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.

Gore! Guns! Fists! GLITZ!! Fall 2025 LOCALS ONLY Presents: EYE CANDY. Send us your most dazzling shorts for this visual feast! CHIC COSTUMES! WILD FIGHT SCENES! MIND-WARPING FX! BLOOD AND GUTS! Everything that’s fun and fantastic to look at! If you’ve got a musical, action-packed, acid trip in a haunted house, with a slasher villain, send us your film!

We want to see your musical, action-packed, acid trip in a haunted house, with a slasher villain, or anything of the like! Submit your film today!

  • Submitted films must be at least primarily filmed in Georgia AND come from a come from a director, writer, and/or producer 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: September 25th, 2025

    • Notification Date: October 9th, 2025

    • Screening Date: October 23rd, 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 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).

Have questions? Email localsonly@atlantafilmsociety.org

 

Past Finalists & Winners

  • SOUNDS OF THE FOREST, directed by Zachary Stephens

    TRIP-TYCH!, directed by Brian Lonano, Kevin Daniel Lonano

    FANTOMET, directed by Rob Tiffin, Mitchell Hardage

    KLARK SOUND - RED SPOT SUN, directed by John R Roche

    THE INTERSECTION AT REBECCA STREET AND SHIPMAN AVENUE, directed by Deitrah Taylor

    MORNING-BIRD, directed by Lorin R Dent

    FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE, directed by Jonathan Milograno

    IRIDESCENCE, directed by Max Arnzen

    EATING 38 CHEESEBURGERS, directed by Andrew Schwab

    BANANA DOG'S REVENGE, directed by Esperanza Gabriel

    SEA LEGS, directed by Laurie Garner

    Jury & Audience Award Winner: FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE, directed by Jonathan Milograno

  • 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:

Featured
LOCALS ONLY: Eye Candy
Oct 23
LOCALS ONLY: Eye Candy

This October, LOCALS ONLY, brings you a screening of everything fun and fantastic to look at! Fall 2025 LOCALS ONLY Presents: EYE CANDY. This recurring curated screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers with a distinct theme and focus, created entirely from submissions, is all about gore, guns, fists, and glitz!

Previous Screenings :

Featured
LOCALS ONLY: Trippin’
Jul 24
LOCALS ONLY: Trippin’

Bon Voyage, Filmmakers! LOCALS ONLY returns this July with our recurring curated screening of short films from Georgia’s independent filmmakers. For July 2025, LOCALS ONLY Presents: TRIPPIN’. Every story is a journey. This season, queuing up short films depicting travel of all kinds - road trips, cruise ships, and 10-minute space landings!

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?