ATLANTA, GA (October 3, 2024)—The Atlanta Film Society is proud to announce the award winners for our most recent LOCALS ONLY: Near and Dear, which took place Thursday, September 5, 2024.

LOCALS ONLY is a recurring screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers. Each event has a distinct theme and focus. The featured short films are entirely from submissions.

The Jury Award Winner was chosen by distinguished jurors from all backgrounds across the film industry, while the Audience Award was determined by in-person attendees. 

This summer, we brought down the house with short films about all the love and chaos that can play out under one roof! Local filmmakers showcased family dramas, documentaries about unlikely sisterhoods, short-form telenovelas starring their favorite cat, and stories that drive us crazy about our loved ones.

All selected films screened on September 5th at the Tara Theatre and received Official Selection laurels.

LOCALS ONLY: NEAR AND DEAR SUBMISSIONS

THE NAME - Dir: Aaron Strand

LAST PHONE CALL - Dir: Mackleen Desravines Sparkman

REGGIE & RAINBOW - Dir: Aaron G. Hale

GRANDPA - Dir: Jennifer Dunn

GORO GORO - Dir: Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa

IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE  (Work In Progress) - Dir: Andrew Stevens

LET’S DO A CULT - Dir: Brent Lambert-Zaffino

COOKING WITH CLAUDIA - Dir: Priscila Torres

LOCALS ONLY: NEAR AND DEAR WINNERS

Jury Award: GORO GORO - Dir: Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa

Audience Award: COOKING WITH CLAUDIA - Dir: Priscila Torres

Our next edition of LOCALS ONLY is November 21, 2024, entitled, WHAT HAUNTS YOU? 

This November, we’re stretching spooky season into overtime with FALL 2024 LOCALS ONLY: WHAT HAUNTS YOU? It’s time to leave aside the gut-wrenching and the pulse-pounding along with your Halloween candy hangover as we slip out of October’s jump scares and into something a bit more ethereal, mysterious, and, well, HAUNTING. Join us for a showcase of truly unforgettable horrors on screen. 

All selected films will screen at the event, scheduled for November 21st at the Tara Theatre, and receive Official Selection laurels. Additionally, selected filmmakers will receive a waiver to submit their LOCALS ONLY entry to the next Atlanta Film Festival. Each selected film will receive five free tickets to attend the screening and two free tickets to the Tara Theatre ($30 value).

Jury and Audience prizes will be awarded, each with a $100 cash prize. Winning films will also receive winner laurels, two All-Access badges each to the next Atlanta Film Festival ($800+ value), and two Tara Theatre tickets/popcorn/drink combos ($54 value).

More information can be found for those looking to submit, attend, or be a vendor at https://www.atlantafilmsociety.org/locals-only.