American Motion Pictures Festival (2)

Festival start: 01 September 2027      Festival end: 30 September 2027

AMERICAN MOTION PICTURES FESTIVAL (AMPF)
Showing Films Beyond Borders

American Motion Pictures Festival (AMPF) champions bold independent cinema and the filmmakers behind it. Based in Greater Atlanta and welcoming submissions from around the world, we seek distinctive voices, emotionally honest storytelling, and films that cross cultural, geographic, and creative boundaries.

Through monthly award sessions and an annual in-person Grand Finale, AMPF connects year-round recognition with opportunities for selected films to reach audiences on the big screen.

OUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
Our inaugural Grand Finale on September 26, 2026, welcomed a full house to Studio Movie Grill–Alpharetta. The daylong celebration brought filmmakers, actors, directors, producers, and film enthusiasts together for selected screenings, networking, and awards presentations.
That experience reflects our purpose: to give independent filmmakers meaningful recognition and create a welcoming place where their work can be seen, discussed, and celebrated.

WHY SUBMIT TO AMPF?
• Year-round opportunities for recognition through monthly award sessions.
• Automatic Annual Grand Finale candidacy for Monthly Winners.
• Official AMPF laurels and digital achievement certificates for recognized films.
• Consideration for curated public screenings and annual awards through the Grand Finale selection process.
• A festival community rooted in Greater Atlanta and open to filmmakers worldwide.
• Personal attention and clear communication throughout the submission and selection process.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR
We welcome narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental films across genres, including student work and films by emerging and established independent filmmakers.

Our programming values originality, artistic craft, emotional depth, and a distinct point of view. We are particularly interested in stories that introduce audiences to unfamiliar perspectives, explore cultural experiences, or find new ways to express shared human concerns.

Films may be submitted from any country. Non-English-language films are welcome with English subtitles.

HOW IT WORKS
Each monthly session closes on the final day of the month. Eligible submissions are reviewed for storytelling, originality, craft, and alignment with the festival’s programming interests. Filmmakers are generally notified through email approximately 3–6 weeks after the monthly deadline.

Monthly Winners advance to the Annual Grand Finale candidate pool, alongside other recognized films considered by the programming team. From this pool, AMPF curates its public screenings and selects annual award nominees and recipients through separate programming and jury reviews.

Please see Awards & Prizes and Rules & Terms below for complete details about recognition, eligibility, Grand Finale selection, and the AMPF Trophy.

Submit your film and become part of a community showing films beyond borders.

MONTHLY RECOGNITION
AMPF celebrates independent filmmaking through four distinctions:

MONTHLY WINNER — Top recognition in an eligible award category, with automatic candidacy for the Annual Grand Finale.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT — Celebrating exceptional artistic or technical accomplishment.

HONORABLE MENTION — Honoring work with notable artistic, thematic, or technical merit.

OFFICIAL SELECTION — Recognizing films that stand out for artistic quality, storytelling, and craft.
Every distinction includes an official AMPF digital laurel and achievement certificate to help filmmakers share their success. Recognized work may also be highlighted through festival announcements and promotional channels.

THE ROAD TO THE GRAND FINALE
Every Monthly Winner advances to the pool of films considered for AMPF’s Annual Grand Finale in Greater Atlanta. Outstanding Achievement recipients, Official Selections, and Honorable Mentions may also be considered by the programming team.

From this pool, AMPF curates its public screening program and selects nominees and annual award recipients through separate programming and jury reviews. Filmmakers invited to screen will receive a personal invitation, followed by screening arrangements and delivery guidance.

ANNUAL HONORS
FILM OF THE YEAR — AMPF’s highest annual honor, celebrating exceptional cinematic achievement.

GRAND FINALE CATEGORY AWARDS — Celebrating excellence across the award categories featured in each edition.

Annual honors celebrate outstanding work selected from the Grand Finale candidate pool through AMPF’s programming and jury process.

THE AMPF TROPHY
Grand Finale award recipients receive the AMPF Trophy as a lasting symbol of their achievement. We welcome winners to celebrate with us in person and equally recognize those unable to attend.

