From the creative energy of Los Angeles to the historic landscapes of Scotland, The Atlantis Awards is an IMDb-certified international celebration of filmmaking built on a simple belief: cinema is one of the world's great collaborative arts.
Every film represents the accumulated work of hundreds of artists—writers, directors, performers, editors, cinematographers, composers, production designers, stunt professionals, visual effects artists, and countless craftspeople whose contributions shape every frame. At Atlantis, we believe thoughtful evaluation begins with recognizing that collaboration, and that exceptional filmmaking deserves to be understood as well as celebrated.
Guided by an international jury of filmmakers and industry professionals, Atlantis is committed to rigorous, craft-focused evaluation across every discipline of filmmaking. We believe outstanding storytelling transcends borders, genres, and budgets, and we are dedicated to discovering the industry's next great voices wherever they emerge.
Following our milestone tenth live ceremony in the Pacific Northwest, Atlantis continues its journey. Our next live event is currently in development, with a return to Los Angeles under consideration, as we continue pairing intimate theatrical venues with exceptional independent cinema. We believe films are meant to be experienced where they have always belonged—on the big screen, shared with an audience.
Recognition at Atlantis is intended to be the beginning of a relationship, not simply the end of a submission. Beyond awards, we actively advocate for the artists we recognize through filmmaker Spotlights, editorial features, press outreach, social promotion, industry introductions, and long-form conversations about the creative process itself. Our goal is not only to celebrate exceptional work, but to help exceptional artists build lasting visibility within the filmmaking community.
For filmmakers seeking comprehensive consideration, our Curated Entry program offers holistic evaluation across all eligible categories, with structured feedback available upon request. Designed to remove the guesswork while maintaining rigorous standards, it reflects our belief that thoughtful evaluation should be both discerning and transparent.
Atlantis welcomes narrative features and shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos, screenplays, student work, and emerging forms of physical and visual storytelling. We are drawn to artists with a distinctive voice, a clear creative purpose, and a deep respect for craft. Whether expressed through dialogue, performance, movement, cinematography, editing, sound, production design, or visual effects, the most memorable work reveals not only how a story is told, but why it matters.
As Atlantis has grown, so too has our mission. In addition to honoring exceptional filmmaking, we seek to preserve the knowledge behind it. Through filmmaker Spotlights, craft-focused essays, and thoughtful conversations with working professionals, we document the philosophies, techniques, and collaborative processes that shape modern cinema—creating a resource not only for audiences, but for filmmakers themselves.
The Atlantis Awards is more than an annual competition. It is a celebration of artistic collaboration, a champion of exceptional craft, and a place where filmmakers come together to share ideas, preserve knowledge, and inspire the next generation of storytellers.
Maximize Your Award Potential
The Curated Entry Program (Recommended)
The Curated Entry program is designed for filmmakers who want comprehensive consideration without having to navigate category placement on their own.
Rather than guessing which awards categories best fit your project, the Curated Entry program places your work into our internal programming track, where a Festival Concierge reviews it holistically and determines all applicable areas of consideration.
Projects are evaluated across eligible categories including directing, writing, editing, cinematography, performance, physical and non-verbal performance, movement-based storytelling, and overall film awards where appropriate. This approach helps ensure that notable achievements are not overlooked and allows each project to be considered as a complete artistic work rather than a collection of individual category entries.
Entering individual categories is optional.
Projects are fully eligible for all applicable awards simply by entering the Curated Entry track. Our team manages category placement, eligibility, and results internally, and no further action is required on the filmmaker's part.
This allows filmmakers to focus on their work while ensuring eligible achievements receive full consideration throughout the awards process.
For entrants who prefer to manage category submissions directly through Film Freeway, our team can provide category recommendations and waiver codes for eligible categories upon request. Individual category entries must still be submitted separately to ensure proper tracking of nominations, awards, and judging results within the Film Freeway system.
Competitive Evaluation & Feedback
As part of the Curated Entry program, each project receives a formalized competitive assessment during jury deliberation.
Upon request following Notification Day, entrants may receive a written evaluation summary outlining:
* Category score breakdowns
* Competitive placement within the field
* Brief craft-based observations from the review process
Evaluation summaries are typically delivered within fourteen (14) days of request.
Requests must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the annual ceremony.
Atlantis alumni are always welcome to reach out for continued dialogue beyond the awards cycle.
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Single Category Submissions
Prefer to select your own categories?
Our standard submission structure offers two primary tracks:
**Core Awards** — Open to all filmmakers, celebrating cinematic excellence at any scale.
**Student Awards** — Dedicated categories recognizing outstanding student-led productions.
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Our Promise
We believe great art transcends budget.
Whether you submit through Curated Entry or individual category submissions, every project is reviewed with the same care, rigor, and respect.
The Curated Entry program does not provide an advantage in judging. Its purpose is to ensure comprehensive category consideration and to reduce the likelihood that eligible achievements go unrecognized.
Up to five nominees per category are announced on Notification Day.
Winners are revealed live at the annual ceremony, with online results typically posted within forty-eight (48) hours. Nominees and winners are submitted to IMDb within forty-eight (48) hours of the ceremony.
