life.
#InCompetition #DocumentaryFeature
Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon
Khoa Ha & Victor Velle // 2025 // English, Vietnamese // 94 minutes
A young Vietnamese American artist searches for her late grandfather’s lost music, uncovering family stories and forgotten cultural history.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #DocumentaryFeature
NARRATIVE SHORTS
1-800-GET-SEXY
Sadé May // 2026 // English // 15 minutes
Urged on by a charismatic TV host, lonely phone rep Noor explores her repressed desires by moonlighting as a phone sex operator.
#Noire #NarrativeShort
500 Seconds to Tell You
Gerard Clarke // 2026 // English // 11 minutes
A young man struggles to tell his best friend how he feels about her minutes before a cataclysm ends life on Earth
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
a day so soft
Kanne Vee // 2025 // English // 9 minutes
A farewell. A soft day. Him and him, still? Something soft. Something new. Something almost cruel.
#InCompetition #¡CineMás! #NarrativeShort
Band Practice
Linda Denson, Diana Khong // 2026 // English // 13 minutes
A majorette and her band geek best friend attempt to check item #1 off their senior year bucket list: KISS GIRLS.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
BEYOND UNSTOPPABLE
Korstiaan Vandiver // 2025 // English // 20 minutes
Two grieving Somali teens find hope on the soccer field, but it takes more than a game to turn teammates into family.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
BLOOM
Glen Kwon // 2026 // English, Korean // 16 minutes
After failing to end her life, Jisoo spends the day navigating the aftermath of her decision and the effect it had on her younger sister.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
Brain Rot
Jackson Coates // 2026 // English // 13 minutes
Benji needs his phone to fall asleep.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort
Buffalo 10
Trisha Pickelhaupt // 2025 // English // 12 minutes
A glamorous trans woman tumbles into a Rust Belt dalliance at the local bowling alley.
#InCompetition #PinkPeach #NarrativeShort
By A Hair
Anthony Prince Leslie // 2025 // English // 10 minutes
Brooklynites Inez and Sean are repeatedly on the brink of meeting, but timing and fate keep them just a step apart.
#InCompetition #Noire #NarrativeShort
Capriccio
Kiah Clingman // 2026 // English // 9 minutes
Two strangers meet in a cozy bookstore where music and dance becomes their non-verbal language of expression, igniting an unexpected romance.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
Encierro
Jane Negreira // 2026 // Spanish, English // 13 minutes
Eerie sounds and a haunting call drag a woman into darkness, where she battles societal expectations to find freedom.
#GeorgiaFilm #¡CineMás! #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Everything Between Us
Ilgin G. Korugan // 2025 // Turkish // 17 minutes
Azra seeks solace from bullies by a serene river, where she develops an unspoken bond with a girl who joins her on the opposite shore.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #PinPeach #NarrativeShort
False Start
Ella Price // 2026 // English // 27 minutes
An aspiring serial killer navigates her way through a day of temptation until a charming drifter presents her with a perfect opportunity.
#InCompetition #Pink Peach #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Fishy
Milo Richards // 2026 // English // 17 minutes
A trans drag queen contends with being a fish and growing scales..
#GeorgiaFilm #PinkPeach #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Freak
Raúl Sanchez // 2025 // English // 10 minutes
2006, South Central LA. High school sophomore Angel faces a party predicament: freak dance with his crush or miss his chance.
#InCompetition #¡CineMás! #NarrativeShort
Girl Therapy
Thang Ho // 2026 // English // 12 minutes
Two teens stuck finishing a project in a Victorian house meet ghost sisters who force them to confront their broken friendship.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
High Water
Tyquan D. Morton // 2025 // English, Gullah Geechee // 17 minutes
A son takes care of his forgetful mother.
#InCompetition #Noire #NarrativeShort
How Brief
Kelly McCormack // 2026 // English // 15 minutes
A disappearing act inspired by the music of singer-songwriter Connie Converse.
#NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
How to Live Together
Tim Nicholas // 2025 // English // 17 minutes
Six people living in a cramped four-bedroom apartment seek a new roommate.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort
Inspired by Lip Balm
LiYing Chien // 2025 // Mandarin // 15 minutes
A writer chases her global streaming dream, only to face a 500-episode vertical soap opera as her own characters bleed into reality.
#InCompetition #Pink Peach #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Interview With A Hero
Celeste 'Andy' Diep // 2025 // Central Khmer, English // 15 minutes
A Cambodian-Australian shadow puppeteer is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on national television.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort
JESUS IS COMING (to take the Church away)
Cameron Clay // 2026 // English // 24 minutes
North Carolina, 1971. When his community is ravaged by inexplicable disappearances, a reverend uncovers an extraterrestrial explanation.
#InCompetition #Noire #NarrativeShort
Max Needs to Pay Rent
Tony Michalski // 2025 // English // 11 minutes
After a robotics engineer loses his job and can’t find a new one in time, he makes the robot he built work three jobs to help pay rent.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
Missing While Black
Chris Anthony Hamilton // 2025 // English // 17 minutes
A white detective questions the mother of a missing Black girl, revealing her daughter's safe return may not be his top priority.
#Georgia Film #Noire #NarrativeShort
Moonbeams
Elo Santa Maria // 2025 // English // 15 minutes
When Frankie is taken to solitary after a guard discovers his hormones, he and his pen pal June must plan his escape, one dream at a time.
#InCompetition #Pink Peach #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Mouthfeel
Max Tullio // 2026 // English // 13 minutes
After a breakup with her wine-importer ex, a struggling wine rep battles New York’s ruthless beverage industry and her fragile sobriety.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort
My Plastic Mother
Amar Haikal // 2025 // Indonesian // 18 minutes
Eki, living by the landfill, searches for a memento to honor his late mother.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort
NENA
Joyzel // 2025 // Spanish // 14 minutes
In 1990s Miami, Lilia, a young Cuban woman, takes a bold step toward what she believes is a better future for herself and her child.
#InCompetition #¡CineMás! #NarrativeShort
Oh Happy Day!
Ivan Rome // 2025 // English // 12 minutes
Over the course of Easter week, a young boy struggles to impress his crush.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
Parable of the Other
Joshua Cleveland // 2026 // English // 15 minutes
A Boy searches for the true meaning of home after a day of school guided by ancestors and a magical book
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
Recesses
Dylan Trupiano // 2025 // English // 16 minutes
A midwestern elementary school secretary waits with a student to be picked up after being disciplined for an “inappropriate” drawing.
#NarrativeShort
Roots of Tomorrow
Mariana Lopez, Ogechim Owho Osimini // 2026 // Spanish // 7 minutes
Daughter Allison and her mother Xiomara share an unbreakable bond, built through tender rituals of care and memory,
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #¡CineMás! #NarrativeShort
Samba Infinito
Leonardo Martinelli // 2025 // Portuguese // 15 minutes
During Rio's Carnival, a street cleaner struggles with the loss of his sister and his work obligations.
#InCompetition #¡CineMás! #NarrativeShort
Sea Star
Tyler Mckenzie Evans // 2025 // English // 12 minutes
A middle-aged Black man partakes in his first swimming lesson while battling with his own hardships beneath the surface.
#Noire #NarrativeShort
Shaken
Millie Rose Evans // 2026 // English // 14 minutes
When a young waitress is assaulted by her manager, she delves into a world of revenge, plotting to poison him with a tainted milkshake.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Sheet Cake
Abbey Kincheloe // 2025 // English // 18 minutes
In 1983, a woman faces judgment from her Weekly Wednesday Women’s Fellowship Group for her impending divorce. What came first? Love, or God?
