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.

Got a gothic tale about dark secrets? Or a documentary about a Chattahoochee cryptid? We want to see cinematic expressions of the impossibly bizarre, the achingly uncanny, the unbelievably creepy for FALL 2024 LOCALS ONLY PRESENTATION: WHAT HAUNTS YOU?

This season, we’re stretching spooky season into overtime with short films about torment and the tormented! 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 jumpscares and into something a bit more ethereal, mysterious, and, well, HAUNTING.

Eligibility

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: October 24th

  • Notification Date: November 7th

  • Screening Date: November 21st, 2024
    Filmmakers should plan to send one representative to the screening to represent the film during our Q&A and to accept awards

Awards & Prizes

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

  • Selected Films

    • 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:

Featured
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?

Previous Screenings :

Featured
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.

LOCALS ONLY: LOVE NOTES
Feb 13
LOCALS ONLY: LOVE NOTES

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. The theme of Winter 2024's LOCALS ONLY is dedicated to the loverrr–in you, and you, and YOU! Does your narrative feature a love story? Does your documentary focus on the love of music? Well, we can’t wait! LOCALS ONLY Presents: LOVE NOTES.

LOCALS ONLY: Not For The Faint of Heart Screening
Oct 12
LOCALS ONLY: Not For The Faint of Heart Screening

LOCALS ONLY is a recurring screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers with each event having a distinct theme and focus. The theme of Fall 2023's LOCALS ONLY event will be NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.