The 50th Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! As one of the largest and longest-running festivals in the country, ATLFF welcomes an audience of over 28,000 annually to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films selected from 8000+ submissions worldwide. As always, there is an emphasis on films celebrating the local area, with festival films tied to Georgia filmmakers. Attending the Atlanta Film Festival is a must for film lovers. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and from around the world.

The 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, May 3, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta, with some of its lineup available virtually from May 4th - 11th.

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” Atlanta Film Festival has been celebrated as the Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, 10Best, and Atlanta Magazine.

Opening night on Thursday, April 23rd, will feature Idiots, directed by Macon Blair and filmed in Georgia. Emmy-winning producer Alex Orr, Executive Producer Joshua Harris, and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. will attend.

Also on the same night, the premiere of the limited series documentary, The Birth of Trap Music, makes its debut. Stars and Executive Producers T.I. and Drumma Boy, among other cast members, will walk the red carpet ahead of the Opening Night and take part in a post-screening Q&A following the documentary screening.

On Friday, April 24, the Tara Theatre will screen One Spoon of Chocolate at 8 pm. The event will be attended by the film’s director, RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and director. The cast features Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, Blair Underwood, Michael Harney, and Emyri Crutchfield.

A special screening of Gifted will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Tara Theater at 5 pm, with Emmy and Critics Choice Award-nominated star McKenna Grace in attendance. Grace will receive ATLFF’s Phoenix Award at the event, honoring her achievements, career momentum, and ongoing contributions to Atlanta’s film industry.

Oscar-nominated, Grammy-winning actress and singer Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Peacemaker) will attend a special screening of If I Go Will They Miss Me at the 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

2026 IMAGE Film Awards Gala, part of the festival’s milestone 50th anniversary, will be held Friday, May 1, at Assembly Atlanta, recognizing standout contributions to film, television, and Georgia’s creative community.

This year’s honorees include Will Packer (Ossie Davis Award), Josh Brolin, Carrie Preston, Hilton Howell, and Georgia Entertainment (IMAGE Film Awards), David Cross (Rebel Award), and Alex Orr, who will receive the inaugural Will Packer Award.

The Closing Night film on Saturday, 2nd, will be Boots Riley's I Love Boosters, starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore.

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The annual Creative Conference, ATLFF’s popular educational programming extension, runs April 28 to May 1st. The Creative Conference provides educational programs for aspiring filmmakers, festivalgoers, newcomers, and community members to gain insight from industry experts. The Creative Conference features workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution, and how they all come together to make a film or television episode.

Highlights include conversations with David Cross and directors Craig Zobel (The Penguin) and James Ponsoldt (Spectacular Now), alongside sessions such as Practical AI for Independent Filmmakers, Inside the Independent Film Ecosystem, and Creating Creature FX and Puppetry for Indies.

The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online.

The 49th Annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! As one of the largest and longest-running festivals in the country, ATLFF welcomes an audience of over 28,000 annually to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films selected from 8000+ submissions worldwide. As always, there is an emphasis on films celebrating the local area, with films at the festival tied to Georgia filmmakers. Attending the Atlanta Film Festival is a must for film lovers. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films that Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and films, along with films from around the world.

The 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 24 - Sunday, May 4, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta, with some of its lineup available virtually.

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine. Atlanta Film Festival has been celebrated as the Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, 10Best, and Atlanta Magazine.

The opening night presentation of Color Book is on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at Plaza Theatre. Directed by David Fortune, the film follows a devoted father who is learning to raise his son with Down Syndrome as a single parent after his wife passes. Director David Fortune, executive producer Naturi Naughton, cast members Will Catlett, Brandee Evans, Jeremiah Alexander Daniels, and producers Kiah Clingman and Kristen Uno will be in attendance.

On Saturday night, April 26, at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, there will be a special presentation of the documentary The Games in Black & White. Centered on the inspirational friendship of icons Andrew Young and Billy Payne, the most successful Black and White partnership in the American South in the civil rights era. The Games in Black & White presents the first comprehensive look at Atlanta’s Olympics from bid to legacy and the city’s transformation that followed. Ambassador Andrew Young, Billy Payne, and Dallas Austin are expected to attend.

Sunday night, April 27, at the Plaza Theatre, there will be the marquee presentation of Shadow Force. In Shadow Force, Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They break the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’s fight becomes an all-out war. Lead Actress and Producer Kerry Washington will be in attendance.

On Friday night, May 2nd, at the Tara Theatre, A Cappella Books presents An Evening with Ed Helms with his book “SNAFU.” Actor, comedian, writer, and host of the hit podcast “SNAFU” Ed Helms comes to the historic Tara Theatre for a hilarious and history-packed evening in celebration of his new book, “SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups.”

