Golden Isles Film Festival

We strongly encourage you to review the rules and terms carefully. By submitting your project, you are acknowledging that you have read and agreed to all the following rules and terms. All projects that are submitted before the final deadline and that adhere to the following rules and terms will be considered for inclusion in the 2026 Golden Isles Film Festival.

If you have any questions, please email us submit@goldenislesfilmfestival.org or visit our FAQ page on our website.

ELIGIBILITY:
To be considered in competition for awards, films must have been completed after January 1, 2023 and must not have been previously screened at the Golden Isles Film Festival. All other entries will still be considered, if selected, as official selections. All genres and formats are eligible for submission, including shorts, feature-length, documentaries, narrative, dramas and animation. Films must be in English or have English subtitles.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Submissions must be made through the official festival website or to FilmFreeway by the submission deadline. A completed entry form and a link to the film must be submitted with each entry. The entry fee is non-refundable and must be paid at the time of submission.

Projects must be uploaded to FilmFreeway or Vimeo for submission. We DO NOT accept any films that must be downloaded (ex. Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, etc.), DVD or Blu-Ray screeners and films for competition that have already been released theatrically, or any other related sales or streaming prior to the completion of the Golden Isles Film Festival.

Any foreign-language films must be submitted with English subtitles. If we discover a foreign-language submission is missing subtitles, we will attempt to email the submitter for an update. If the submitter fails to provide working subtitles by the final submission deadline, the project will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified without refund of submission fees.

By submitting your film, you acknowledge that the Golden Isles Film Festival (GIFF) and/or its affiliates, team members and sponsors will not pay to present your project.

GEORGIA FILMS:
Films that were produced in the State of Georgia are eligible for a discounted submission fee, given that (a) the film was partially produced in the State of Georgia and (b) the director/producer(s) live in the State of Georgia with proof of Georgia residence.

To obtain the discount submission code for Georgia films, please email GA@goldenislesfilmfestival.org with proof of residence before submitting.

STUDENT DISCOUNT:
All films are eligible for an additional discount on submissions if you are currently enrolled at an accredited institution. Please send us proof (e.g. Student ID or unofficial transcript) of enrollment to submit@goldenislesfilmfestival.org.

JUDGING:
All films will be judged by a panel of industry professionals and/or festival audiences. Judges will score each film on various criteria, including direction, writing, acting, cinematography, and sound design.

AWARDS:
Awards will be presented in various categories, as determined by the judges. These categories may include Best Short Film, People’s Choice, Best Cinematography, Best Story, Best Feature Film, Best Coastal Film, and the Best Overall Film. In addition, there may be special awards for Best Director, Best Sound Design, and Best Editing, etc.

FESTIVAL SCREENINGS:
Films selected for the festival will be screened during the festival dates. The schedule of screenings will be announced in advance of the festival, and filmmakers whose films are selected for the festival will be notified in advance.

FILMMAKER ATTENDANCE:
Filmmakers are encouraged to attend the festival and participate in Q&A sessions after their films are screened (if applicable by festival schedule). While the festival cannot provide travel or accommodations for filmmakers at this time, it will provide complimentary passes/badges to the festival for filmmakers/ producers whose films are selected. Filmmakers are allotted up to 2 passes (self and a guest) to attend the festival. All other passes must be purchased online by visiting our website (www.GoldenIslesFilmFestival.org).

RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS:
By submitting a film to the Golden Isles Film Festival, the filmmaker grants the festival the right to use excerpts from the film for promotional purposes, including on the festival website, in print materials and for teasers of the festival. The filmmaker must also hold all necessary rights and permissions for the film, including music rights and talent releases. You also acknowledge that your film is cleared for festival exhibition and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein.

The submitter and all filmmakers associated with the project shall indemnify and hold harmless the Golden Isles Film Festival, Inc. (including the Golden Isles Film Society and Academy) and its representatives/affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of damage to the screening videos entered.

The Golden Isles Film Festival (GIFF) reserves the right to decline any submission for consideration for any reason.

If you have any questions or concerns, you may email submit@goldenislesfilmfestival.org as we are unable to address via phone (including call and text) at this time.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Golden Isles Film Festival!