A fun little festival for fun little movies. The Babylon Fest lives at The Babylon Kino: Columbia, South Carolina's space for independent movies. Give us your best short films and features; we'll give you an audience with more enthusiasm than good sense.

Our June fest is for underground movies. That is, anything weird, shocking, surprising, obtuse or offensive. The stranger the better.

Awards & Prizes

Best short
Best feature

Rules & Terms

1. Any genre, but ask yourself: "Is this an underground film?"
2. We don't want pleasant family dramas. We want movies with edge.
3. All movies must be in English or have English subtitles baked in.
4. Movies should not be in wide distribution at the time of the fest.
5. Craft matters less than attitude, but a bad sound mix is disqualifying.
9 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Meagen Bannon

    We really enjoyed attending The Babylon Kino for the first time for a film fest ! We’re from Ga, so a little bit of a drive, but worth the trip. I really enjoyed the talk led by the owner after we viewed the films. He was really good at getting everyone involved. He had really helpful advice regarding beginner filmmaking. It’s refreshing to see an indie theater like this. I hope this little gem sticks around for a long time!

    February 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We loved your short!

  • Philippe SFEZ

    Fantastic festival! You must have questionable taste to have selected 2 of my films from a lineup of 14, but that's precisely why you have my utmost admiration.
    The communication with the directors was excellent.
    Bravo! ❤️‍🔥

    November 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We love your work! Thanks for submitting.

  • Steve Bydal

    Although I wasn't able to attend in person this year, I found the Babylon Fest's directors to be pro-active, communicative and accessible. Thank you for hosting my short, "Your Dad's Cosplay".

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We loved your movie!

  • Mike Davis

    A fun, gutsy festival willing to screen unconventional films that may not fit conveniently into the standard categories. David and his team are awesome, with thoughtful curation, communication and even some TV promotion! These guys go above and beyond, and I appreciate them providing a showcase for my crazy film, "Dead, White and Blue."

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Loved your movie!

  • ana montserrat rosell

    Everything was great! We have been so pleased to participate. David and his tema are good professionals and the proposal is really original and well curated. Thanks !

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks! It great was to host you.