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The 15th annual Creative Conference, ATLFF’s popular educational programming extension, returns on Thursday, April 24th - Friday, May 3rd. The Creative Conference provides educational programs for aspiring filmmakers, festivalgoers, newcomers, and community members to gain insight from industry experts. The Creative Conference features workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution and how they all come together to make a film or television episode.

The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com and through the ATLFF 2025 app. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online.

The 48th Annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference April 25 - May 5, 2024

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! Chosen from over 10,000 submissions, the festival brings both feature and short films to Atlanta. This year’s lineup of 142 selected films will feature diverse filmmakers who continue to uplift voices and stories from around the world, representing 118 countries. As always, there is an emphasis on films from the local area, with over 24% of films at the festival with ties to Georgia filmmakers. The Atlanta Film Festival is an event film lovers won’t want to miss. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films that Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and films, along with films from around the world.

The 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 25 - Sunday, May 5, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta and virtually. 

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized as one of the “Ten Best Film Festivals in the US” by USA Today readers and one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine.

The Opening Night Presentation of Amazon Studios’ “The Idea of You” will take place at the Plaza Theatre on Friday, April 26. The Idea of You takes place after a chance encounter at the Coachella Music Festival, Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. It’s not long before Solène discovers that life in the spotlight might be more than she bargained for. Director Michael Showalter is expected to take part in red-carpet interviews and will receive the Atlanta Film Festival’s “The Rebel Award” in an on-stage presentation before the start of the film. There will be a Q&A with Michael Showalter immediately after the screening.

The Closing Night Presentation film is “Sing Sing” on Saturday, May 4th, and will take place at the Plaza Theatre. “Sing Sing” is about Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit. He finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean ‘Dino’ Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez are expected to take part in red carpet interviews and a Q&A after the film.

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The 14th annual Creative Conference, ATLFF’s popular educational programming extension, returns Tuesday, April 30 - Friday, May 3. The Creative Conference offers educational programming for upcoming filmmakers, festivalgoers, newcomers, and members of the greater community to learn from industry experts. The Creative Conference features workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution and how they all come together to make a film or television episode. Thirty-two in-person panels and twelve virtual panels are planned during the 11-day festival.

The full schedule of films and events is available at  www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com and through the ATLFF 2024 app. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online.

The 47th Annual Atlanta Film Festival & Creative Conference April 20 - April 30, 2023

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! Chosen from over 10,000 submissions, the festival brings both feature and short films to Atlanta, including 17 Marquee screenings, 39 world premieres, and 155 creative works from around the world. The Atlanta Film Festival is an event film lovers won’t want to miss. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films that Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and films, along with films from over 30 countries.

ATLFF 2023 will be more accessible than ever, offering a mix of in-person and virtual screenings. Screenings will be held at the Plaza Theatre (1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE), Dad’s Garage (569 Ezzard St SE), The Carter Center (453 Freedom Parkway), and The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University (80 Forsyth St NW). All virtual screenings and events will be presented via Eventive.

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized as one of the “Ten Best Film Festivals in the U.S.” by USA Today readers and one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine.

The Opening Night Presentation of Focus Features’ “Polite Society” will take place at the Plaza Theatre on Friday, April 21. Starring Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya, the film follows a martial artist-in-training who enlists her friends to help save her older sister from her impending marriage in the name of independence and sisterhood.

The Closing Night Presentation on Saturday, April 29th at the Rialto Center for the Arts is “Big Boss". The film is the remarkable true story of Keke Palmer, a young woman from Chicago who faces immense challenges in the male-dominated music industry. Written and directed by Keke herself, the film showcases her perseverance, self-love, unyielding faith, and indomitable spirit. Throughout her journey, Keke discovers that the greatest obstacle she must overcome is learning to trust her instincts. Keke Palmer will be in attendance for a conversation and extended Q&A.

Some highlights of the festival’s programming from celebrated filmmakers and Hollywood studios include narrative features and documentaries that are sure to thrill, entertain and inform. “This World Is Not My Own” is a documentary film that traces the lifespan of artist Nellie Mae Rowe through motion capture technology to replicate human expressions and movement performed by Uzo Aduba, “It’s Only Life After All” is a documentary that follows the lives and careers of one of the most iconic folk-rock bands in America, the Indigo Girls, and “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster,” starring Laya DeLeon Hayes and Chad Coleman, is a poignant story of grief and hope, in which a teenage anti-hero goes on a desperate quest to cure death. “Still: A Michael J Fox Movie” is a film that incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounting Michael J. Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words, the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood.

In conjunction with Videodrome, Atlanta’s last video store, is the Atlanta premiere screening of a brand-new restoration of “Party Girl”, director Daisy von Scherler Mayer’s 1995 Manhattan cult comedy starring the sublime Parker Posey. Co-hosted by Fun City Editions, who commissioned and oversaw the restoration, this event will feature a Q&A with Fun City founder Jonathan Hertzberg and Millie De Chirico, local film programmer, writer, historian, and host of the weekly film podcast I Saw What You Did.

