Submissions FAQ
Submissions FAQ
What filmmakers ask us most about submitting to the Charlotte Film Festival.
Submissions to the 19th Charlotte Film Festival are open now on FilmFreeway. The full General Rules and Terms & Conditions live there; this is the short version.
Dates
| Submissions open | November 1, 2026 |
| Early Deadline | January 31, 2027 |
| Ahead of the Curve Deadline | March 31, 2027 (last day to submit a work in progress) |
| Regular Deadline | May 31, 2027 (final cuts due for works in progress) |
| Extended Deadline | June 20, 2027 |
| Notification | July 18, 2027 |
| Festival | September 21 – 26, 2027, Independent Picture House |
All deadlines are received-by deadlines: your film must be uploaded by that date. Entry fees are non-refundable.
Categories, runtimes & fees
Fees are the standard FilmFreeway price at each deadline: Early / Ahead of the Curve / Regular / Extended.
| Narrative Feature | Fiction, any genre, 30 – 150 minutes. Must be a Charlotte, NC premiere. $40 / $50 / $75 / $100 |
| Documentary Feature | Non-fiction, 30 – 150 minutes. Must be a Charlotte, NC premiere. $40 / $50 / $75 / $100 |
| Narrative Short Film | Fiction, any genre, 29 minutes or shorter. $30 / $40 / $50 / $70 |
| Documentary Short Film | Non-fiction, 29 minutes or shorter. $30 / $40 / $50 / $70 |
| Animated Short Film | 15 minutes or shorter and at least 75% animated (any technique). Longer animated work goes in the matching feature or short category. $20 / $25 / $30 / $40 |
| Student Short Film | Fiction or non-fiction, 15 minutes or shorter. The credited writer or director must be a current student, or have made the film while a student. Email proof of enrollment to taylor@charlottefilmfestival.org with the subject line “Student Short Film Submission” and your submission number. $20 / $25 / $40 / $50 |
| Social Justice Film | A film addressing a specific social justice issue — for example Indigenous land and cultural rights, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, DACA and the immigrant experience, prison reform and incarceration, LGBTQ+ stories, and others. Free to enter: email taylor@charlottefilmfestival.org describing your film and you will receive a code that waives the fee. Must be a Charlotte, NC premiere. |
Eligibility
When does my film need to have been completed?
After May 2026.
Do you require a premiere?
Features must be Charlotte, NC premieres: a feature that has already screened publicly in Charlotte will not be accepted unless agreed with the programming team in advance. Shorts may have screened in Charlotte before. Once accepted, no film may screen anywhere in North Carolina between acceptance and its festival screening unless the programming team or festival directors OK it.
My film is online. Can I still submit?
A film that is publicly viewable online (YouTube, Vimeo, or any other service) counts as a public screening and may not be selected or screened.
Is there a discount for local filmmakers?
Yes. Filmmakers from VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, and AL can receive a discount on the entry fee — contact Lead Programmer Taylor Montalto at taylor@charlottefilmfestival.org before you submit.
Can I submit a work in progress?
Only by the Ahead of the Curve deadline (March 31, 2027), and it must be at least 80% complete. Mark it “Work in Progress” or “Rough Cut” on the submission, and upload the final cut by May 31, 2027. Fees are not refunded if a final cut doesn’t arrive.
My film isn’t in English.
It must have English subtitles before you submit.
Will you give feedback on my film?
We can’t offer comments on individual films until after the festival.
If you’re selected
How will I hear?
The notification date is July 18, 2027.
What format do you screen?
DCP only. DCPs must be DCI compliant, delivered on an external drive with a CRU enclosure or USB interface, by the deadline we send you. We don’t screen Blu-ray, DVD, ProRes, MP4, or other digital files. Drives are returned only with prepaid return shipping.
What does the festival do with my film?
Screen it up to three times during the festival (or at a “best of” encore), and use your stills, trailer, title, and logline to promote it, before and after the festival.
Awards
Jury Awards in each competitive section carry cash prizes: $500 for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Social Justice Film; $250 for Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Student Short, and Animated Short. The Champa & Vasant Patel Carolina Filmmaker Award is $1,000. Audience Awards go to the highest-rated film in each category. See Awards & Past Winners.
Questions?
Email Taylor Montalto, Lead Programmer, at taylor@charlottefilmfestival.org.
Coming to the festival to watch? See the FAQ for attendees.
