2026 Atlanta Documentary Film Festival Screening Schedule

These short films follow people who commit to care, protection, and stewardship, sometimes without recognition, and often when walking away would be easier.

 A Mystical Ornithology – Jeremy Seifert & Benjamin James Roberts
Call of the Crow – Sarah King
Dick’s-A-Thon – Dylan Young
NIO KO BOKK – David Clancy
Red, White, Blue & Yellow – Jason Kushner
Second Chance – Ryan Edens
The Wheelchair Mafia – Cade Martin
TSHEGL – Philipp Silbernagl

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:00 PM

86 min run time

*filmmakers in attendance

Directed by Christopher Flores 

WarAngel follows Casey Montana, a young woman in Georgia who rescues horses bound for slaughter through her nonprofit farm. As she saves these animals, their healing journey becomes intertwined with her own family’s story of love, loss, and resilience.

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 8:40 PM

20 min. run time

Opening Short Film for Brannu: The Urban Horseman  

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by  Adelin Gasana 

Brandon “Brannu” Fulton is a local horseman and rancher whose unconventional lifestyle has made him a target of city and county officials for more than a decade. As he fights citations, arrests, and government pressure over the land he owns, his daily life reveals larger conflicts around gentrification, eminent domain, and urban growth. This is a coming of age story about land, freedom, and a Black man pursuing his version of the American Dream in modern Georgia.

Opening Night Feature

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 9:05 PM

108 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by  Benjamin Radford 

State of Nebraska V. Crotchy the Clown is a short documentary about a clown named Crotchy who took to the Public Access airwaves to do standup comedy and review pornographic films. It was, ironically, one of the less offensive programs broadcast, but nevertheless he ran afoul of censors after choking his chicken on television. The free speech case ended up before the Nebraska Supreme Court—and that’s when things got weird.

Friday, March 20 at 5:00 PM

27 min. run time

Opening Short Film for Never Get Busted!

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by David Anthony Ngo, Stephen Mccallum

Barry Cooper knows how to hide drugs, evade police, and cause trouble. He also used to be a decorated Texas narcotics officer.

After a raid goes wrong and devastates a family much like his own, Barry quits the force. Using leaked police footage, he releases a DVD series teaching drug users how to avoid getting caught and becomes a media sensation.

When police push back, Barry escalates, turning his camera on corrupt cops. This is the story of one man trying to flip the script on the War on Drugs before it catches up with him.

Friday, March 20 at 5:30 PM

105 min. run time

Directed by Will Thwaites 

In 2016, amateur comedian Anthony Novak was arrested and jailed after police took a parody Facebook page mocking them as a serious crime. His case, which reached the U.S. Supreme Court, became a stark examination of free speech and police power. Just miles away, another police encounter ended not in a courtroom, but in death, revealing the far graver consequences when constitutional protections fail. 

Friday, March 20 at 7:20 PM

91 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

These short docs follow people navigating power, displacement, and belonging, showing how community forms even when the ground itself feels contested.

Anywhere My Canvas - Sangsun Choi
Bibb City - Jonathan Cipiti
Citizen - Leah Carlisle
Gilbert’s Reparation - Adam Thomas
Isao - Jason Okamoto
ICED out of America - Michael Nigro
Sunday Mornings at the Beach - Tim Reid & Aaron Hose
Tippi & Barb - Brad Burleson

Friday, March 20 at 9:15 PM

97 min. run time

*filmmakers in attendance

Directed by Bart Everly 

Velvet Vision - The Story of James Bidgood (and the Making of Pink Narcissus)  explores the life and work of James Bidgood, whose lush 1960s fantasy photographs reshaped the beefcake genre. The film follows Bidgood as he attempts to create new work after a forty year hiatus while revisiting the mystery of his once anonymous cult film Pink Narcissus.

Saturday, March 21 at 2:00 PM

98 min. run time

Directed by Abigail Kemp 

In the Year of the Rabbit, a Chinese American adoptee journeys back to her birthplace for the first time, blending archival footage of her adoption with present-day reflections on family, memory, and identity.

Saturday, March 21 at 4:00 PM

88 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by Craig Downing 

The story of a former sperm donor whose carefree bachelor life takes an unexpected turn two decades later. After registering with a DNA ancestry site, he discovers he may have dozens of children, leading to an unprecedented family reunion, a surprising romance with the mother of a donor child, worldwide media attention, and a remarkable experiment in instant family and an unconventional fatherhood.

Saturday, March 21 at 6:00 PM

63 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by Carlye Rubin, Katie Green

The lines between real life and reel life are muddied in the story of the Adams, an unconventional family who makes independent horror films. While they may vomit blood onto one another, lack boundaries and make frequent use of the f-word, they also face what every family must: change.

Saturday, March 21 at 7:45 PM

80 min. run time 

These short films treat art, performance, and craft as tools for survival, connection, and self-definition. 

Darlinghurst Eats Its Young – Madeleine Preston
G.R.I.T.S (girls raised in the south) – Ayden Kostzer
Horndribbles – Savannah Warrick
Moving Bodies – Cathy Cheng & Laura Gomez
Nuno – Nuno Taborda
No Toys Allowed – Adam Cosy Goodman
The Queentini Story – Peter Richard Silva Jr.
White Gold Yellow Gold – Angus McMaster 

Saturday, March 21 at 9:30 PM

77 min. run time

*filmmakers in attendance

Get tickets online

Directed by James Schroeder 

The City of Atlanta, Georgia is known as "The City in the Forest." It has the highest tree canopy density of any major city in the United States.
But with increased growth and development, Atlanta is losing trees at an alarming rate.
Can "The City in the Forest" maintain its tree canopy? 

