American Motion Pictures Festival (AMPF)
Showing Films Beyond Borders

American Motion Pictures Festival (AMPF) is a filmmaker-centered platform for independent cinema, presented by Aabaha, Inc., a Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through monthly award sessions and an annual in-person showcase in Greater Atlanta, AMPF recognizes films with strong directorial voice, emotional depth, cultural resonance, and independent spirit.

AMPF welcomes emerging and established filmmakers from the United States and around the world whose work broadens perspectives, crosses cultural boundaries, and connects with audiences through bold, original storytelling.

A Year-Round Path to Recognition

AMPF operates through a year-round submission and jury process, recognizing outstanding work across its accepted categories. Each monthly submission cycle closes at the end of the month, and filmmakers are generally notified of their status through WFCN and email within approximately 3–6 weeks.

Eligible submitted films may be considered for monthly recognition. Monthly Winners, Finalists, and other jury-recognized films may be considered for the AMPF Grand Finale, subject to curatorial selection, technical readiness, venue availability, and program capacity.

Our Annual Grand Finale brings selected films, filmmakers, artists, and audiences together in Greater Atlanta for live screenings, conversations, networking, and the AMPF Awards Ceremony. Grand Finale selections compete for AMPF’s highest honor: Film of the Year.

The AMPF Trophy

Grand Finale award recipients receive the AMPF Trophy—an original symbol of artistic achievement and the festival’s commitment to independent filmmaking.

A Nonprofit Commitment to Filmmakers

As a nonprofit organization, AMPF reinvests submission revenue into festival operations, programming, marketing, audience development, and filmmaker engagement. Our goal is to build a meaningful and professionally presented platform where independent voices can reach new audiences.

What We Seek

AMPF seeks films with artistic vision, strong storytelling, technical care, and a distinctive point of view. We particularly welcome work that engages with cross-cultural perspectives, hybrid identities, underrepresented experiences, and storytelling that challenges conventional boundaries.

We welcome eligible narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, student, short, and feature films from filmmakers worldwide.

The Festival Experience

Depending on the final program and selected film status, AMPF may offer:

Public screenings in a professional theater environment
Filmmaker Q&As, in person or remotely when feasible
Filmmaker conversations and panels
Networking opportunities with filmmakers, artists, and audiences
Festival promotion through AMPF’s website, social platforms, press outreach, and event materials

All films are evaluated through AMPF’s programming process on the basis of artistic merit, technical readiness, thematic relevance, and available program capacity. Submission, festival attendance, complimentary passes, ticket purchases, or other support for AMPF do not guarantee selection, screening, awards, scheduling, or placement in the Grand Finale.

The road to the Grand Finale begins with a story worth sharing. Submit your film and join AMPF in showing films beyond borders.

Awards & Prizes

The American Motion Pictures Festival (AMPF) celebrates independent filmmakers whose work moves beyond geographic, cultural, and creative borders. Organized by Aabaha, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, AMPF recognizes artistic excellence, distinctive storytelling, and meaningful cinematic vision.

Monthly Awards Series

AMPF operates a year-round awards cycle. Following each monthly submission deadline, the AMPF jury reviews eligible films and recognizes outstanding work across the festival’s categories.

Monthly recognition may include:

Monthly Winner — Top recognition in an eligible award category

Outstanding Achievement — Recognition for exceptional work in areas such as directing, cinematography, editing, performance, screenplay, documentary, and short film

Official Selection — Recognition for films selected by the AMPF jury for their artistic quality, storytelling, and technical achievement

Award recipients receive official AMPF laurels and a digital achievement certificate for use in film marketing, press materials, websites, and professional profiles.

Grand Finale and Film of the Year

The AMPF year culminates in the Annual Grand Finale in Greater Atlanta. The event may include selected film screenings, filmmaker conversations, networking opportunities, and the AMPF Awards Ceremony.

