The ConCarolinas Film Festival, taking place annually during ConCarolinas - North Carolina's largest and longest-running multi-genre fandom convention - is dedicated to the art of the genre-fiction film and the expression of independent filmmakers. Now celebrating 18 years (with the convention itself now celebrating 26), the ConCarolinas Film Festival has created a setting for local, national, and international filmmakers to showcase artistic visions surrounding genre films including Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Comedy, Drama, Action/Adventure, Animation, Fan Films and everything in-between!

The ConCarolinas Film Festival recognizes filmmakers across the globe!

Awards & Prizes

All Selected Films will receive a complimentary 3-Day Pass to ConCarolinas, should they wish to attend the convention/festival (lodging/travel not included, but hotel discounts are available via the ConCarolinas website). Awards include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:
• Best in Show (our top prize! Awarded to the highest-rated film by our jury!)
• Best North American Short
• Best International Short
• Best Regional Short (for films made ENTIRELY in the Carolinas)
• Best Micro-Short (with a total runtime of 5 minutes or less)
and
• The "Spirit of Indie Film" Award (presented to the regional filmmaker or film industry professional that best exemplifies making positive impacts on the independent film communities of North and South Carolina)

OTHER AWARDS:
• The Adam York Award (for Best First-Time Filmmaker)
• Best Genre Shorts (Comedy, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense, etc.)
• Technical Awards (Best Actor/Actress, Cinematography, F/X, Screenplay, etc.)
• Best Fan Film/Adaptation
... and various others!

Rules & Terms

Entry Rules and Submission Guidelines

• All films must be Fiction and/or Genre-Related (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comedy, drama, suspense, animation, etc.)

• All films must be in English OR fully subtitled in English.

• All Short Films must be *no more than* 40 minutes in length (including opening and closing credits).

• All Feature Films must be *at least* 60 minutes in length (including opening and closing credits).

• All entries must be accompanied by a brief synopsis and/or artist statement. Listing the runtime will also go a long way with our programming team!

• All footage submitted to the ConCarolinas Film Festival may be used by ConCarolinas for reasons including, but not limited to, promotion, advertising, etc.

• All films must be available to festival management for download in the event of selection into the festival.

• No unsolicited waivers will be granted to any submitter for any reason. Please do not e-mail us asking for a waiver code or you will be blocked and permanently disqualified from the festival.

• Submission fees are non-refundable and will not be returned for any reason. If a submission is not selected or disqualified, entrants will not receive a fee refund.

• We do not pay screening fees, and we never will. Don't even ask.

• We do not accept ANY films made with Generative A.I. Any films found to have been created using Generative A.I. will be immediately disqualified without refund of submission fees.

• All selections and award winners are chosen by the ConCarolinas Film Festival Jury and their decisions are final.

• By submitting to this festival, you are hereby agreeing to the rules and regulations as laid out by the ConCarolinas Convention Committee as listed on this page and in full on the official website. Furthermore, you also agree to, upon selection, allow ConCarolinas to screen your film, as well as use any and all submitted promotional/marketing materials during the duration of that year's event. ConCarolinas reserves the right to reject any film, at any time, for any reason. Finally, you certify that you are fully authorized to share the submitted work with us, and acknowledge that in the event of any unauthorized distribution, ConCarolinas will not be held liable for any civil and/or criminal charges you may face as a result.

30 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Peter Hardy

    It was a blast to attend this film festival (and the overall convention it was part of) with my short film SHE COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. It was a lot of fun and everyone involved with the festival was friendly and informative.

    June 2026
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  • Suzie Nguyen

    A truly wonderful festival experience put on by people who very clearly love independent film. Great venue with incredible networking and tons of fun stuff to do at the convention between screenings. Will definitely be back. We had a blast!

    June 2026
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  • Pat Battistini

    Truly appreciate EVERYTHING the ConCarolinas gang did for us and the platform they provided. Great communication and social media presence! We hope to be back next year!

    June 2025
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  • Cameron Voris

    A truly fun experience with a lot to do both in and out of the film festival itself. 100% worth the submission.

    June 2025
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  • Glenn Lissner

    Had a great time. Very welcoming and filmmaker supportive environment. Met some wonderful filmmakers AND saw some cool films. Would definitely do this again. Plus you get to see all the other cool Con related stuff. :)

    June 2025
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