The Arts are not just about entertainment and the appreciation of artistic works. It's a celebration of our expression through adversity and the freedom of creativity, which to many of us does not come easy. As a subsidiary of Carolina Film Network, Freedom Festival International inclusively uplifts the essence of therapeutic art through the mediums of film and screenwriting. What makes Freedom Festival International a one-of-a-kind festival is, not only do we highlight underrepresented groups and have a myriad of diverse awards, but we take pride in showcasing films from around the world that are testament to how the struggles of filmmaking can cultivate entire communities and help us to grow. We kick off the festival with a torch lighting ceremony Friday before the first screenings. In addition to this, there will be panel discussions with leading industry professionals, talkbacks, seminars, and awesome after party mixers at the end of each day as the festival concludes.

This international festival's "Finalist Selections" in each category will be screened live at the festival and compete for the "Torch Awards" up stairs at Ambrosia Taverna in the heart of Columbia, South Carolina. With over two dozen categories, these awards are just the tip of the iceberg. These awards are also IMDb qualifying.

Freedom Festival International is a festival dedicated to showcasing, promoting, and networking independent filmmakers and the great films they've made from around the world. With the additional highlighting of women and veteran filmmakers, we will honor an influential woman and veteran with the coveted Woman Torchbearer of the Year and Veteran of Freedom Torch Award. This is fitting in conjunction with the month of August celebrating the holidays of Purple Heart Day and Women's Equality Day.

We are seeking films and screenplays that coincide with the categories listed such as Action, Drama, Comedy, Horror, Music Video, Documentary, Student, and Short Screenplays. With all of the Finalists Selections that will be screened at the festival, we will provide two VIP passes for each film and/or screenplay so that they can attend the entire festival and see firsthand how everyone responds to their beautiful work, which will give a great opportunity for the filmmakers to network with other filmmakers, fans, and potential investors and distributors.

Awards & Prizes

Our coveted "Torch Award" trophies will be awarded for:
Best Feature
Best Short
Best Producer
Best Director
Best Cinematographer
Best Fight/Stunt Choreography
Best Score/Original Composition
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best SFX
Best Short Screenplay
Best Documentary
Best Student Film
Best Music Video
Best Action
Best Drama
Best Horror
Best Comedy
DisABILITY Short
Best South Carolina (Feature)
Best South Carolina (Short)
Audience Choice Award
Best Veteran Film
Boss Female Film
Best of the Fest

Rules & Terms

We welcome films that have been produced after January 1, 2023. We will be accepting film from all countries in the world. If a film becomes a "Finalist Selection", then we will need a downloadable (.mp4) file, or permission to download from FilmFreeway, of the film for exhibition at the festival. Specifics will be corresponded through email upon acceptance. If the film is not in English, then it will be required for the film to display English subtitles.

Films and screenplays will be judged by a panel of industry professionals in addition to the festival Directors. Films selected will be notified via email correspondence and the exhibition copy of the Finalist Selections will have to be delivered and received no later than July 1, 2026. Upon retrieval of exhibition copy, additional promotional material will be corresponded via email as well. Each "Official Selection" film and Short Screenplay will be given two VIP All Access Passes to the festival upon arrival. Additional passes can be purchased in advance or at the door when tickets go on sale. It will also be required for Finalist Selection filmmakers to provide a trailer of their respective films for promotional use of the festival after receiving notification of acceptance. The Finalist Selection Short Screenplays are not required to provide any additional promotional material, as they will be potentially interviewed through our podcast leading up to the festival and/or live during the festival.

Freedom Festival International for August of 2026 will be held at 1734 Main St Columbia, SC. Follow the website and all social media for updates. All other questions and inquiries can be directed to the festival organizers.
67 Reviews
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  • Ronda Page

    Unfortunately this year, the Freedom Festival International was inaccessible to wheel-chair users. I submitted for the disability short film script category and wasn’t informed at all that it was inaccessible. Found out when I got there. Called the hosts and asked about it and they just said it was inaccessible and will be for future festivals as well. Extremely disappointed. Ironic that this festival has a disability category but is inaccessible.

    September 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Greetings, and thank you so very much for your review. You’re right about this year’s festival not being as accessible as we would have like it to have been, especially considering that one of the festival directors is also disabled and has difficulty going up stairs. We don’t, however, have a disability short script category for our festival. The category we have is for short films, not scripts, so you might have been a bit mistaken on which festival you submitted to. In regards to communication, we were as transparent about the location as possible, as we shared videos, pictures, and posts on all of our social media platforms, some of which you responded and reacted to. With it being a festival that is local to people like yourself, we invited and encouraged people to come visit us at our new location beforehand. That being said, the director you communicated with during the festival also related to you and everyone else in attendance that future festivals will be completely accessible. There were several disabled people in attendance that were assisted with coming upstairs, but it’s also okay if anyone did not want assistance when asked. We appreciate your support, and we definitely support all of the amazing artists that help bring our festival to life. We hope to bring better experiences and outcomes in the future. Again, thank you so much for your time and consideration.

  • MK McGehee

    A wonderful independent film festival! 5 stars!!

    September 2025
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  • Victor William Chen

    Great communication and having the opportunity to bring a variety of works for the festival. Though I was unable to attend in person I was honored to have been selected to be part of the festival event. Thank you again!

    August 2025
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  • Justin O'Shea Cooper

    I am grateful to have had my film, Cirilo: A Legacy Untold, selected as a documentary short for this festival.

    August 2025
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  • Spencer Winburn

    I’m incredibly honored that Sugarloaf: Home Sweet Home won Best South Carolina Feature at Freedom Festival International—my very first award for a feature film! It was an unforgettable experience, and my team and I had an amazing time.

    The hosts were incredibly welcoming, and the festival atmosphere was full of positive energy. The audience was supportive and engaged, and their feedback was both thoughtful and rewarding. It truly made the whole experience even more special for me and my team.

    I highly recommend Freedom Festival International to any filmmaker looking for a fun, dynamic, and supportive environment to showcase their work. Thank you to everyone involved for making this such a memorable experience!

    August 2025
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