The Georgia Shorts Film Festival is a premier theatrical screening event in Atlanta, dedicated to showcasing independent films across all genres. Our mission is to celebrate the craft of storytelling by recognizing exceptional filmmaking and screenwriting through official nominations and awards determined by our professional judging panel.

Scriptwriters: We offer more than just a competition. In addition to your festival submission, we provide an optional script coverage service (which includes your entry fee). Your work will be analyzed by an award-winning Cinema Life filmmaker with extensive production and writing experience. Get professional feedback from a pro who truly understands the nuances and grit of the indie filmmaking world.

**NEW** Now Accepting Vertical Films!

We are now accepting vertical films (9:16) across all genres, created specifically for mobile and digital platforms (8 minutes or less). All genres are welcome, including narrative, drama, comedy, experimental, hybrid formats. If your film was designed for vertical viewing, we’d love to consider it.

Our panel of judges will give awards to filmmakers including:

Best Action Film
Best Animated Short Film
Best Drama Film
Best Dark Drama
Best Documentary Film
Best Comedy Film
Best Dark Comedy
Best Romantic Comedy Film
Best Mockumentary Film
Best International Film
Best Georgia Film
Best Horror Film
Best Music Video
Best Social Impact Film
Best LGBTQ Film
Best Sci-Fi Film
Best Experimental Film
Best Podcast Episode
Best Cinematography
Best Director
Best Editing
Best Horror Film Screenplay
Best Feature Length Comedy Film Screenplay
Best Short Drama Film Screenplay
Best Short Comedy Film Screenplay
Best Feature Length Drama Film Screenplay
Best Science Fiction Screenplay
Best International Screenplay
Best Dark Comedy Film Screenplay

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

*By submitting to this festival you consent to being added to our email contact and marketing list.

• Please fully fill out your submission profile to avoid hold-ups in the judging process. Points may be taken off of overall scores for incomplete profiles.

*Notification Dates and Event Dates are subject to change.

****Submission Fees are Non-Refundable****

• If you submit a Film in process and it gets selected, please notice we expect it to be completed within two weeks after the Notification Date. Otherwise, it will be disqualified. No exceptions. It is every submitter's responsibility to read the Rules and Terms of each Festival before submitting.

• If your film is selected you are not to submit any other updated, altered version of your film. If you send a film that is different from or longer than what was initially selected by the festival judging team, your film may be disqualified to the discretion of the festival director.

• If your film is selected, you are expected to provide a link to download your film so that we can project it at the festival. Only Google Drive and Dropbox are accepted. You can also make your film downloadable on FilmFreeway or Vimeo.

• All films must be under 4GB and 1080HD Max in either MP4 or MOV format.

• We do not accept DCP files.

• We do not screen 720p or SD Files.

• We do not stream from YouTube or Vimeo at the event.

• The Georgia Shorts Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival and for promotional purposes on our website, newsletter, and social media platforms. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless The Georgia Shorts Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

• The Georgia Shorts Film Festival DOES NOT offer refunds on submissions.

• We reserve the right to deny entry or disqualify any project, at the discretion of festival leadership, for any reason.

*** The Georgia shorts Film Festival believes in open screening opportunities for all selected filmmakers. We will never disqualify a project for premiering at another film festival. We want filmmakers to succeed at as many events as they can. Not all festivals feel this way and they will disqualify films if they premiere somewhere else. Please make sure you read our event dates and selection dates carefully. We do not offer selection deferment and you will not be given a refund for withdrawing your submission. ***

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Tim Johnson

    Everyone was very nice but they had a projection issue (a lag that made it look like the frame rate was off) that effected all of the films. It really cheapened the experience. They also rushed the Q&As down to asking the filmmakers one question from the moderator. Very sweet people with great intentions but poor execution.

    June 2025
    Response from festival:

    Hi Tim! Thank you for your feedback! UGHhhh, you are absolutely correct, the tech from our venue was SO frustrating the entire day! We were very disappointed by the faulty tech provided by the venue and their team's inability to fix the issues. This caused delays in the day and we did not get nearly enough time to spend on Q&As and networking like we normally do! It was NOT the way we usually run events and we are so sorry for your experience. We did everything we could to make the day great, but we missed the mark here! We have changed venues that has much better tech suited for our needs and this will NEVER be an issue again. Thank you again for your valuable feedback :)

  • Cameron Shaw

    I had a great experience at the 2025 festival! Mara and the team were communicative and pleasant, and it was such a lovely and memorable event. Highly recommend!

    June 2025
  • The 2025 Georgia Shorts Film Festival was a top-notch event! Caroline, Mara, and the staff, provided a memorable experience with a well-casted table read performance of my screenplay along with clear and concise communication regarding festival events. Looking forward to supporting the @cinemalifeorg for their future events, film festivals, and dedication towards providing a platform for creatives to shine.

    June 2025
  • Fantastic fest that encourages everything you'd want out of one. I look forward to the future in submitting to the CinemaLife network :)

    June 2025
  • Austin Lewis

    I had a fantastic time getting to screen "Wildman" at the 2025 festival, and had the pleasure of winning "Best LGBTQ+ Stories: Queer Visions" against very stiff competition! Wide variety of films that ran the gamut, I had a great time watching them all and am grateful to be included.

    June 2025