Atlanta Film Festival 2025
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Festival
Drama, Documentary
ATLFF is a vibrant celebration of independent cinema, showcasing diverse voices & innovative storytelling. As we look to 2025, your support is crucial! In a world craving connection & creativity, ATLFF amplifies emerging filmmakers, fosters dialogue, & inspires audiences. Join us in making magic!
Atlanta Film Festival 2025
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Festival
Drama, Documentary
1 Campaigns |
64 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$17,390
Goal: $20,000 for festivals
ATLFF is a vibrant celebration of independent cinema, showcasing diverse voices & innovative storytelling. As we look to 2025, your support is crucial! In a world craving connection & creativity, ATLFF amplifies emerging filmmakers, fosters dialogue, & inspires audiences. Join us in making magic!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After struggling out of COVID to then being hit by the strikes, the overall instability of the film industry as a whole was a lot to overcome. We were so blown away by the love and support, and for all those who showed up and showed out to represent and support filmmakers at Atlanta Film Festival 2024. Being surrounded by thousands of independent film lovers seemed like a dream. For 10 days, the world felt normal. And it was the most spectacular feeling! As we head towards our 50th year in 2026, we are excited to continue to grow and support local filmmakers and continue to make them feel seen and heard.
To all those who attended, sponsored, worked, volunteered, and, of course, created the spectacular films - thank you. Thank you for allowing the Atlanta Film Festival to exist. And thank you for allowing us to entertain you. There is a saying, “It takes a village.” Traditionally, this statement is reserved for those bringing a child into this world. But, for us, it’s appropriate. Because we are nothing without our community. Our tribe. And because of you, ATLFF’24 was a smash hit.
When you’re one of USA Today’s 10 Best Film Festivals and also Moviemaker Magazines' 25 Coolest Film Festivals - people are going to not only submit, but the stars are going to want to show up! ATLFF’24 had over 6,000 film and screenplay submissions from over 200 countries across the world. And films from people like Michael Showalter and Bill Duke were not only worthy of being screened but attended! And they weren’t alone - over 20,000 people flocked to the ATLFF to see what films were selected from those submitted.
ATLFF’24 had over 6K films submitted. Out of those, 151 films from 30 countries - including 39 world premieres - were programmed for this year's festival. This includes 40 feature films, 84 Short Films, and 27 Creative Media (Music Videos, Episodic Pilots, and Virtual Reality).
And at the ATLFF, we make sure voices are heard, and all stories are told. That’s why we had:
47% BIPOC Directed
49% women + non-binary Directed
23% of the total lineup programmed from submissions are Georgia films
We also have specialty tracks at the ATLFF, which include New Mavericks, which highlights strong female filmmakers or lead roles; Pink Peach, which shines a spotlight on LGBTQ narrative features, documentaries, or short films; and ¡CineMás!, which highlights Latin American programming, and Noire, which highlights films led by Black filmmakers.
ATLFF’24 had 17 Marquee Screenings, with our Opening Night film “The Idea Of You” kicking things off with Director Michael Showalter in attendance, and A24’s “Sing Sing” closing things up with Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean 'Dino' Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez in attendance for a live Q&A. We also had our 14th Annual Creative Conference with both in-person and virtual panels.
But none of this would have been possible without all of the support from all of you!
At ATLFF, we pride ourselves on championing the voices of independent filmmakers. Whether they’re from our home state of Georgia or from one of the 30 countries that submitted to ATLFF’24 - we showcase stories of all sizes and colors. It’s our mission to empower the independent film community and to launch film careers. And thanks to our supporters, we’ve been able to do that for over 48 years!
The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming that is provided year-round by its parent organization, the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Now in its fifth decade, ATLFF is one of only a handful of film festivals worldwide that is Academy Award-qualifying in all three categories: live-action short, animation short, and documentary short subject.
This means winners of our animated short, documentary short, and narrative short jury awards may qualify to be on a shortlist for Oscar® nominations.
Only a handful of film festivals are Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories, and we are honored to be one of them. And at the 94th Academy Awards, thanks to winning the ATLFF’21 Jury Award Winner for Best Narrative Short, THE DRESS was nominated for Best Live Action Short. More recently, our ATLFF’24 Georgia Short Film Award and Short Audience Award winner, MAKAYLA'S VOICE was picked up by Netflix.
We will be announcing details of the upcoming festival with each new goal reached!
As we said before, Georgia has become the powerhouse in production (Top 3, as a matter of fact), but you can’t have film & TV productions without the people who make that happen: the filmmakers themselves. For nearly 49 years, ATLFF has been a platform for empowering filmmakers.