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
Shirley Park
Mason Brown // 2025 // English // 11 minutes
After he loses his lucky shoes in a gutsy wager to his rival, a competitive hooper must retaliate against him to regain what he lost.
#Noire #NarrativeShort
Szypliszki
Jordan Axelrod // 2025 // English, Polish // 15 minutes
Sam, a middle-aged romantic en route to Poland to meet his perfect match, spends an overnight layover with his niece and her girlfriend.
#PinkPeach #NarrativeShort
Tapestry
Jason Sheedy // 2025 // English // 7 minutes
A desperate mother performs an occult ritual to resurrect her lost child.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
The Coronation
Benji Mowatt, Marcus Devies, Marcus Tappan // 2026 // English // 20 minutes
Two of Hollywood's loneliest creatures form an unlikely bond.
#Noire #InCompetition #NarrativeShort
The Moth
Charlene Fisk // 2024 // English // 13 minutes
A meticulous loner mistakenly opens her door to a clothing moth, propelling her into a battle for control over her house and her sanity.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
There's a Devil Inside Me
Karina Lomelin Ripper // 2025 // English, Spanish // 15 minutes
After a Catholic confirmation class, a devilish teen pretends to be a nun but things go sideways when she's mistaken for a real one.
#¡CineMás! #NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
This Blows
Talia Smith // 2025 // English // 13 minutes
An 11-year-old girl’s misunderstanding of a "blow job”, sets her babysitter on a chaotic mission to save her at a birthday party.
#NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
Under the Purple Water
Michael A. Benton // 2026 // English // 16 minutes
Sean wants to rid himself of his anxiety. His therapist wants to rid himself of Sean.
#GeorgiaFilm #NarrativeShort
Waiting for the End of the World
Jeffrey Hoyt // 2025 // English // 12 minutes
A quiet mosaic of small-town America, tracing the subtle fractures in everyday life.
#InCompetition #NarrativeShort #NarrativeShort
We Used to Take the Long Way Home
An Nguyen // 2025 // Vietnamese // 14 minutes
Returning to Vietnam for the first time since middle school, a teenage girl reunites with old friends for a nostalgic summer road trip.
#NewMavericks #NarrativeShort
We Were Here
Pranav Bhasin // 2026 // English, Hindi // 11 minutes
In a crumbling Indian town, three retired men stage a protest against AI and Technology
#NarrativeShort
What Are Grandchildren Made Of?
Lindsey Susor // 2026 // English // 12 minutes
When an accident reveals that his granddaughter is immortal, an old man starts an organ harvesting business to pay off his debts.
#GeorgiaFilm #PinkPeach #NarrativeShort
WHITE NOISE
Jason Williams & Charleston Ford // 2025 // English // 3 minutes
A mixed media romantic drama that follows the journey of a one-sided love affair.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NarrativeShort
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
American Woman - A Love Letter
Mark Petersen // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
Self taught Atlanta artist John Glover revels his approach to his art and the inspirations behind his series of paintings "American Woman - A Love Letter"
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
And Again I Dream
Catherine Gund, Mariah Norman // 2026 // English // 39 minutes
Black Lesbian journalist and organizer Ivy Young knows that mainstream society will not preserve her story after she's gone, so she rallies friends and her niece Jade to defy the past for the sake of a righteous future.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #PinkPeach #Noire #DocumentaryShort
Constitution Lakes
Kyle Kramb // 2026 // English // 9 minutes
A self-employed carpenter transforms an abandoned Atlanta park with a dark industrial past into an unexpected art installation.
#GeorgiaFilm #DocumentaryShort
Drag Me To Church
Isabella Sullivan // 2025 // English // 13 minutes
Worlds collide when a gay pastor in Atlanta, Georgia, bridges the gap between two divided communities by putting on a drag church service.
#GeorgiaFilm #PinkPeach #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
Hold Me Close
Aurora Brachman, LaTajh Simmons-Weaver // 2025 // English // 19 minutes
A chronicle of the power and complexity of the relationship between two Queer Black womxn.
