Reel Friends presents…Reel Talk!

Every filmmaker has a million stories to tell about the films they’ve made, but very few ever get a director’s commentary. Reel Talk is a monthly screening series during which we select up to five films to program in a shorts block at the historic Tara Theatre in Atlanta, GA. After the films have screened, rather than hosting a Q&A, we will run those films back on mute, and each director will come on stage to do a live director's commentary! Once the screening and commentary is complete, The Tara will host a one hour mixer in the lobby, where audience members get the chance to ask the filmmakers any burning questions about their work, and our filmmakers get to connect with our budding community of fellow filmmakers and film lovers!

Filmmakers interested in participating in Reel Talk must either hail from or have a home base in Atlanta, Georgia OR be able to make it to Atlanta in time of the screening. At this time we are generally prioritizing films from Atlanta-based/Georgia-based filmmakers. This requirement is so that we can give back to the local Atlanta community that shaped us into the filmmakers we are…and that we can guarantee that you are able to attend and talk about your wonderful films!

The maximum runtime for submission is 20 minutes. If you submit without meeting this necessary criteria, you will be disqualified from consideration and won’t be issued a refund.
We accept any type of project: live-action, documentary, music video, animation, etc. We also accept any and all genres, as long as the project is under 20 minutes!
We do not disqualify any films based on premiere status or date of completion. Feel free to dust off an old masterpiece you’re proud of!

ABOUT REEL FRIENDS

Reel Friends is an Atlanta-based production company founded by Rocco Shapiro, dedicated to crafting dynamic narrative projects with diverse artists in a respectful and collaborative environment that values authenticity above all. They have produced short films that premiered at Academy Qualifying festivals and they are now in development on multiple feature films. In addition to producing, Reel Friends exhibits their own and others' works at independent cinemas in Atlanta (namely the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre) through themed programming events, fostering a vibrant community of filmmakers and film lovers.

Connect with us on Instagram @reelfriendsmovies

Awards & Prizes

All selected films will screen at the event and receive Official Selection laurels. Additionally, selected filmmakers will receive a waiver code to submit more work to Reel Talk in the future. Finally, selected filmmakers will get a complimentary ticket to an upcoming Reel Friends screening/event of their choosing!

Rules & Terms

By submitting to Reel Talk, you agree to follow its rules and guidelines.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
• We only accept projects that are 20 minutes or less. Projects submitted that are longer than 20 minutes will be disqualified. Exceptions will ONLY be made in special circumstances, and at the discretion of the programming staff. Exceptions to this rule can’t be requested.
• We predominantly only accept projects that are from Atlanta-based/Georgia-based filmmakers. Exceptions will ONLY be made in special circumstances, and at the discretion of the programming staff. Exceptions to this rule can’t be requested.
• We consider films in any language. If your film is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles where necessary.

• We do NOT consider work in progress/incomplete films. Films must be completed to be considered for Reel Talk.

• We consider films regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film has already premiered at another festival, whether it screened at a physical venue, screened at an online venue, or is currently available online, it’s still eligible for consideration. However we have proudly, in the past, been the Atlanta/Georgia premiere for several wonderful films.

• We consider films regardless of their completion date. You can submit any film no matter when it was made.

• Films made predominantly through/with AI are NOT eligible for screening with Reel Talk.

If you submit to Reel Talk without meeting the above necessary criteria, you will be disqualified from consideration and will not be issued a submission fee refund.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES/REGULATIONS
• All screeners must be uploaded by the appropriate deadline.

• Deadlines close at 11:59 PM EST.
• All projects must be submitted via FilmFreeway as an online screener: either through a Vimeo link attached to your submission or uploaded directly to FilmFreeway.
• Submitters are responsible for ensuring that their screener link and password is active while in consideration. In the case of a password or URL change after submitting, please update your submission on FilmFreeway immediately.

• We will attempt to contact entrants if there's anything wrong with their submission. If this occurs, you will need to fix the submission issue by the requested deadline, otherwise we can't guarantee that your film will be watched in time, resulting in disqualification without refund of your submission fee.

• In the case of errors or issues with their screener link, entrants may update their screener up until the final deadline. However, as we do not accept works-in-progress, we are only responsible for considering the project as it exists at the time of our review. We are under no obligation to revisit updated cuts once the screener has been seen. Ultimately, you shouldn’t submit your project unless you are 100% certain you want it to be seen as submitted.
• Entries should be sent as online screeners ONLY. We won’t accept entries sent in on DVD, Blu-ray, or any other format. We also have no place listed for you to send it to. Don’t even try.
• We do not provide refunds of submission fees.

• Our programmers are not required to read submission cover letters and other supporting materials.

• We are a small team, so unfortunately we are unable to provide programming feedback to entrants.

• Our programming decisions are final. In the chance that the Reel Talk programming staff does not choose your film for the Reel Talk event that you’ve submitted to, but determines that we would like to include it in a future one, we will contact the filmmaker to make that special request. However, if no such message is sent, please respect our decision as the final statement on the work.

IF ACCEPTED
• Accepted filmmakers will be notified via email, phone or text. Filmmakers must confirm their intent to screen by the given deadline, otherwise they risk losing their spot in the line-up.

• If accepted, entrants are responsible for delivering their final screener, as well as official stills, and any other requested promotional material by the deadline requested by the programming team.
• Reel Talk’s preferred file format for exhibition are DCPs. If the entrant has a prepared DCP of their project, we would request that it be sent over. If the entrant doesn’t have a DCP, they’re expected to send their prepared screener file (accepted formats include mov. and mp4. files), off of which our team will be able to prepare a DCP for exhibition in preparation for the event. If the entrant does not provide a screener file by the deadline requested by the programming team, to provide ample time for our team to prepare, they will risk losing their spot in the line-up, and will be replaced at the discretion of Reel Talk’s staff.

• If accepted, filmmakers are required to attend the event.

• We don't cover filmmakers' travel expenses.

• We don't provide screening fees.

• 
Our series is a monthly installment, and we only program 5 films per event, so there is a chance that following acceptance, your film will be wanted to screen for a future event, rather than the most imminent event at the time of submission. In this situation, acceptance is still an acceptance, and we will formally change your status on FilmFreeway to "Official Selection", followed by direct and consistent contact from the programming team to discuss timing and date for your screening.

REFUNDS & DISQUALIFICATION
Once a project is listed as “In Consideration” on FilmFreeway, we are unable to offer refunds for any reason, including but not limited to:
• Duplicate submissions

• Failure to provide a working screener by the final deadline

• Project’s failure to comply with submission Rules & Terms

• Rejection from the festival

• Withdrawing your submission for any reason (including changes of heart)

Reel Talk reserves the right to disqualify any submission without refund, even after a film has been invited or final programming has been announced, at the sole discretion of the Reel Talk staff (see above for instances that may lead to disqualification).

CODE OF CONDUCT
Possible grounds for dismissal for entrants as well as attendees may include, but are not limited to, the following: gross misconduct or insubordination, theft/destruction of property or misuse of agency materials, abuse or mistreatment of clients, guests, staff or other volunteers, failure to abide by agency policies and procedures, any form of harassment or assault.

COPYRIGHT & LEGAL TERMS
By entering your film for consideration to Reel Talk, you authorize that your work 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 Reel Talk, Reel Friends, and any representative or affiliates from these parties 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, or damage to the videos entered.