Details about trophy presentation, shipment options, and associated costs are available in Rules & Terms.

AMPF is presented by Aabaha, Inc., a Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

By submitting a film to the American Motion Pictures Festival (“AMPF”), the submitter confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Rules & Terms.

1. Eligibility

Films must have been completed within the five (5) years preceding the date of submission. AMPF accepts eligible submissions from filmmakers worldwide, regardless of nationality, residence, or country of production.

Runtime Categories:
A short film has a runtime of forty (40) minutes or less. A feature film has a runtime of more than forty (40) minutes. AMPF may place a submission in the category it determines is most appropriate.

Premiere Status:
AMPF does not require a world, international, U.S., state, or local premiere unless specifically stated for a particular category. Films that have previously screened at other festivals or are available online remain eligible, provided they otherwise meet these Rules & Terms.

2. Language and Subtitles

Films with dialogue in a language other than English must include clear English subtitles. Subtitles must be embedded in the submitted screener or otherwise provided in a format approved by AMPF.

Films submitted without required English subtitles may be deemed ineligible and may be disqualified without refund.

3. Submission Format

All entries must be submitted through this portal with a functional online screener that remains accessible through the applicable notification date.
AMPF may request an updated screener, additional materials, or an exhibition-ready file from films invited for screening or further annual-event consideration.

4. Notification Timeline

Each monthly submission session closes on the final calendar day of the month. Filmmakers are generally notified of their final status through this portal and email within approximately 3–6 weeks after the monthly deadline.

If a material delay becomes necessary, AMPF may update the applicable notification date or communicate a revised timeline through this portal and/or email.

5. Selection and Programming

Submission does not guarantee recognition, Official Selection, Honorable Mention, a public screening, Grand Finale candidacy, a Grand Finale invitation, a nomination, an annual award, scheduling, travel support, accommodation, or any other festival benefit.

AMPF evaluates eligible films based on artistic merit, storytelling, originality, technical readiness, thematic relevance, category fit, and available program capacity.

Attendance, ticket purchases, complimentary passes, donations, sponsorship, advertising, or other support for AMPF do not influence recognition, screening, scheduling, nomination, or award decisions.

6. Screening License and Delivery Materials

Monthly recognition or Grand Finale candidacy does not automatically grant AMPF the right to publicly screen a film.

If a film is invited and confirmed for a public AMPF screening, the submitter grants AMPF a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to exhibit the film solely as part of the Annual Grand Finale or another officially announced AMPF event for which the filmmaker has received prior notice by official email.

AMPF will not distribute, sell, sublicense, or otherwise exploit the complete film outside the festival program without the submitter’s separate written permission. The filmmaker retains all ownership rights in the submitted film.

If invited to screen, filmmakers may be asked to provide a high-quality screening file, subtitles where applicable, poster art, stills, a trailer, credits, and a completed screening-information form.
AMPF will provide final technical specifications and a delivery deadline only after a screening invitation has been confirmed.

7. Grand Finale Candidacy

Monthly Winners automatically become candidates for the AMPF Annual Grand Finale in Greater Atlanta.
Outstanding Achievement recipients, Official Selections, Honorable Mentions, and other jury-recognized films may also be considered for the Grand Finale at AMPF’s discretion.

Grand Finale candidacy does not guarantee a public screening, invitation, nomination, travel support, accommodation, or an annual award. Programming, screening, scheduling, nomination, and award decisions are determined separately through AMPF’s curatorial and jury process and may consider artistic merit, category fit, thematic balance, technical readiness, rights availability, filmmaker confirmation, venue capacity, and final event scheduling.

For complete details regarding monthly recognition, annual awards, the AMPF Trophy, and Grand Finale opportunities, please see the Awards & Prizes section of this this portal listing.