#NewMavericks #PinkPeach #¡CineMás! #DocumentaryShort
In the Garden
Ivey Redding // 2025 // English // 11 minutes
Through a long-form poem, the director’s mother reflects on the life of her own aging mother in the rural American South.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
Industrial Havana
Ainhoa Ordoñez // 2025 // Spanish // 20 minutes
A group of young people drift through the city, lost in delirious conversations, conspiracies and apathy as Havana grows darker.
#InCompetition #¡CineMás!! #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
Iris goes Berlin
Hanna Hocker // 2025 // German // 26 minutes
After a breakup, 68-year-old Iris swaps her village for Berlin, diving into nightlife and the queer scene to reinvent herself.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
La Orquesta (The Orchestra)
Monica Villavicencio, Stephanie Liu // 2025 // English, Spanish // 21 minutes
A retired music teacher sets out to create a youth orchestra in Georgia, the first of its kind for undocumented and mixed status families.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #¡CineMás! #DocumentaryShort
Like Father
Jared Callahan // 2026 // English // 8 minutes
A poignant look at the work of renowned children's author Richard Scarry as his son carries on the family legacy.
#InCompetition #DocumentaryShort
Ramón Who Speaks to Ghosts
Shervin Kermani // 2025 // Spanish // 7 minutes
After a volcanic eruption, Ramón walks the island of La Palma with his microphone, looking for ghosts.
#¡CineMás! #DocumentaryShort
Running against time
Alexander Lockett // 2025 // English, Japanese // 6 minutes
In Okinawa, 87 year old Shimei Nakaoji defies age by running daily in a reach towards eternal youth
#DocumentaryShort
The Birth of Trap Music
Christopher Scholar // 2026 // English // 28 minutes
Trap music is more than just a sound– it’s a survival mechanism, a coded language, and a system born from the Trap itself and now reaching worldwide.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #DocumentaryShort
The boys and the Bees
Arielle Knight // 2025 // English // 19 minutes
On a Georgia farm two young brothers learn the art of beekeeping from parents who dream of rooting deeper in the soil.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #Noire #DocumentaryShort
The Chimney Sweeper
Jack Raese // 2025 // English, German // 9 minutes
An eighth generation nutcracker craftsman discusses his life decisions.
#InCompetition #DocumentaryShort
The Conscience Files
Brian Bolster // 2025 // English // 14 minutes
Letters from visitors who carelessly carried away, and then returned, pieces of Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park reveal their search for forgiveness and relief from what might be an ancient curse.
#DocumentaryShort
The Flint Dichotomy
Callie Russo // 2026 // English // 7 minutes
A short documentary exploring the Flint River’s beauty and its hidden origins beneath Atlanta, revealing nature under the weight of progress
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
The Other Side
Caroline Rumley // 2025 // English // 15 minutes
One border. Two friends. Curiosity. Naïveté. Control.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
The Patchwork Girl
Jose Andre Sibaja / Ibai Vigil-Escalera // 2025 // English // 24 minutes
Having survived more than seventy surgeries, Nati finds love and belonging in the circus—where her difference becomes her greatest strength.
#InCompetition #DocumentaryShort
To Your Hands
Ana Mouyis // 2025 // Greek Turkish // 12 minutes
Against the backdrop of a divided Cyprus, To Your Hands offers a meditative exploration of craft as a quiet act of unity.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #DocumentaryShort
Warmis Sobre Ruedas
Olivera Kamenarovska, Galilea Berthon // 2025 // Spanish // 14 minutes
Bolivian women skateboard in indigenous clothing, assert their individuality, and challenge colonial and patriarchal power structures.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #¡CineMás! #DocumentaryShort
ANIMATED SHORTS
A Bird's Wish
Gan de Lange // 2025 // // 9 minutes
This is the story of a bird that wanted to be a mother and could not lay an egg.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #AnimatedShort
A Flower Among the Fall
Mikael Trench // 2025 // English // 13 minutes
The quiet existence of a forest-dwelling pumpkin monster is interrupted when a band of cultist goblins kidnap it for a mysterious ritual.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #InCompetition #AnimatedShort
Bon Appétit
Ziyu Wang, Jinhong Yu // 2024 // // 4 minutes
A sheep in the garden was attracted by a unique purple flower, and then it was their mealtime.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #AnimatedShort
BOWKNOT
LI YIZHOU // 2026 // // 8 minutes
What if my superpower was tying a bow?