Many of you give just as a way to give back. And many of you are a backer because it includes some impressive benefits.
We’re a judgment-free zone, so why you give is totally up to you; just know we appreciate you. That’s why we will provide some pretty sweet perks, from your name on the big screen to special VIP treatment. So, if you are definitely planning to attend the 2025 festival? Pledge today and save more on your pass than at any other time of the year. Year-round member? Pitch in $85 and get your 2025 membership to the Atlanta Film Society, which comes with all kinds of year-round perks, like invitations to free advance screenings, member-exclusive events, and more.
If we don’t raise 80% of $20,000, we don’t get a single penny pledged.
This is our 12th year running a crowdfunding campaign, but the pandemic followed by strikes and the state of the film industry as a whole has created new challenges for us to overcome. COVID-19 and the strikes has impacted us financially, limiting our impact on the film community. ATLFF has made some astonishing accomplishments over the last four decades, and the success of this campaign could play a big part in what we're able to do in the future.
Additionally, it is easier than ever to be an Atlanta Film Society member or to buy a badge for the Atlanta Film Festival, meaning some people who have done so through previous campaigns may already be set for 2025. We also face the challenge of trying to raise this money while the whole nation is going through an economic crisis. Now more than ever, we need your help to continue to do what we do best: support independent filmmakers.
We know you have a choice of organizations to support, and we are so thankful to be considered!
We succeed by our ability to help our community grow! Please share the social media copy below with your networks to help promote this campaign and get the word out there. Your help means so much to us, and the independent filmmakers in Georgia that we support!
Please share the following social media copy:
Every year, we ask you, our supporters, to help the Atlanta Film Festival by donating to our Seed & Spark Campaign. Your donations help us share stories from voices found around the world. And the stories from underrepresented storytellers. Once again, please donate to the #ATLFF. And to join us in our mission to #SupportIndieFilms!
Find our complete shareable social media toolkit here. Be sure to tag us @atlantafilmfestival so we can see you and share with our community as well!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Filmmaker Lodging
Costs $2,999
We need funds to cover hotel costs for filmmakers at ATLFF, ensuring they can focus on showcasing their work and foster a vibrant community!
Filmmaker Travel
Costs $8,000
We need help covering filmmakers' flights to ATLFF. Your donations will ensure they can attend and share their incredible films!
Filmmaker Cash Prizes
Costs $9,000
Filmmaker Cash Awards help ATLFF award-winning independent filmmakers continue to create impactful stories and share their unique voices.
Cash Pledge
Costs $1
ATLFF needs support to continue promoting independent filmmakers, fostering creativity, and connecting diverse voices in film!
Share this update!
About This Team
Chris Escobar, Executive Director
Serving since 2011, Christopher Escobar is the longest serving and first minority Executive Director of the 44-year old Atlanta Film Society, the media arts organization named “Best Nonprofit” by Creative Loafing and producer of the Academy Award-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival named “Best Spring Festival in Atlanta” by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine and "10 Best Film Festival" by USAtoday two years running. He has been named a “40 under 40” and “CFO of the Year” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, “Best of Atlanta” by Atlanta Magazine and the “Creativity & Arts Award for Community Impact Arts Administrator” from the Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts. Escobar has been featured in Vice, Variety, Slate Magazine, The New York Times, TIME, ABC, PBS, NPR, NBC, Fox News, NPR, The Wallstreet Journal, The Washington Post, CBS and CNN.
He has served on boards for Georgia Production Partnership, Plaza Theatre Foundation, Rialto Center for the Arts and Georgia State University’s College of the Arts. He has also served on grant review panels for Fulton County Arts & Culture, Georgia Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts many time. In 2017, he purchased the historic Plaza Theatre—Atlanta’s oldest cinema and converted the theatre from being a strategic partner of the ATLFS to making the theatre’s number one philanthropic priority. In 2023, he reopened the Tara Theatre after the previous owners had to close unexpectedly. Christopher holds a B.A. in Film & Video as well as an M.A. in Moving Image Studies with a concentration in Production both from Georgia State University. He is lucky to be married to his lovely wife of over a decade, Nicole and they have three amazing children, Olivia, Aiden, and Amelia.
Marguerite Mancini, Managing Director
Marguerite Daniel Mancini (Managing Director) is a graduate of Hampton University and Emory Law School and was previously the Business Director for the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Prior to ATLFS, Marguerite was involved in the theatrical side of things for over a decade with Theater of the Stars. Her skill set includes non-profit administration, human resources, grant writing, event planning and stage management. Marguerite is a grant panelist for the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, is a member of the 2018 Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta class and is currently on the Advisory Council of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – the Shuler Hensley Awards.