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The  Atlanta Film Festival IMAGE Film Awards Gala will be held at the Fox Theatre on Sunday, April 23rd. This year’s IMAGE Film Award honorees include President Jimmy Carter, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (2011-2019), Atlanta-based entertainment and technology company Trioscope, and BronzeLens Film Festival. The IMAGE Film Award on behalf of President Jimmy Carter will be accepted by a special guest soon to be announced. 

Additional award recipients include George R. R. Martin, honored with the Originator Award, which recognizes visionaries who are often imitated, never duplicated, and always responsible for setting new industry standards in the film industry. Keke Palmer, honored with the Ossie Davis Award, which recognizes creative excellence and dynamic contributions to the art of cinema, for her achievements across film, television, and music, all while bringing truth, vulnerability, and power to her roles. And Vincent D’Onofrio, honored with the Phoenix Award, which recognizes Vincent for his 20+ years of acting and now his directorial debut with “Night of the Cooters.”

The popular Creative Conference will be ongoing again at the festival, with workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution, and how they all come together to make a film or television episode. This will be the 13th year for the Creative Conference, offering over 25 in-person panel discussions, eight virtual panels, and in-depth conversations with industry experts from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com and through the ATLFF 2023 app. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online. In-person screening tickets range from $12-15; virtual access is $9.99 per film/panel with an unlimited virtual all-access pass for $85 for both films and Creative Conference.

The Atlanta Film Festival is the chief annual operation of the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS), one of the oldest and largest organizations dedicated to the promotion and education of film in the United States, which enriches the community through screenings, classes, workshops, and other events year-round.

46th Annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference April 21 - May 1, 2022

 

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! With 29 feature-length films, including 11 Marquee screenings and a total of 155 creative works from around the world, the Atlanta Film Festival is an event film lovers won’t want to miss. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films that Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and films that previously played at Sundance.  

ATLFF 2022 will be more accessible than ever, offering a mix of in-person and virtual screenings and virtual Q&A sessions with filmmakers. Screenings will be held at three venues, the Plaza Theatre (1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE), Dad’s Garage (569 Ezzard St SE), and The Carter Center (453 Freedom Parkway). All virtual screenings and events will be presented via Eventive. 

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized as the ‘Best Spring Festival’ by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and one of the ’25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World’ and one of the ’50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee' by MovieMaker Magazine.

The Opening Night Presentation, taking place at the Plaza Theatre on Friday, April 22, 892, is a dramatic thriller starring John Boyega, the late Michael K. Williams, Nicole Beharie, and Connie Britton. 892 follows a Marine war veteran who faces mental and emotional challenges when he tries to reintegrate back into civilian life. Screenwriter Kwame Kwei-Armah will be on-hand for the red carpet screening. 

The Closing Night Presentation on Saturday, April 30, at the Plaza Theatre is the Disney+ documentary Mija. Directed by Isabel Castro, the film follows Doris Muñoz, who began a career in music talent management and met Jacks Haupt, an auspicious young singer, and both share the ever-present guilt of being the first American-born members of their undocumented families.

The narrative features lineup is outstanding, including Cha Cha Real Smooth starring Dakota Johnson and written and directed by Cooper Raiff, Emily the Criminal starring Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi, and Summering, a coming of age story directed by Georgia-native and celebrated ATLFF alumni James Ponsoldt. Documentary feature highlights include Look At Me!, an inside look at a gifted young rapper's tumultuous rise to fame before his death at the age of 20, with never-before-seen footage as XXXTentacion's inner circle speaks out, and REFUGE, a story about fear and love in the American South from local Atlanta directors Erin Levin Bernhardt and Din Blankenship. 

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three of the short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated. One hundred twenty-four short films make up the festival, 24 of which are from Georgia.

The popular Creative Conference will be ongoing again at the festival, with workshops, panels, talks, and demos will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution, and how they all come together to make a film or television episode. The highlights include Masterclasses, panels, and conversations with actress Antonia Gentry (star of Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia), actress Priah Ferguson (Stranger Things), actor Atkins Estimond (Hightown), producer/director Cherien Dabis (Only Murders in the Building, Ozark), actress Danielle Deadwyler (The Harder They Fall), showrunner Nick Antosca (Candy), cinematographer Daniel Patterson (The Last OG), director Stacey Muhammed (Black-ish, Queen Sugar), comedy writer Robert Peacock (Mad About You), VFX editor Barry Murphy (1883), and many more.

The full schedule of films and events is now available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Festival passes and tickets for individual events are on sale now on the site.

The Atlanta Film Festival is the chief annual operation of the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS), one of the oldest and largest organizations dedicated to the promotion and education of film in the United States, which enriches the community through screenings, classes, workshops, and other events year-round.