Tallahassee Film Festival

The 2026 prizes include the Florida Filmmaker Award, with a $1,000 cash prize sponsored in part by Flamingo Magazine, and the TFF Directors’ Choice Award, with a $500 cash prize. The Florida award is for films directed by a current Florida resident or made with a majority of Florida residents among above-the-line contributors. The festival also recognises feature and short films across narrative, documentary and genre categories, alongside debut, first-time filmmaker, local/regional and student work. The submission information describes Audience Favorite awards as non-cash honours and notes that categories may change.

2026 submission rules: Films must normally be completed after 1 January 2025 and available for exhibition on 8–11 October 2026. Entries are submitted through FilmFreeway. Selected films must normally be Tallahassee premieres; prior public theatrical screenings in Tallahassee can make a film ineligible. The organisers may make exceptions, but these films cannot compete for awards. Films already publicly available online may be screened but are ineligible for awards. Works in progress are accepted when identified with notes on remaining work. Non-English dialogue requires English subtitles, except for intentional artistic omissions explained to the programmers. Submitters must control the necessary rights and permissions. For the Florida Filmmaker Award, the director or a majority of above-the-line contributors must be current Florida residents; relevant names must be identified in the cover letter. Selected films may screen outside competition. The festival does not pay screening fees or provide travel stipends, lodging or airfare for official selections.