Jon Kieran, Programming Director
Jonathan Kieran is a film programmer hailing from Essex County, Massachusetts. After making a start as an amateur filmmaker at the tender age of 22, he moved across the country to take a spot at the Master of Fine Arts program in Film Production at the University of New Orleans. At the same time, he started as a volunteer for the New Orleans Film Festival, which slowly grew to become his professional home over the next decade and where he wore many hats, from organizing panels, to assisting the festival’s technical department, to finally settling into the role of Programming Manager. He also lent a hand at other regional festivals including Court 13’s Always for Pleasure fest in New Orleans, Borscht Corporation’s “Borscht Diez” in Miami, and the Camden International Film Festival. He was also a longtime contributor to online indie-film showcase NoBudge. In 2021 Jon returned to New England to serve as Director of Cinema Programming at Cinema Salem, an independent three-screen cinema located in Salem, MA. In between programming jobs, he had side-gigs as a pedicab driver in the French Quarter, a sound recordist on indie film crews, and a tour guide in Salem, where he educated the public about the city’s notorious witch trials. When he’s not working, Jon is a slow reader, bike rider, drink mixer, Letterboxd try-hard, Eurovision superfan, sometimes diarist, novice synthesist, and cat person.
Melissa Simpson, Education Director
Melissa Simpson is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Film Impact Georgia, a nonprofit dedicated to helping uplift the voices of those making independent films in Georgia. She was born and raised just north of Atlanta and has a BS in Film & Digital Media from the University of North Georgia. Melissa was a founding director of the Georgia Film Festival, has worked as the Creative Director for TERMINUS Conference + Festival, and has worked in many different roles for film festivals across Georgia, including the Atlanta Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, the WIFTA Short Film Showcase, and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
She also spent two years working with film festivals and indie filmmakers across the world at Eventive, a virtual streaming platform for independent film. Currently, Melissa is the Education Manager at the Atlanta Film Society. In her spare time, she is involved in many organizations in the Georgia film community and has produced independent projects, such as Come Correct, Wokman, and Lilin. Melissa also has a house full of rescue animals and won a hula hoop contest when she was eight.
Laura Williamson, Marketing Director
Laura WIlliamson (Marketing Director) is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Laura developed her eye for marketing at a boutique agency in Los Angeles, before spending 7 years in Hong Kong where she grew and developed multiple businesses. Laura is an actor, and has performed Off-Broadway as well as in national commercials and independent short and feature films worldwide. Laura is a proud advocate for sustainability, and continues to support independent women-owned brands through her eco-conscious online platform Plantdays. In between her love for performing and supporting independent filmmakers, she loves to read, hike, do anything outdoors, as well as travel and explore the world as much as possible.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After struggling out of COVID to then being hit by the strikes, the overall instability of the film industry as a whole was a lot to overcome. We were so blown away by the love and support, and for all those who showed up and showed out to represent and support filmmakers at Atlanta Film Festival 2024. Being surrounded by thousands of independent film lovers seemed like a dream. For 10 days, the world felt normal. And it was the most spectacular feeling! As we head towards our 50th year in 2026, we are excited to continue to grow and support local filmmakers and continue to make them feel seen and heard.
To all those who attended, sponsored, worked, volunteered, and, of course, created the spectacular films - thank you. Thank you for allowing the Atlanta Film Festival to exist. And thank you for allowing us to entertain you. There is a saying, “It takes a village.” Traditionally, this statement is reserved for those bringing a child into this world. But, for us, it’s appropriate. Because we are nothing without our community. Our tribe. And because of you, ATLFF’24 was a smash hit.
When you’re one of USA Today’s 10 Best Film Festivals and also Moviemaker Magazines' 25 Coolest Film Festivals - people are going to not only submit, but the stars are going to want to show up! ATLFF’24 had over 6,000 film and screenplay submissions from over 200 countries across the world. And films from people like Michael Showalter and Bill Duke were not only worthy of being screened but attended! And they weren’t alone - over 20,000 people flocked to the ATLFF to see what films were selected from those submitted.
ATLFF’24 had over 6K films submitted. Out of those, 151 films from 30 countries - including 39 world premieres - were programmed for this year's festival. This includes 40 feature films, 84 Short Films, and 27 Creative Media (Music Videos, Episodic Pilots, and Virtual Reality).
And at the ATLFF, we make sure voices are heard, and all stories are told. That’s why we had:
47% BIPOC Directed
49% women + non-binary Directed
23% of the total lineup programmed from submissions are Georgia films
We also have specialty tracks at the ATLFF, which include New Mavericks, which highlights strong female filmmakers or lead roles; Pink Peach, which shines a spotlight on LGBTQ narrative features, documentaries, or short films; and ¡CineMás!, which highlights Latin American programming, and Noire, which highlights films led by Black filmmakers.
