Film festivals in the southeast

I live in North Carolina, and sometimes when people find out I live here, they ask about the filmmaking opportunities. The truth is, there are lots of filmmakers who live in the southeast, and we’re great at making opportunities for ourselves. Today, I’m covering film festivals in the southeast.

Nevermore Film Festival

This genre film festival is a favorite of mine, and not just because it’s hosted down the road from me in Durham, North Carolina. The genre lovers who run Nevermore put together an incredible experience year after year. Created in 1999, Nevermore was declared “one of the best horror film festivals in the world” by Dread Central, so you know this southeastern festival is a gem!

Atlanta Film Festival

Each spring, the Atlanta Film Festival, an Academy Award qualifying festival, is hosted in Atlanta, Georgia. Now in its fourth decade, this festival spans 10 days and 150+ events. If you want an Academy Award qualifying festival in the American southeast, this is your best bet!

Virginia Film Festival

This year is the 37th year of the Virginia Film Festival! A program of the University of Virginia, it is considered one of the leading regional festivals in the US. Held in Charlottesville, this non-competitive festival has a lot to offer; according to their FilmFreeway, past guests include Jon Batiste, Matthew Broderick, Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Annette Bening, Ava DuVernay, Colin Firth, Will Forte, Morgan Freeman, Nikki Giovanni, Ethan Hawke, Tippi Hedren, Werner Herzog, Anthony Hopkins, Allen Hughes, Ashley Judd, Spike Lee, Shirley MacLaine, Leonard Maltin, Danny McBride, Stanley Nelson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Vanessa Redgrave, Gena Rowlands, Meg Ryan, Jimmy Stewart, Oliver Stone, Christoph Waltz, Liv Ullmann, Mia Wasikowska, and Sigourney Weaver.

American Black Film Festival Miami

The American Black Film Festival is held annually in Miami Beach, and is designed to showcase Black talent. This can’t-miss event not only screens films but hosts masterclasses, networking events, and cultural events. The HBO short film award looks especially interesting!

Gasparilla International Film Festival

Held annually in Tampa, this film festival is a great opportunity to visit the Sunshine State.According to their FilmFreeway page, “The Festival will be showcasing films of all types/genres, including features, documentaries, shorts, music videos, family-friendly films, Int’l Films and more.” 

Carrboro Film Festival

This small town, non-competitive North Carolina film festival celebrates new Southern film. According to their FilmFreeway profile, their “mission is to showcase the year’s best Southern independent films and provide a venue for both celebrating and interrogating Southern culture.” If that sounds like fun to you, the event will be hosted in January 2025 and will be a great time.