A free-to-attend festival that highlights the best of independent film in a place that strives to tell the stories that connect us all—this is Longleaf. Our weekend festival screens films that demonstrate a Tar Heel State connection, through the people involved in making them, their filming location, or through their subject.
The North Carolina Museum of History serves as home base for Longleaf Film Festival. Movies have been made in the Tar Heel state for more than 100 years and the museum speaks to that intersection of historic traditions that continue today, making connections. The film community in the state, as well as those who train and film here, continue to create stories that engage and expand our conversation.
It’s lovely to have been back in-person for 2022 and 2023. As we enter our tenth anniversary year for 2024, we look forward to growing festival attendance and embracing new members of our filmmaker and film fan community, while also looking back to the people and films that have contributed to Longleaf’s development over time. We are grateful to all as we strive to promote the art and craft of filmmaking and the passion of film to viewers in Raleigh, the Triangle, and beyond.
So, what’s next?
We launch Longleaf 2024 with a continued commitment to sharing impactful stories, including those about race and community. We strongly believe that the art and craft of filmmaking help connect us and offer avenues for insight, as well as entertainment. We want to share your stories—all of your stories: animated, documentary and narrative films, music videos, spoken word productions, and web series. And again, we will recognize the best films made by historically underrepresented filmmakers with support from caring people.
Longleaf Film Festival 2024 will be held Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11. With your help and support, we plan to help keep Longleaf THE capital city’s film festival. As a free-to-attend event, sponsorships help make Longleaf happen and can also work to make everyone feel welcome in this community—where we recognize that making films is making history.
All narrative festival submissions are eligible for a $750 Judges’ Choice/Narrative Film award; all documentary festival submissions are eligible for a $750 Judges’ Choice/Documentary Film award. All films entered in the Middle and High School Student Film category are eligible for a $300 Best Student Film award. Additionally, prizes are awarded for creative works of filmmakers from historically underrepresented communities: a $500 American Indian Heritage Celebration Prize for the best film by an Indigenous filmmaker, a $500 African American Cultural Celebration Prize for the best film by a Black filmmaker, and a $500 Latin American Communities Prize for the best film by a Latino filmmaker.
Other prizes may be awarded in the categories listed below. All winners receive a unique, hand-crafted (in North Carolina, to celebrate the state’s heritage of pottery making) tile. Tiles are accompanied with plaques that denote the film’s title and winning category. Only enough Award Tiles are crafted for each winner to take one home!
Animated Film
One prize may be awarded in the following subcategory: Best Overall
Documentary Feature
One prize may be awarded in the following subcategory: Best Overall
Documentary Short
One prize may be awarded in the following subcategory: Best Overall
History+ Film
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories: Best Narrative and
Best Documentary
Middle and High School Student Film
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories: Best Narrative and
Best Documentary
Music Video
One prize may be awarded in the following subcategory: Best Overall
Narrative Feature
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories:
Best Comedy
Best Drama
Best Horror
Best Sci-Fi
Narrative Short
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories:
Best Comedy
Best Drama
Best Horror
Best Sci-Fi
Spoken Word Production
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories: Best Overall
Web Series
One prize may be awarded for each of the following subcategories:
Best Web Series
Best Web Pilot