ATLFF’24 had 17 Marquee Screenings, with our Opening Night film “The Idea Of You” kicking things off with Director Michael Showalter in attendance, and A24’s “Sing Sing” closing things up with Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean 'Dino' Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez in attendance for a live Q&A. We also had our 14th Annual Creative Conference with both in-person and virtual panels.
But none of this would have been possible without all of the support from all of you!
At ATLFF, we pride ourselves on championing the voices of independent filmmakers. Whether they’re from our home state of Georgia or from one of the 30 countries that submitted to ATLFF’24 - we showcase stories of all sizes and colors. It’s our mission to empower the independent film community and to launch film careers. And thanks to our supporters, we’ve been able to do that for over 48 years!
The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming that is provided year-round by its parent organization, the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Now in its fifth decade, ATLFF is one of only a handful of film festivals worldwide that is Academy Award-qualifying in all three categories: live-action short, animation short, and documentary short subject.
This means winners of our animated short, documentary short, and narrative short jury awards may qualify to be on a shortlist for Oscar® nominations.
Only a handful of film festivals are Academy Award®-qualifying in all three shorts categories, and we are honored to be one of them. And at the 94th Academy Awards, thanks to winning the ATLFF’21 Jury Award Winner for Best Narrative Short, THE DRESS was nominated for Best Live Action Short. More recently, our ATLFF’24 Georgia Short Film Award and Short Audience Award winner, MAKAYLA'S VOICE was picked up by Netflix.
We will be announcing details of the upcoming festival with each new goal reached!
As we said before, Georgia has become the powerhouse in production (Top 3, as a matter of fact), but you can’t have film & TV productions without the people who make that happen: the filmmakers themselves. For nearly 49 years, ATLFF has been a platform for empowering filmmakers.
Many of you give just as a way to give back. And many of you are a backer because it includes some impressive benefits.
We’re a judgment-free zone, so why you give is totally up to you; just know we appreciate you. That’s why we will provide some pretty sweet perks, from your name on the big screen to special VIP treatment. So, if you are definitely planning to attend the 2025 festival? Pledge today and save more on your pass than at any other time of the year. Year-round member? Pitch in $85 and get your 2025 membership to the Atlanta Film Society, which comes with all kinds of year-round perks, like invitations to free advance screenings, member-exclusive events, and more.
If we don’t raise 80% of $20,000, we don’t get a single penny pledged.
This is our 12th year running a crowdfunding campaign, but the pandemic followed by strikes and the state of the film industry as a whole has created new challenges for us to overcome. COVID-19 and the strikes has impacted us financially, limiting our impact on the film community. ATLFF has made some astonishing accomplishments over the last four decades, and the success of this campaign could play a big part in what we're able to do in the future.
Additionally, it is easier than ever to be an Atlanta Film Society member or to buy a badge for the Atlanta Film Festival, meaning some people who have done so through previous campaigns may already be set for 2025. We also face the challenge of trying to raise this money while the whole nation is going through an economic crisis. Now more than ever, we need your help to continue to do what we do best: support independent filmmakers.
We know you have a choice of organizations to support, and we are so thankful to be considered!
We succeed by our ability to help our community grow! Please share the social media copy below with your networks to help promote this campaign and get the word out there. Your help means so much to us, and the independent filmmakers in Georgia that we support!
Please share the following social media copy:
Every year, we ask you, our supporters, to help the Atlanta Film Festival by donating to our Seed & Spark Campaign. Your donations help us share stories from voices found around the world. And the stories from underrepresented storytellers. Once again, please donate to the #ATLFF. And to join us in our mission to #SupportIndieFilms!
Find our complete shareable social media toolkit here. Be sure to tag us @atlantafilmfestival so we can see you and share with our community as well!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Filmmaker Lodging
Costs $2,999
We need funds to cover hotel costs for filmmakers at ATLFF, ensuring they can focus on showcasing their work and foster a vibrant community!
Filmmaker Travel
Costs $8,000
We need help covering filmmakers' flights to ATLFF. Your donations will ensure they can attend and share their incredible films!
Filmmaker Cash Prizes
Costs $9,000
Filmmaker Cash Awards help ATLFF award-winning independent filmmakers continue to create impactful stories and share their unique voices.
Cash Pledge
Costs $1
ATLFF needs support to continue promoting independent filmmakers, fostering creativity, and connecting diverse voices in film!
Share this update!
