ATL DOC: The Atlanta Documentary Film Festival
22 Years of Documentary Storytelling
ATL DOC has been running for over two decades, making it one of the longest-running documentary film festivals in the United States.
That history matters. You’re submitting to a program with a long track record of supporting documentary filmmakers and presenting their work to real audiences year after year.
We focus on strong, story-driven documentaries. Films with a clear point of view. Films that stay with people after the screening ends.
Since 2006, ATL DOC has screened thousands of documentaries from around the world. The mission has stayed the same: give filmmakers a space where their work is taken seriously, seen by an engaged audience, and shared with a community of other filmmakers and creatives.
Filmmakers attend. Audiences show up. Q&As happen. Conversations continue outside the theater. It’s a chance to connect, build relationships, and be part of something real.
We present awards in core categories including Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Director, Audience Choice, Student, and more. Selected films screen as part of the official program and are eligible for awards.
We accept both feature and short documentaries across a wide range of styles, including investigative, personal, political, environmental, and experimental work. If your film has something to say and is crafted with intention, it’s a good fit here.
If you’re looking for a festival with a proven track record, a real audience, and a focus on documentary storytelling, ATL DOC is it. Submissions are now open.
ATL DOC honors outstanding documentary films and filmmakers with our crystal trophies, awarded in the following core categories:
Best Documentary Feature
The festival’s highest honor, presented to an outstanding feature-length documentary.
Best Documentary Short
Awarded to an exceptional short documentary.
Best Local Documentary Feature
Recognizes an outstanding Georgia-produced feature documentary.
Best Local Documentary Short
Recognizes an outstanding Georgia-produced short documentary.
Best Social Impact Documentary
Presented to a documentary that powerfully engages a real-world issue.
Best Student Documentary
Honors exceptional achievement in student documentary filmmaking.
Best Director – Feature
Presented for excellence in directing a feature documentary.
Best Director – Short
Presented for excellence in directing a short documentary.
Jury Award – Feature
Selected by the jury for overall excellence in a feature documentary.
Jury Award – Short
Selected by the jury for overall excellence in a short documentary.
Audience Choice Award – Feature
Presented to the audience-selected favorite feature documentary.
Audience Choice Award – Short
Presented to the audience-selected favorite short documentary.
Documentary Spirit Award
Honors a film that reflects the core values and spirit of ATL DOC.
Emerging Filmmaker Award
Presented to a first-time or early-career documentary filmmaker of exceptional promise.
Innovative Filmmaking Award
Honors bold creativity and experimentation in documentary form.
We’re proud to celebrate powerful stories and the filmmakers behind them. Winning an award at ATL DOC is more than a trophy - it’s a platform.
