Your stories are a one of a kind miracle of sorts! There is no other story like yours - it is a genuinely amazing construct created to leave your unique mark! A Pecan Pickling Film Festival now in our fourth year, proudly celebrates filmmakers and showcase films and select features from experienced, emerging, and student filmmakers like you! Our mission is to support and elevate filmmakers, expanding opportunity for both their craft and their earning potential, while advancing powerful storytelling rooted in hope, resilience, innovation, and the courage to overcome limitations.

We welcome experienced and emerging filmmakers and student filmmakers as well, to showcase talent, vision, and creativity in a unique location in northeastern North Carolina. The Festival includes a red carpet reception, a variety of workshops, film screenings, and awards and recognition ceremonies. And most importantly, it is you that we celebrate as you leave your mark. C'mon and join us!

Awards & Prizes

A Pecan Pickling Film Festival is proud to feature experienced and emerging filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their projects and share their talent. The festival provides opportunities to meet other filmmakers, build collaboratives and gain exposure to new audiences. Student filmmakers gain invaluable real world experience and exposure, network with other creatives, and lay the foundation to leverage their work for professional success.

AWARD CATEGORIES
New for 2026! A Pecan Pickling Film Festival invites submissions for Faith on Film, a special category celebrating stories of faith, hope, and inspiration. And Dr. KM. Smith AI & Multimedia Innovation Award: an award that celebrates bold, imaginative filmmakers who blend creativity and technology to tell stories in new ways that impact the creative marketplace.

A Pecan Pickling Film Festival Awards Best Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Comedic Short, Best Family Short, Best Music Video, Best Animated Short, Best Episodic Content Short, Best Student Short and select few feature/full length films (40-90 minutes or longer).
Now Featuring Faith on Film: Best Christian Film Shorts Only (5-25 minutes without credits- all categories).

OTHER AWARDS:
1. Faith On Film
2. Dr. K.M. Smith AI & Multimedia Innovation
2. Best Homegrown Short (eastern/northeastern NC)
3. Best NC Filmmaker Award
4. Emerging Filmmaker Award
5. Community Choice Awards
6. The Inaugural Hybrid and Project Innovation Award

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES:

All submissions (fiction/nonfiction) will be judged on uniqueness and originality, entertainment and production quality.

1. A Pecan Pickling Film Festival (APP) defines a short film as a film with a run time of no more than 40 minutes and no less than 5 minutes with credits. Films shorter than 5 minutes will not be considered. Films longer than 40 minutes is considered a feature/long feature (40-90 minutes or longer).

2. Submissions must be accompanied by a NONREFUNDABLE submission fee of $20 for each submission along with a completed online entry form. All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted.

3. Films must be submitted online through FilmFreeway.

4. In the event of a password change or link change after submitting through
FilmFreeway, you must email the Festival at susan@equity-films.org immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible.

5. APP Short Film Festival screens films as digital files during the Festival. If you are unable or unwilling to provide us your film as a digital file, your film cannot be submitted.

6. Films must be available for screening during APP Short-Film Festival, September 13-15, 2024.

7. For screening purposes, if accepted into the festival, please submit your film(s) in the following formats for downloads and screening: .MOV, Mp4 files.
And, if you have a Vimeo account, please make the file downloadable.

8. Feature/full length films 40 - 90 minutes or more in length may be considered for a special screening. Selection for screening will be determined no later than one month prior to the festival.

9. Short films that are publicly available online prior to the Festival will be considered but prefer that shorts not be publicly available online.

10. APP Short-Film Festival reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject or disqualify any ineligible entries, without a refund. No nudity or excessive profanity.

11. Films that are selected to screen at the Festival may not necessarily be selected to be “in competition” for awards purposes.

ORIGINALITY AND PERMISSIONS; INDEMNITY
1. Films must be the original work of the applicants. If it is not, applicant(s) must secure any necessary rights to make adaptations. By entering the competition, you represent that you have secured all necessary rights.

2. Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. APP Short-Film Festival expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations.

SELECTED FILMS AND WINNERS

1. APP Film Festival has no obligation to disclose identities of screeners or judges; notes, feedback, or information relating to a submitted project; and/or provide details regarding the submission review or selection process.

2. APP - Film Festival explicitly disclaims any liability or responsibility for any comments, notes, or opinions expressed about a submission, whether by APP Short- Film Festival or by its volunteers.

3. Winners will be announced on Sunday, September 15, 2024. The judges’ decision is final.

4. If there are winners receiving cash prizes, it is their sole responsibility for payment of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes.

QUESTIONS?
For general questions our FAQ will be posted shortly.
Still in need of assistance? Email at susan@equity-films.com