Out On Film, Atlanta's LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) Film Festival, is one of the leading LGBTQ film festivals in the United States, as well as an Oscar qualifying one. Short films that win the festival’s Best Drama Short award will now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Live Action Short film competition for the concurrent season, provided their films otherwise comply with the Academy rules. In 2022, we will hold our 35th annual film festival. Each year, we showcase approximately 150 narratives, documentaries, short films. We show everything from international fare to local programming to retrospectives. We also place a big premium on working with filmmakers. Our visiting filmmaker series is one of the most respected in the industry.

We will also offer our first Best Short Film Screenplay Contest and our first Best Feature Film Screenplay Contest in 2022.

Important - films that are accepted for Out On Film need to be local premieres.

Awards & Prizes

We offer Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Best Trans-Themed Feature, Best Drama Short, and Best International Film

We offer Jury Awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best International Film, Best Performance, Best Director, Best First Film, Best Ensemble and Best Drama Short.

We are an Oscar® qualifying film festival. Short films that win the festival’s Best Drama Short award will now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Live Action Short film competition for the concurrent season, provided their films otherwise comply with the Academy rules

New in 2022 - we are offering two Screenplay competitions - a Short Film Screenplay Competition and a Feature Film Screenplay Competition. Winners in the Short Film category receive $250 and the Feature Film category receive $500. Both winners receive a staged reading at the 2022 Out On Film festival.

Rules & Terms

Out on Film (OOF) is now accepting film entries for our 2022 Festival. We are seeking films catered to the interest of, and inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community. We wish to showcase the trials and triumphs of life using the moving image. This is mandatory for consideration. This is a necessary step towards inclusion for many who have not had their stories told and is an integral part of our mission to expand who and what is seen by our patrons and Atlanta’s. Works in progress are not allowed.

Online submissions MUST include the fully completed submission form, entry fee, JPEG publicity photo(s), a two-sentence synopsis, downloadable trailer URL, URL link to preview the film (Vimeo preferred) and password to access the film (if protected). The URL link and password for selected films must be available until August 29, 2022. Film’s submissions must have been completed in 2020 or later. Foreign language films must have English subtitles.

More than one entry can be submitted; however, each entry must be accompanied by separate online submission forms. Submissions containing multiple films will be disqualified from consideration. Shipment of exhibition asset(s) to the festival must be paid by the applicant.

If shipping preview screeners, please note that Out on Film will not be able to return the materials provided. Completion of the entry form certifies that you are the rightful owner of the submitted work and own all rights and releases necessary for public screening(s).By submitting your work to Out on Film, you grant a non-exclusive license to use an excerpt of your submission of up to two minutes in length for promotional purposes only.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IF SELECTED, WE WILL HAVE VERY IMPORTANT TIME-SENSITIVE CORRESPONDENCE SO BE SURE TO WHITELIST COMMUNICATIONS FROM TRAFFIC@OUTONFILM.ORG. BE SURE TO INCLUDE A PHONE NUMBER WE CAN REACH YOU AT IN YOUR SUBMISSION.

Out on Film has the exclusive right to determine how, when, and the duration that submitted and selected films are screened for the festival (in-person, virtually, or both) as well as to determine appropriate geo-blocking measures for films that screen virtually. Films that we screen virtually need to be available for a minimum of one week throughout the U.S and may be subject to special encore opportunities during the month of October.

Our relationships with filmmakers are very valuable to us and we always strive to have as many filmmakers present as we can at our event. For those filmmakers we are able to invite to our festival, we offer airfare, lodging and transportation. For filmmakers who come on their own, we make every attempt to assist with housing and lodging.

46 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Tony Zosherafatain

    An excellent festival. I had a great experience having my documentary series screened here.

    March 2022
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  • Latisha Di Venuto

    It was truly an honor and a privilege to have my debut narrative short film have its world premiere at Out on Film! Although I was not able to attend in person, the virtual experience was nothing short of outstanding for us all. Thank you Jim and the entire Out on Film team for the phenomenal experience :)

    January 2022
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  • Jamieson Baker

    Out On Film was a really great festival experience overall. Jim and the team were very well organized and clear in their communication. I especially appreciated the opportunity to participate in a virtual post-screening panel discussion with the other filmmakers in our section. Thank you for supporting our film and providing a platform for LGBTQ artists to share their work!

    January 2022
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  • Peach Jam Pictures

    Jim and the team at Out on Film consistently present one of the best festivals across the Southeast. As a filmmaker I find that this festival presents clear communication and at the event they create a hospitable, fun environment to showcase your work. I will submit again and again and I hope to take part in future iterations.

    January 2022
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  • John e. Kilberg

    Atlanta is home to this fantastic film festival that finds the wonders of queer cinema from around the world to screen in the city. It’s nice to see such love and dedication for cinema done right for those in Georgia and the surrounding areas who can attend. Can’t wait to go back again!

    December 2021
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