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
Crab Diane
Ryan McCown // 2025 // English // 17 minutes
A waitress working at a seaside diner asks the universe for a new start and takes a journey through the cosmos and the hospitality industry
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
Empty Can
Jinuk Choi // 2025 // // 8 minutes
When a mysterious empty can falls from the sky, a routine bus ride descends into a frantic 'Danse Macabre' of human desire.
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
GIRLS NIGHT OUT
Ashley Sengstaken // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
OMGGG it's a girls night out! C u @ the club, biotch! xoxo
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #AnimatedShort
Glowberry
Jessica M. Fisher // 2026 // English // 5 minutes
Hidden underneath the dense raspberry vines, in a tiny, whimsical village, a mischievous berry creature is determined to find his glow.
#InCompetition #NewMavericks #AnimatedShort
Roll 'Em Lola
Fred Burns // 2025 // // 5 minutes
A quick hand-drawn cops and robbers animated chase
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
Sweet Dreams
Ben Rinehardt // 2024 // // 3 minutes
An animated film exploring altered states of chaos and beauty.
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
The Undying Pain of Existence
Oscar Jacobson // 2025 // // 6 minutes
After being bit by a mosquito, a nude model is torn between the strict order to stand still and the overwhelming urge to scratch the itch.
#InCompetition #AnimatedShort
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Before the Freeze, Final Cut
Tenley E. Raj // 2026 // English // 8 minutes
A mother's fragile mental state shatters when an interruption involving insecticide threatens the lives of her daughter and dog.
#NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
Chasing The Sound Out
Anna Winter // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
Filmed during a house show with friends, Chasing the Sound Out grows out of an ongoing personal inquiry into infrastructure and relationships.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
Good Neighbors Care
Kate E. Hinshaw // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
A chemical company in North Carolina promises environmental stewardship, while neighbors suffer due to the ecological disaster they caused.
#NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
Is it war?
Timeea Mohamed Ahmed // 2025 // Arabic // 6 minutes
Jafar mentally denies the truths of his homeland's conflict in Sudan and the horrors of war and displacement, before it destroys his mind.
#Noire #ExperimentalShort
Manifesto of Feeble and Bitter Love
Abinadi Meza // 2025 // // 6 minutes
A tactile 16mm direct animation where fracturing, chromatic light meets a haunted, rhythmic soundscape.
#ExperimentalShort
Materia
Alisi Telengut // 2025 // English // 7 minutes
Materia transforms ordinary objects into vast terrains of light and texture, revealing a hidden kinship between the human body and minerals.
#NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
nearer to thee in a triptych
Matt Whitman // 2025 // // 9 minutes
A 16mm elegy where light slowly reveals objects left behind, tracing presence through red and winter.
#ExperimentalShort
OPERATION WANDERING SOUL ////////// GHOST TAPE NUMBER 10
Ryan Betschart // 2025 // English, Vietnamese // 7 minutes
a war vet upset over his daughters suicide is tricked by con artists who end up playing him a tape of his own war crimes
#ExperimentalShort
Simulacrumbs
Joanie Wind // 2025 // English // 6 minutes
Haunted by a craving she can’t quite name, a woman's fixation on little treats unravels into a surreal descent through her own mind.
#NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
Stroad Movie
Pablo Nez Garcia // 2025 // English // 10 minutes
A kaleidoscopic portrait of the landscape designed to be everything. You dare resist your consumer destiny?
#¡CineMás! #ExperimentalShort
SYSTEM BOOTING
Sanghee Vivian Han // 2025 // English, Korean // 9 minutes
A counter-signal to techno-Orientalism: glitch and silence expose how sci-fi scripts the Asian body.
#NewMavericks #ExperimentalShort
The Future is Virtual
Michael Mackenzie // 2025 // English // 15 minutes
Luca subscribes to a revolution that will bring humanity into virtuality, but behind his hopelessness is a desire for human connection
#ExperimentalShort
MUSIC VIDEO
Alabaster DePlume - Invincibility
Niall Trask // 2025 // English // 3 minutes
Dream and reality blur as a mother and daughter rush their injured dog to the vets. Alabaster DePlume sings through the pain.
#NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Danny K & Yesido. - Let's Dance
Mingjian Dan // 2025 // Chinese // 3 minutes
A vibrant cinematic celebration of Chinese indigenous heritage featuring Danny K (Tibetan) and Yesido (Wa).
#MusicVideo
Elli Perry - If You Don't Know by Now
Drew Cullen Miller // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
This music video is a vibrant visual world that blooms to life around its captivating performer, singer/songwriter and producer Elli Perry
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Ethan Darla - Beautiful Place (Solo)
Ethan Darla // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
An artist exploring the idea of support through music and film
#GeorgiaFilm #MusicVideo
Fabiola Trujillo y Los Cenzontles - Black Dove
Steve Condiotti // 2025 // Spanish // 4 minutes
Pays homage to the dramatic aesthetic of Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema.
#¡CineMás! #MusicVideo
girlpuppy - Windows
Trent Wayne // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
girlpuppy laments her love with song in a glass casket and dances in her velvet bedroom.
#GeorgiaFilm #NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Jake Chisenhall - Flowers for Inez
rubnogs // 2025 // English // 6 minutes
Jake Chisenhall attempts to ascend through the power of song. A pug tries to save the world.
#GeorgiaFilm #MusicVideo
JayWood - Assumptions
Trent Wayne // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
JayWood is asked to sing at a party and is transported into a cartoon world.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #MusicVideo
Lilium - A Strange Smell ft. Lee Kang-sheng
Haoyan of America // 2025 // Taiwanese // 5 minutes
To save his dying son, a father must summon the unruly spirits of a strange smell.
#MusicVideo
Monolink - Avalanche
Vasco Alexandre & Zoe Stiletano // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
Two strangers take over the city for a day.
#NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Paracletus - Hallucinate
Natalie Plaskura // 2025 // english // 7 minutes
In the blurred line between light and dark the lost are drawn to a creature whose protection is as comforting as it is perilous.
#NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Pedro Gayo - Wake Up
Sebastian Peoples // 2025 // English // 2 minutes
In a decrepit hospital, Pedro undergoes a surreal experiment that combines past and present, allowing him to relive memories.
#GeorgiaFilm #MusicVideo
Revival Season - Full Frontal
Zach Wolfe + Trent Wayne // 2025 // English // 3 minutes
Two moronic CEO's drunk on greed hold auditions to find a superstar.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #MusicVideo
SALÒ - DIY Store (Baumarkt)
Marc Teuber // 2025 // German // 2 minutes
A simple search in a DIY store soon turns into a wild chase through its many departments and maze-like aisles...
#MusicVideo
Selve - Breaking Into Heaven
Joshua Tate, Loki Liddle // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
A First Nations flying academy embarks on a mission to break into heaven; undergoing a surrealistic transformation on their passage upwards.
#MusicVideo
The Macks - Dually of Man / The Modern Grape
Alec Kaplan // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
The Macks receive an invitation to attend dinner at the home of a rich and powerful...ghoul...man. Will the fellas make it out alive?
