Life In the Black South

March 26–27, 2027
Historic Morton Theatre
Athens, Georgia

Submit your film Get festival updates

Festival dates

March 26–27, 2027

Submission deadline

January 1, 2027

Venue

Historic Morton Theatre

Format

Two days, in person

About the festival

Two days of Black storytelling on screen

Presented by the Morton Theatre Corporation, the Athens African American Film Festival (AAAFF) celebrates the richness of Black life through independent film. Held at the historic Morton Theatre in downtown Athens, the festival brings together filmmakers, artists, musicians, and audiences for two days of screenings, conversations, and cultural exchange.

The 2027 festival, Life in the Black South, explores Black experiences, perspectives, and storytelling through narrative and documentary films, with special programming for children and families. The lineup will include films selected through an open call alongside invited presentations.

Call for films · Now open

Tell a story of the Black South

We welcome work from emerging and established filmmakers that explores Black life, history, culture, and experience in the southern United States. We are looking for authentic narratives, documentaries, features, and shorts with a distinct artistic voice.

Narrative short

Fiction · under 40 minutes

Documentary short

Nonfiction · under 40 minutes

Narrative feature

Fiction · 40 minutes or longer

Documentary feature

Nonfiction · 40 minutes or longer

Youth & family

Narrative, documentary, animated, and educational films for children and families · any length

Deadline: January 1, 2027

Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Submit through FilmFreeway.

Submit on FilmFreeway

Before you submit

Rules and terms

By submitting a film to the 2027 Athens African American Film Festival, you agree to the following rules, terms, and conditions.

1. Eligibility and exhibition
  • In-person screening. The festival is an in-person, theatrical event at the historic Morton Theatre. Submitting grants the festival permission to screen the work publicly during the festival.
  • Rights and clearances. You confirm you hold all rights, licenses, and clearances for the film, including music, underlying literary works, likeness rights, and archival or stock footage.
  • No student categories. All projects are evaluated equally under general programming. There are no separate student tiers or discounted entry fees.
  • Subtitles. Non-English films must include embedded or synced English subtitles.
2. Deadlines and recognition
  • Deadline. Submissions must be complete and uploaded by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on January 1, 2027, to be reviewed by the selection committee.
  • No cash prizes. Selected films may receive official laurels or audience-favorite recognition. No cash or other financial awards are given.
3. Human creativity and AI
  • Human-centered work. AAAFF values original human artistry. Standard AI-assisted editing, color grading, and post-production tools are fine, but creative work that people can do should be done by people.
  • AI disclosure required. Disclose any significant generative AI elements, such as AI-written scripts, fully generated scenes, synthetic voice cloning, or deepfakes. Failure to disclose may lead to disqualification.
  • Copyright compliance. Any AI use must comply with copyright law. You are responsible for ensuring no AI-generated element infringes on others' copyrights, trademarks, or publicity rights.
4. Selection and materials
  • Notification. Festival staff will notify selected filmmakers. Committee decisions are final and confidential.
  • Screening materials. Selected filmmakers must deliver a high-quality screening file (such as a high-bitrate MP4) and a complete electronic press kit with stills, logline, and bios by the delivery date.
  • Costs. Filmmakers cover any shipping, customs, or delivery costs for exhibition materials.
5. Liability
  • Loss or damage. The festival, its organizers, venue partners, staff, and volunteers are not liable for playback failures, file corruption, or damage to drives in transit or during exhibition.
  • Indemnity. You agree to indemnify and hold the festival harmless against claims arising from copyright infringement, defamation, trademark violations, publicity-rights disputes, or breach of contract related to your film.

Mark your calendar

Key dates

  1. Jan. 1Film submission deadline
  2. Jan. 25Filmmakers notified
  3. Feb. 5Festival lineup announced
  4. Mar. 26–27Festival weekend at the Morton

All dates are in 2027.

Visit the festival

Historic Morton Theatre

195 W. Washington Street
Athens, Georgia 30601

Schedules, ticket information, and special guests will be announced in early 2027.

Directions Parking Box office

Support AAAFF

Bring Black film to Athens

AAAFF welcomes sponsorships and partnerships from businesses, organizations, and individuals who want to support the arts and expand access to Black storytelling.

Become a sponsor Donate