A fun filled three day event at the state of the art Epic Theatres in Mount Dora, Florida (40 minutes from Orlando) over the weekend of January 22nd through January 24th, 2027. Networking opportunities, panel discussions, screenings and an award show with special guest presenters. Also, meet and mingle networking functions will be held each night in our filmmaker lounge at the festival theater.

All official selections receive ONE (1) free VIP 3-Day pass, which includes access to the award show and all panel discussions.

Our festival was named to the "Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" in MovieMaker Magazine - 2012 and received a top 100 Film Festival rating by FilmFreeway in September 2016. Come celebrate Independent Film with us!

Awards & Prizes

Winning filmmakers in each category receives a beautiful plaque presented at our award show.

The categories for the 21st Annual CENFLO Film Festival (2027) are:

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE
BEST COMEDIC FEATURE
BEST COMEDIC SHORT
BEST DRAMATIC SHORT
BEST HORROR SHORT
BEST SUSPENSE/THRILLER SHORT
BEST SCIFI/FANTASY SHORT
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
GEORGE PEREZ ANIMATED PROJECT
BEST FOREIGN PROJECT
BEST STUDENT PROJECT (College or High School)
BEST FLORIDA PROJECT
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
MOUNT DORA MAYOR’S CHOICE AWARD

Rules & Terms

1.) ALL PROJECTS THAT GAIN OFFICIAL SELECTION MUST BE SUBMITTED TO CENFLO IN DCP (DIGITAL CINEMA PACKAGE) IN ORDER TO SCREEN AT OUR FESTIVAL THEATER. AN UPLOAD LINK WILL BE PROVIDED TO ALL FILMMAKERS WHOSE PROJECTS ARE SELECTED.

2.) CENFLO is not accepting fully generative AI projects at this time. If your film contains partial AI material or VFX enhancements, this must be stated in your project description.

3.) Please make sure your email and phone contact information is listed on Film Freeway and is accurate and up to date.

4.) Upon being selected into the festival, you will receive instructions and login information to upload your project materials in the "Welcome to CENFLO" email sent by our Operations Director. Questions about DCP's (for those unfamiliar with the process of creating one) can be sent to our Programming Manager at: phillip@cenflo.us

5.) Official Selection filmmakers will allow their names, project clips and film titles to be used for current and future CENFLO festival advertising and promotional materials.

6.) All SHORT FILM submissions must be 40 minutes or less (including credits).

129 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • David Girard

    The Central Florida Film Festival was outstanding. Everyone involved was very professional and really appreciated supporting film. I couldn't have asked for better!!

    April 2026
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  • Keisha Bissram

    Central Florida Film Festival is a great celebration of independent film. The organizers foster a supportive environment for filmmakers and audiences, and the programming highlights a diverse range of stories. It was an honor to screen here.

    March 2026
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  • Jeffrey Morgan

    I was lucky enough to have our documentary be shown at CENFLO this year and while I sadly wasn't ultimately able to attend because of a work conflict and snow storm aligning, I heard from a few enthusiastic audience members post screening who reached out to let us know what a great experience they had seeing the film at CENFLO. Thank you again for showcasing our film!

    January 2026
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  • Lisa Wardell

    Wow! What a great festival. I highly recommend CENFLO. This festival is not only welcoming and supportive but well-curated and engaging. This is my second time winning an award with CENFLO, and it is an honor to be acknowledged by CENFLO and thier team.

    January 2026
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  • Gabriel Black

    CENFLO is an amazing festival. The atmosphere is welcoming. Epic cinemas is a great venue. They have a good balance of shorts, features, and documentaries. I was honored to have 'It Hunts' screen at their 20-year anniversary fest in 2026!!!

    January 2026
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