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM

102 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

Directed by William Burrell 

Zack Federbush, a prolific abstract artist on the autism spectrum, works tirelessly to complete a massive portrait in his own unique style as he prepares for an upcoming self-curated gallery exhibition.

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 3:05 PM

87  min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

Short films about the endurance of the human spirit. These stories sit with grief, addiction, loss, memory, and faith.

Baby Hummingbirds – Marc Huestis
Dearly Beloved – e c balazs
In Exchange For Flesh – Sandro Ramani & Corey Devon Arthur
Last Words – Carson Brown
Prison and Time – Evan Bode
Prodigal Daughter – Nancy Peng & Steven Xiuyuan Chen
The Four Noble Truths – Asha Alaji-Sharif & Chris Lee Huot
What You Left – Cheryl Hess

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM

70 min. run time

*filmmakers in attendance

Directed by Julie Bayer Salzman 

A woman whose daughter was murdered in a mass shooting finds a way to piece her life back together. Using the Japanese art of Kintsugi as a metaphor for repair, this short doc about one woman’s grief journey offers hope to those suffering from devastating loss.

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 6:30 PM

23 min. run time

Opening Short Film for The Werewolf in the Waves 

Directed by Soleil Moon Frye 

From the award winning director of KID 90, Soleil Moon Frye reunites with her childhood friend Seth Binzer, also known as Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town. What begins as documenting a comeback tour becomes an intimate love story captured largely on Moon Frye’s iPhone, filled with euphoric moments and deep personal connection. As Seth relapses, the film shifts into a raw exploration of addiction, love, and loss, revealing the fragile line between hope and heartbreak.

Closing Night Feature

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 7:05 PM

91 min. run time

*filmmaker in attendance

The Atlanta Documentary Film Festival Awards take place Sunday as the closing event of the festival. Join us as we announce category winners and bring filmmakers and audiences together to close out the weekend.

Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 9:15 PM

Directed by  Paul Catalanotto

104 min. 

After the Devil is Dead is a gripping documentary that follows Mike Lester as he confronts the decades-old mystery of his mother’s unsolved murder. Along the way, he reckons with the trauma of his father’s abuse and the painful rift with his siblings, weaving a story of truth-seeking, family fractures, and the search for closure.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available in USA 

Directed by Brandon Rice

75 min. 

Every December, millions of children around the world believe in the magic of Santa Claus—but behind the red suit and white beard are the men who dedicate their lives to keeping that magic alive. Behind the Beard pulls back the curtain on the world of professional Santas, exploring the artistry, sacrifice, and heart it takes to embody the most beloved figure of the holiday season. Through intimate interviews, behind-the-scenes access, and touching stories of connection, the film reveals how portraying Santa is not just a job, but a calling to bring joy, wonder, and belief into a world that needs it now more than ever.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available Worldwide

*filmmaker in attendance at live event

Directed by Susan Danielle Pinchiaroli, Lucy Spahr

20 min.

When a family business making purses from old books becomes a lifeline for their son Christian, who is on the autism spectrum, it reshapes all of their lives.

As his parents enter their mid 70s, they face difficult questions about his future and whether he can carry the business forward. Bindings is a moving portrait of love, caregiving, and planning for what comes next.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available Worldwide

Directed by Cameron S. Mitchell

95 min. 

A family’s investigation into the history and memory of the Nazi Aktion T4 program which targeted over 300,000 disabled people and catalyzed the Holocaust.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available in USA 

Directed by Justin Tolliver

115 min. 

At once nostalgic and forward-looking, For Your Amusement celebrates the tactile, social, and uniquely human side of an industry that continues to coin the business of fun. From arcades to pinball, fortune tellers to claw machines, coin-operated amusements have taken many forms over the years. While often easy to overlook, their lasting appeal across generations is undeniable. This documentary shines a spotlight on an industry that has spent most of its life in the shadows — and on the men and women whose passion and persistence have driven its continual reinvention. Because in the ever-evolving world of entertainment, dreams take change.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Directed by Jesse Carfield

58 min. 

When my dad uncovered a storage unit filled with Ric Routledge’s forgotten tapes and raw footage, a lost chapter of his life emerged. Ric revolutionized dog shows and then disappeared into obscurity. Now his story, told in his own words, finally comes to light.  

Screening online March 23 - March 29, 2026

Available in USA 

Directed by Mike Meyer

72 min. 

This documentary follows the life and times of the haunted attraction industry in the United States - the history, the people, the lasting imprint it’s had on the culture.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Directed by Joseph Guerra

71 min. 

In 2017, a series of seemingly random shootings terrorized Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood, leaving four people dead and a community on edge. With few leads and mounting fear, the film examines the investigation and the lasting impact on a neighborhood forever changed.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Directed by Sandra Luckow

107 min. 

Vanishing: A Love Story is a documentary about award-winning novelist Cai Emmons and her loving, open-hearted journey towards death. In 2021, at the age of 70, Cai was diagnosed with ALS. Taking place in 2022, during the last six-months Cai’s life, the film is, first and foremost, a story about the agency of expression —having a voice to create a legacy in the world.

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available Worldwide

Directed by Thomas Seymour 

82 min. 

From Blockbuster dreams to streaming screens, a filmmaker’s journey through a vanishing world. Follow a director’s thirty-year odyssey to get on the shelf of Blockbuster Video and beyond. A tale of struggle, perseverance, and what to do when your dreams no longer make sense. This multiple award-winning film features Lloyd Kaufman (creator of The Toxic Avenger), Debbie Rochon, Joe Bob Briggs, and many others. From Tom Seymour, creator of VHS Massacre 1 & 2 and American Expendables. 

Screening online March 23 - April 6, 2026

Available in USA