ATLANTA FILM SOCIETY PRESENTS LOCALS ONLY

LOCALS ONLY is a recurring screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers with each event having a distinct theme and focus. Featured short films come entirely from submissions.

WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE SUMMER! LOCALS ONLY HAS CONCLUDED ITS 2024 SEASON.

Thank you to everyone who attended a LOCALS ONLY screening this season. And double thanks to all the film teams who contributed their work to our NEAR AND DEAR, WHAT HAUNTS YOU?, and SHORTS AND GIGGLES events. This year we showcased 31 local short films and awarded over $2000 worth of cash and prizes to Jury and Audience Award winners.

Though we’re taking a little break, our work here is far from finished. We’ll be back later this year (once the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival has concluded) with another year of themed screenings and more excellent films by Georgia locals! 

  • Submitted films must be at least primarily filmed in Georgia AND come from a director who resides in the state of Georgia with a maximum runtime of 20 minutes. If you submit in this category without meeting the necessary criteria, you will be disqualified from consideration and will not be issued a refund.

    Dates to Remember

    • Submission Deadline: January 16th, 2025

    • Notification Date: January 30th, 2025

    • Screening Date: February 13th, 2025
      Filmmakers should plan to send one representative to the screening to represent the film during our Q&A and to accept awards

  • All selected films will screen at the event, scheduled to take place on 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 5 free tickets to attend the screening as well as two free tickets to the Tara Theatre ($30 value).

    Jury and Audience prizes will be awarded. Each will come with a $100 cash prize. Winning films will also receive winner laurels, 2 All-Access badges each to the next Atlanta Film Festival ($800+ value) and 2 Tara Theatre ticket/popcorn/drink combos ($54 value).

 

Past Finalists & Winners

  • Red Light Green Light - Dir: Corey Grispo
    A Grim Diagnosis - Dir: Nicole Kemper, Sarah Alison Hodges
    Sweaty Larry - Dir: Vanessa Ionta Wright
    Who’s Gonna Sleep First? - Dir: Carter Trey Smith
    Tango Sparks - Dir: Maureen Zent
    Middle Manifesto - Dir: Brent Lambert Zaffino
    Goo Darts - Dir: Connor Christensen
    FAFO (Fuck Around and Find Out) - Dir: Rocco Shapiro
    RAMP - Dir: Kadeen Marron
    Hula Hoop - Dir: Katie Ivey
    True Crime Fan - Dir: Justin H Reich
    Chipotle - Dir: Brent Lambert-Zaffino

    Jury Award: To the Window - Dir: Zachary Stephens
    Audience Award: Super High: A Period Piece - Dir: Bianca Lambert

  • MANSECT! - Dir: Jared P. Foust

    TRICK’ R TEETH - Dir: Lex Lauletta

    BLUE IS THE NIGHT - Dir: Mikael Trench

    HOME/BODY - Dir: Paul Tartaglia

    DEPRESSION IS A BEAST - Dir: Courtney Dixon

    COULD THIS HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL - Dir: Sarah Alison and Nicole Kemper

    THE MONSTERS WE CARRY - Dir: Justin Melson

    Jury Award: THE INSECT GOD - Dir: Paul Woolman Preston

    Audience Award: SOLITA - Dir: Carlos Diaz

  • Grandpa - Dir: Jennifer Dunn

    If The Creek Don’t Rise - Dir: Andrew Stevens

    Last Phone Call - Dir: Mackleen Desravines Sparkman

    Let’s Do a Cult - Dir: Brent Lambert-Zaffino

    The Name - Dir: Aaron Strand

    Reggie & Rainbow - Dir: Aaron G. Hale

    Jury Award: Goro Goro - Dir: Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa
    Audience Award: Cooking with Claudia - Dir: Priscila Torres

 

Upcoming Screenings:

Previous Screenings :

Featured
LOCALS ONLY: Shorts & Giggles
Feb 13
LOCALS ONLY: Shorts & Giggles

LOCALS ONLY is a recurring screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers, with each event having a distinct theme and focus. Featured short films come entirely from submissions. This February, LOCALS ONLY presents SHORTS AND GIGGLES, a screening for comedy shorts of every kind. For this go-round, we’re throwing down a challenge: make us laugh!

LOCALS ONLY: What Haunts You
Nov 21
LOCALS ONLY: What Haunts You

LOCALS ONLY is a recurring screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers, with each event having a distinct theme and focus. Featured short films come entirely from submissions. This November, we’re stretching spooky season into overtime with FALL 2024 LOCALS ONLY: WHAT HAUNTS YOU?

LOCALS ONLY: Near and Dear
Sep 5
LOCALS ONLY: Near and Dear

Summer 2024 LOCALS ONLY Presents: NEAR AND DEAR. This season, we’re bringing down the house with short films about all the love and chaos that can play out under one roof! Join us for a showcase of family dramas, documentaries about unlikely sisterhoods, short-form telenovelas starring your favorite cat and stories that drive us crazy about our loved ones.