Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA) is a monthly film and screenplay competition for filmmakers worldwide.
LAFA is one of the highest-rated festivals on FilmFreeway, with over 1000 five-star reviews.

Our mission is to promote films, and be another step up in the filmmakers' careers.

Every month, our jury will award the best films through private screenings, and make a special interview with the winner of the Best Picture award. Some of the monthly winners will earn an annual nomination.

* All winners receive a free certificate (PDF/JPG file, ready for print). 

Partner festivals:
Top Shorts www.filmfreeway.com/ts
Festigious www.filmfreeway.com/festigious
Actors Awards www.filmfreeway.com/actorsawards
NY Film Awards www.filmfreeway.com/ny
FCA (Filmmakers Connect Awards) www.filmfreeway.com/fc

Best Picture
Best Narrative Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Drama
Best Comedy
Best Horror
Best Thriller
Best Action
Best Sci-Fi
Best Fantasy Film
Best Crime Film
Best Mystery Film
Best Parody
Best Western
Best Sitcom
Best Film Noir
Best Virtual Reality
Best Documentary
Best Animation
Best Microfilm
Best Indie Film
Best Web Series
Best TV Series
Best Web/TV Pilot
Best Music Video
Best Experimental Film
Best Inspirational Film
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Actor in an Indie Film
Best Actress in an Indie Film
Best Child/Young Actor
Best Child/Young Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Duo
Best Ensemble
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Original Score
Best First Time Director (Feature)
Best First Time Director (Short)
Best Student Film
Best TV Series
Best Web/TV Pilot
Best Song in a Film
Best Sound Design
Best Visual Effects
Best Trailer
Best Original Story
Best Television Script
Best Screenplay Short
Best Screenplay Feature
Best First Time Screenwriter
Best Drama Screenplay
Best Comedy Screenplay
Best Thriller Screenplay
Best Horror Screenplay
Best Fantasy Screenplay
Best Action Screenplay
Best Sci-Fi Screenplay

* What we’re looking for? Story-based films, which can be in the form of narrative (fiction), documentary (non fiction), or animation.

* By submitting your film, take note that:
- You agree to use parts of your film (including trailer/teaser/film poster/stills) for promotional purpose.
- Entry fees are non-refundable.
- Multiple entries are allowed for each filmmaker and each entry may be entered in multiple categories.
- The films will not be available online.
- We promote some of the films by uploading the trailers/teasers/posters/production stills.

* We do not accept:
1. Amateur videos
2. Extremist or propaganda content from religious or political organizations
3. Films involving politics / films promoting political agenda
4. Films with a poor production standard (bad sound, lack of subtitles/captions for non-English films, video resolution less than 720p HD)
5. Films which were made before 2010
6. Films that depict or include any cruelty to animals.

LAFA is a FilmFreeway Gold festival, a Magic Productions Int. & Her Scores brand, and a partner festival of Top Shorts, Festigious, Actors Awards, NY Film Awards and FilmCon Awards.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mikael Genachte-Le Bail

    The Los Angeles Film Awards is an outstanding festival with excellent communication.
    Thank you so much for the incredible experience—it was an honor to be part of it, and I am truly grateful to have won these awards.

    July 2026
  • I’m incredibly grateful to have been a finalist with one of my films and a winner with another. Winning was, of course, a wonderful honor, but what meant even more to me was the jury’s thoughtful review. The level of detail in their feedback showed how carefully they watched and understood my film, and that made the experience even more meaningful.
    Thank you to the entire Los Angeles Film Awards team for recognizing and supporting independent AI filmmakers.

    July 2026
  • Dear LAFA Team,

    I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone at the Los Angeles Film Awards for honoring **The Chief's Legacy** with the **Best Instrumental** award.

    It is a tremendous honor to have my work recognized by your distinguished jury. As a composer, creating music that tells a story and connects emotionally with audiences is at the heart of everything I do, and this recognition means more to me than I can adequately express.

    Thank you for your dedication to supporting independent filmmakers, composers, and artists from around the world. Festivals like LAFA provide an invaluable platform for creative voices, and I am truly grateful to be part of this year's winners.

    I also appreciate the professionalism and communication throughout the festival. It has been a wonderful experience from submission to the announcement of the winners.

    Please extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in making this year's edition such a success. I look forward to following LAFA in the years ahead and wish the festival continued success.

    With sincere appreciation,

    Yves Stilmant
    Composer

    July 2026
  • Josh Rutherford

    I'm very grateful to the Los Angeles Film Awards for picking my screenplay, The Strong, as April's winner. I'm still new to networking in this space, but I remain hopeful that my placement will garner some attention in the coming months.

    June 2026
  • karen thomas

    A wonderful festival experience! We were honored to receive Best Supporting Actress for Pam Renall and an Honorable Mention for Director Elgin Cahill. Thank you to the judges and festival team for supporting independent filmmaking. Highly recommended!

    June 2026