#GeorgiaFilm #MusicVideo
The Softies - California Highway 99
Katie Ann Marks // 2024 // English // 2 minutes
Rose and Jen find adventure in touring with the accompanying visual for "California Highway 99" by The Softies
#NewMavericks #MusicVideo
Zarandajo - Adelita y Tárrega
Pablo Rubín Mulero // 2025 // Spanish // 5 minutes
A couple tries to escape a pervasive paranoia that follows them wherever they go.
#¡CineMás! #MusicVideo
Zen Kazuya - Hydrogen
Jonathan Williams // 2025 // English // 4 minutes
A samurai finds himself somewhere in between realms, indifferent to time, and alone.
#Noire #MusicVideo
EPISODIC
Cuming Out
Jasmine J. Johnson // 2025 // English // 19 minutes
Kennedy's desire for a heteronormative experience sees her embark on a one-night-stand. What could possibly go wrong?
#PinkPeach #Noire #Episodic
Daddies Boi
Jason Avezzano // 2025 // English // 15 minutes
As youth and options dry up for two aging sugar babies, they must plunge into the “desire economy” via a provocative app called Daddies Boi
#PinkPeach #Episodic
FreeLance
Julien and Justen Turner // 2026 // English // 41 minutes
A group of broke Zillenial post-grad “creatives” chasing their dreams—together, one disaster gig at a time.
#Noire #Episodic
In Our 20's
Eman Nkolo // 2026 // English // 28 minutes
In Atlanta, four creatives balance ambition, love, and pressure as their lives collide at the coffee shop where they work.
#GeorgiaFilm #Noire #Episodic
Reptilia
Chase Commins // 2026 // English // 40 minutes
Jane, a Reptilian humanoid runaway, is swept away on a night to remember after joining an acting class on her quest to learn how to fit in.
#GeorgiaFilm #PinkPeach #NewMavericks #Episodic
Step-Friend
Selyna Warren, Marissa Read // 2026 // // 15 minutes
Millennial BFF's, Darby and Scout are closer than sisters until Darby marries Scout's dad and becomes her same age step-mom.
#NewMavericks #Episodic
Take Me to Your Merch
Symone Baptiste // 2025 // English // 21 minutes
A washed up emo band struggles to get back together until they meet some super fans with an apocalyptic ultimatum.
#Noire #Episodic
VIRTUAL REALITY
Lychgate
Malia Bruker, Ilana Goldman // 2025 // // 9 minutes
A 360º dance film reimagining the journey of The Chosen One in the iconic ballet The Rite of Spring.
#NewMavericks #VirtualReality
Performative Salvation
Alec Pla // 2026 // English // 6 minutes
A darkly comic VR séance with a genocidal self-help AI, where optimism means survival and defeatism brings the laser closer.
#VirtualReality
Portrait of a Street - The Story of One Street City
Arthur Earnest // 2025 // English // 5 minutes
Ben Harris captures the quiet beauty of Raleigh’s Capital Blvd in One Street City, documenting the hidden soul of a hectic road.
#VirtualReality
About Atlanta Film Festival
The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an Academy Award-qualifying festival and the Southeast’s preeminent celebration of cinema. In 2026, ATLFF marks its 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades of championing independent storytelling and creative voices from around the world. As one of the largest and longest-running film festivals in the country, ATLFF welcomes an audience of more than 28,000 annually to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films, selected from over 5,500 submissions worldwide. The festival has been consistently recognized as a top cultural event, earning honors such as Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, USA Today 10Best, and Atlanta Magazine. The 2026 Atlanta Film Festival will take place from April 23 - May 4 and is proudly supported by partners including CineFi and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Atlanta Film Festival is the flagship annual program of the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS), one of the nation’s oldest and largest organizations dedicated to the promotion and education of film. ATLFS enriches the community year-round through screenings, classes, workshops, and filmmaker development initiatives.