8. Promotional Materials

For films that receive Official Selection, monthly recognition, Grand Finale candidacy, or other jury-recognized status, the submitter grants AMPF a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to use the film title, logline, synopsis, still images, poster, filmmaker biography, trailer, and excerpts of up to sixty (60) seconds solely to promote AMPF, the selected or recognized film, monthly announcements, the Grand Finale, awards, and related festival activities.
This permission may include use on AMPF websites, social-media channels, newsletters, press materials, event programs, print materials, and festival highlight reels.

AMPF will not use film materials for unrelated commercial purposes without separate written permission.

9. Rights and Indemnification

The submitter represents and warrants that they hold all necessary rights, permissions, licenses, releases, and clearances required to submit and, if selected and confirmed, publicly exhibit the film. This includes rights related to music, images, footage, trademarks, likenesses, and all third-party copyrighted material.

The submitter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless AMPF, Aabaha, Inc., its officers, directors, staff, volunteers, partners, affiliates, and venues from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable legal expenses arising from a breach of these representations or from the public exhibition of the submitted film as authorized by the submitter.

10. Fees, Refunds, and Withdrawals

All submission fees are non-refundable. Fees are not refunded for films that are not selected, are withdrawn after submission, are deemed ineligible, are disqualified, or do not comply with these Rules & Terms.

Submission fees support festival administration, programming review, filmmaker communication, promotion, and event presentation. Payment of a fee does not guarantee recognition, screening, Grand Finale candidacy, nomination, an annual award, feedback, distribution, press coverage, attendance, travel support, accommodation, or a trophy.
Withdrawal Requests:
A filmmaker may request withdrawal by email before a final decision is issued.

Once a film has been named an Official Selection, Monthly Winner, Outstanding Achievement recipient, Honorable Mention, Grand Finale candidate, screening selection, nominee, or annual award recipient, AMPF will make reasonable efforts to honor a withdrawal request, but cannot guarantee removal from materials already published, scheduled, printed, distributed, or delivered to partners.

Submission fees remain non-refundable after submission, including in the event of withdrawal.

11. Awards, Laurels, and Trophies

Monthly recognition, official laurels, digital certificates, Grand Finale candidacy, annual awards, and the AMPF Trophy are governed by the Awards & Prizes section of this portal listing.

Physical AMPF Trophies are presented to designated Grand Finale award winners, subject to the applicable award category being offered in that cycle. AMPF is not obligated to present every listed award in every monthly session or annual program.

Winners are encouraged, but not required, to attend the Grand Finale. AMPF does not cover travel, accommodation, visa, or other attendance-related expenses.

Trophies are presented without charge to winners attending the Grand Finale. Winners who do not attend may request shipment and are responsible for applicable production, packaging, insurance, shipping, customs, and handling costs.

Applicable trophy fulfillment costs will be disclosed before the recipient confirms a shipment request.

12. Festival Changes and Cancellation

AMPF may modify festival dates, deadlines, venues, formats, programs, awards, screening schedules, or event operations when reasonably necessary due to circumstances including venue availability, safety concerns, technical requirements, legal obligations, public-health conditions, or events beyond AMPF’s control.

When practical, AMPF will communicate material changes through this portal, email, and/or official festival channels. Submission fees remain non-refundable except where required by applicable law.

13. Limitation of Liability

AMPF, Aabaha, Inc., and its partners are not responsible for travel, lodging, visa, ticketing, promotional, or other expenses incurred by submitters, filmmakers, guests, or attendees.
AMPF is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, reputational, scheduling-related, or operational losses resulting from changes to festival programming, event operations, or annual-event participation.

14. Final Decisions

AMPF programming, jury, recognition, screening, scheduling, nomination, and award decisions are final, except where AMPF determines that an administrative error occurred.

AMPF seeks to avoid conflicts of interest. A reviewer or juror with a direct creative, financial, or personal connection to a submitted project will not participate in a final decision concerning that project whenever reasonably possible.

15. Acceptance of Terms

Submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these Rules & Terms.

Questions and Support

For category, eligibility, technical, or submission questions, contact AMPF at filmfestival@aabaha.org before submitting. AMPF aims to respond to festival inquiries within two business days.

For this account or payment technical issues, filmmakers should also consult this portal’s Support.