From among eligible recognized films, AMPF may invite a curated group of works to compete for the festival’s highest honor:

Film of the Year — AMPF’s top annual recognition for exceptional cinematic achievement.

Grand Finale screening and award decisions are determined by the AMPF programming and jury process, based on artistic merit, technical readiness, thematic relevance, and available program capacity.

The AMPF Trophy

Grand Finale award winners receive the AMPF Trophy, a physical symbol of their achievement and contribution to independent cinema.

Trophies are presented to winners attending the Grand Finale. Winners who cannot attend may request shipment of their trophy, subject to production, packaging, and shipping costs. Details will be provided to recipients after the awards announcement.

Recognition and Filmmaker Community

AMPF promotes winning and selected work through available festival channels, which may include the AMPF website, social-media platforms, newsletters, event materials, and press outreach.

The Grand Finale also creates opportunities for filmmakers, artists, audiences, and local creative professionals to connect in Greater Atlanta’s film community. Participation in networking events, filmmaker Q&As, promotional activity, attendance, ticket purchases, or support for AMPF does not affect selection, screening, award, scheduling, screening, or trophy decisions.

AMPF honors films that challenge boundaries, invite conversation, and bring new perspectives to the screen.

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 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 is a film with a runtime of forty (40) minutes or less. A feature film is a film with a runtime of forty (40) minutes or more. 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 WFCN with a functional online screener that remains accessible through the notification date. AMPF may request an updated screener or exhibition-ready file from films selected for screening.

4. Notification Timeline

Filmmakers are notified of their submission status through WFCN and email approximately 3–6 weeks after the close of each monthly submission cycle. Notification timing may vary due to submission volume, jury availability, technical review requirements, or other operational circumstances.

5. Selection and Programming

Submission does not guarantee Official Selection, monthly recognition, public screening, Grand Finale inclusion, award consideration, scheduling, or any other festival benefit.

AMPF evaluates eligible films based on artistic merit, storytelling, originality, technical readiness, thematic relevance, and available program capacity. Attendance, ticket purchases, complimentary passes, sponsorship, or other support for AMPF do not influence selection, screening, scheduling, or award decisions.

6. Screening License

If a film is officially selected 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 announced public AMPF event for which the filmmaker has received prior notice by official email.

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

7. Grand Finale Consideration

Monthly Winners, Finalists, and other films identified by the AMPF jury may be considered for the Annual Grand Finale. Grand Finale participation, including screening and award consideration, is determined solely through AMPF’s curatorial and programming process, subject to venue availability, technical requirements, scheduling, and program capacity.

Selected filmmakers will receive notification and delivery instructions before any public screening.

8. Promotional Materials

For films that receive Official Selection, monthly recognition, or Grand Finale consideration, 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 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, 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, 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 and Refunds

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

Withdrawal of Submissions:
A filmmaker may withdraw a submission by written request before notification. Submission fees remain non-refundable. Once a film has been officially selected and AMPF has confirmed a public screening, withdrawal requires AMPF’s written approval and may not be possible after the program, marketing materials, or screening schedule has been finalized.

11. Awards, Laurels, and Trophies

Monthly award recipients receive official AMPF digital laurels and a digital achievement certificate.

Physical AMPF trophies are presented to designated Grand Finale award winners, subject to the applicable award category being offered in that cycle.

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 of a trophy and are responsible for production, packaging, shipping, customs, and handling costs, where applicable.

12. Award Categories

AMPF may add, revise, combine, suspend, or eliminate award categories based on the number, quality, and type of eligible submissions received in a given cycle. AMPF is not obligated to present every listed award in every monthly cycle or annual program.

13. 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 WFCN, email, and/or official festival channels. Submission fees remain non-refundable except where required by applicable law.

14. 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, or scheduling-related losses resulting from changes to festival programming or operations.

15. Acceptance of Terms

Submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these Rules & Terms and all programming and award decisions are final, except where AMPF determines that an administrative error occurred.