About This Team
Chris Escobar, Executive Director
Serving since 2011, Christopher Escobar is the longest serving and first minority Executive Director of the 44-year old Atlanta Film Society, the media arts organization named “Best Nonprofit” by Creative Loafing and producer of the Academy Award-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival named “Best Spring Festival in Atlanta” by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine and "10 Best Film Festival" by USAtoday two years running. He has been named a “40 under 40” and “CFO of the Year” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, “Best of Atlanta” by Atlanta Magazine and the “Creativity & Arts Award for Community Impact Arts Administrator” from the Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts. Escobar has been featured in Vice, Variety, Slate Magazine, The New York Times, TIME, ABC, PBS, NPR, NBC, Fox News, NPR, The Wallstreet Journal, The Washington Post, CBS and CNN.
He has served on boards for Georgia Production Partnership, Plaza Theatre Foundation, Rialto Center for the Arts and Georgia State University’s College of the Arts. He has also served on grant review panels for Fulton County Arts & Culture, Georgia Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts many time. In 2017, he purchased the historic Plaza Theatre—Atlanta’s oldest cinema and converted the theatre from being a strategic partner of the ATLFS to making the theatre’s number one philanthropic priority. In 2023, he reopened the Tara Theatre after the previous owners had to close unexpectedly. Christopher holds a B.A. in Film & Video as well as an M.A. in Moving Image Studies with a concentration in Production both from Georgia State University. He is lucky to be married to his lovely wife of over a decade, Nicole and they have three amazing children, Olivia, Aiden, and Amelia.
Marguerite Mancini, Managing Director
Marguerite Daniel Mancini (Managing Director) is a graduate of Hampton University and Emory Law School and was previously the Business Director for the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Prior to ATLFS, Marguerite was involved in the theatrical side of things for over a decade with Theater of the Stars. Her skill set includes non-profit administration, human resources, grant writing, event planning and stage management. Marguerite is a grant panelist for the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, is a member of the 2018 Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta class and is currently on the Advisory Council of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – the Shuler Hensley Awards.
Jon Kieran, Programming Director
Jonathan Kieran is a film programmer hailing from Essex County, Massachusetts. After making a start as an amateur filmmaker at the tender age of 22, he moved across the country to take a spot at the Master of Fine Arts program in Film Production at the University of New Orleans. At the same time, he started as a volunteer for the New Orleans Film Festival, which slowly grew to become his professional home over the next decade and where he wore many hats, from organizing panels, to assisting the festival’s technical department, to finally settling into the role of Programming Manager. He also lent a hand at other regional festivals including Court 13’s Always for Pleasure fest in New Orleans, Borscht Corporation’s “Borscht Diez” in Miami, and the Camden International Film Festival. He was also a longtime contributor to online indie-film showcase NoBudge. In 2021 Jon returned to New England to serve as Director of Cinema Programming at Cinema Salem, an independent three-screen cinema located in Salem, MA. In between programming jobs, he had side-gigs as a pedicab driver in the French Quarter, a sound recordist on indie film crews, and a tour guide in Salem, where he educated the public about the city’s notorious witch trials. When he’s not working, Jon is a slow reader, bike rider, drink mixer, Letterboxd try-hard, Eurovision superfan, sometimes diarist, novice synthesist, and cat person.
Melissa Simpson, Education Director
Melissa Simpson is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Film Impact Georgia, a nonprofit dedicated to helping uplift the voices of those making independent films in Georgia. She was born and raised just north of Atlanta and has a BS in Film & Digital Media from the University of North Georgia. Melissa was a founding director of the Georgia Film Festival, has worked as the Creative Director for TERMINUS Conference + Festival, and has worked in many different roles for film festivals across Georgia, including the Atlanta Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, the WIFTA Short Film Showcase, and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
She also spent two years working with film festivals and indie filmmakers across the world at Eventive, a virtual streaming platform for independent film. Currently, Melissa is the Education Manager at the Atlanta Film Society. In her spare time, she is involved in many organizations in the Georgia film community and has produced independent projects, such as Come Correct, Wokman, and Lilin. Melissa also has a house full of rescue animals and won a hula hoop contest when she was eight.
Laura Williamson, Marketing Director
Laura WIlliamson (Marketing Director) is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Laura developed her eye for marketing at a boutique agency in Los Angeles, before spending 7 years in Hong Kong where she grew and developed multiple businesses. Laura is an actor, and has performed Off-Broadway as well as in national commercials and independent short and feature films worldwide. Laura is a proud advocate for sustainability, and continues to support independent women-owned brands through her eco-conscious online platform Plantdays. In between her love for performing and supporting independent filmmakers, she loves to read, hike, do anything outdoors, as well as travel and explore the world as much as possible.