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2021 Festival COVID Update

Dear Filmmakers and GLUNAFF community:
After much careful consideration, the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival has decided to delay the 2021 festival until fall in the hope we will be able to offer a face-to-face festival experience to our filmmakers and guests. While festivals across the country have offered quality virtual screenings to audiences during the COVID pandemic, we believe the other things the Lindsey Festival offers – a great guest experience, meaningful networking opportunities, and important educational programming – would suffer or be lost if our 2021 festival was delivered virtually. We hope to schedule the festival for September, and will make that announcement as soon as a date is confirmed. Thank you so much for your understanding

2020 Lindsey Film Fest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival

Best in Show:
Sanzaru, Xia Magnus

Professional Narrative Feature Film:
Thunderbolt in Mine Eye, Sarah Sherman and Zachary Ray Sherman

Professional Documentary:
Alice is Still Dead, Edwin P. Stevens

Professional Narrative Short Film:
Black Dispatch, Shea Sizemore

Vanguard:
You Can Go Now, Marisa Merkl

Student Narrative:
Think Tank, Merri Beth Stanfield

Student Documentary:
Ready to Work, Seth Farmer and Reagan Wells

Youth Film (Tie)
Colors Run, Olivia Carter
Double Vida, Sharleny Gonzalez

UNA Mitchell-West Award for Diversity in Film:
Queen of Lapa, Carolina Monnerat and Theodore Collatos

Best Comedy in Show:
Cherry, Stacey Davis

Jason Flynn Memorial Award:
It Lives in Color, Trent Frederick

Special Jury Award for Directing:
Sanzaru, Xia Magnus

Clyde "Sappo" Black Sweet Home Alabama Award:
The Mayberry Effect, Christopher Hudson

Feature Screenplay
A Native Land, Caitlin McCarthy

Short Screenplay
Banana, Mary Charles Ramsey



​2020 CATEGORY FINALISTS AND ALABAMA SCREENERS

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is pleased to announce the 2020 slate of film finalists and official screeners.  ​

Finalists
Narrative Feature Films
Dark Harbor
Sanzaru
Thunderbolt in Mine Eye
 
Professional Documentary
Alice is Still Dead
Karuna
Queen of Lapa
The Mayberry Effect
 
Professional Narrative Short Film
Black Dispatch
Cherry
You Didn’t Forget
 
Vanguard
Creature Companion
The Finger
You Can Go Now
 
Student Narrative
Akinyi and Yvonne
Fear in Sanity
Think Tank
 
Student Documentary
Every Grain of Rice
Man on Fire
Ready to Work
 
Youth Film
Colors Run
Double Vida
Everywhere You Look: The Ballad of DJ Tanner
 
 In addition to the finalists in each category, the following films are official screeners at the 2020 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival
 
Alabama Films
The Song You’ll Never Hear
Pie in the Puss
Byler Cheatham Roads: The Challenge 200 Years Ago
The Strip: Tuscaloosa’s Most Colorful Quarter Mile
Remembering Elwood Higginbottom
Sweet Sorghum
Some Million Miles
Contaminated and Forgotten
Old Chums
The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton
Fahrenheit 451: The Movie
Missing
Everything’s Fine, I’m Fine
Pathways
Slave 2
Life is Good
We Are Human
30 Days Notice
Mime
The Dance
The Deer
The Film Roll
15 Down
Ella
Five Point Palm Exploding Heart
Dark Necessities
 
UNA Cinematic Arts and Theatre Spotlight
The Pursuit
Hey… we need to talk
The Girl in Question
It Lives in Color
The Artist’s Dilemma
Fortune and Glory
Diverged in a Bleak Wood
 
Florence Academy of Fine Arts Films
Missing
A Companion of My Imagination
Clueless
Chad and Brody the Movie the Second
Beezlebuddy
 
1 Minute FAFA Films
The Underdawg
Shut In
The Outlaw
The Pencil
You CAN Do It
If Sitcoms Were Real Life
Streaks

2019 Screenplay finalists and winners

WINNER -  Feature Screenplay category: “The Red Panther,” by Bryant Hasheider. 
FINALISTS:
“Coverless Caroline Buxton’s Lipstick  Posse”
          by Kelly Jean Karam
“30 Day Notice”
          by Austin Parsons and Bri Palmer
“The Red Panther”
          by Bryant Hasheider
 “The Flat Earth”
          by Kennedy Pope
“COunter INTELLigence PROgram”
          by Mathew Nelson


WINNER - Short Screenplay category: “Dogs of War,” by Dan Goforth
FINALISTS:
“Dogs of War”
          by Dan Goforth

“The Governor’s Ball”
          by Marti Young
“South Tower” 
          by Landon Lovette


2019 category finalists and Alabama screeners

PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE
Fort Maria
Bleed American
Rendezvous in Chicago

PROFESSIONAL SHORT FILM
Lola: Girl Got a Gun
The Replacement
Magnolia and Clementine

PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTARY
Satan and Adam
My Paintbrush Bites
Where There is Darkness

STUDENT SHORT FILM
Kudzu
Janek / Bastard
Working on It

STUDENT DOCUMENTARY
Red Line Lounge
Dear, Inescapable
NicoTeen

VANGUARD FILM
Transient Passengers
Patrice In Search of Love
Succulent

YOUTH FILM
Hindsight
Bunker
My Mother Says I’m Special, Little Does She Know

UNA SPOTLIGHT
Perception
Working On It
Scenes from Der Vaffleburg
Lauderdale
Mattress Monster

ALABAMA FILMS
Tumbleton Road
Rage
Family of Fear
Spirit Song
Mississippi Madam: The Life of Nellie Jackson
Connections of Cos-Playing
Essie
Wind and Water Balloons
The Game Warden
Wonder Water
Faithful by King Kwofi
The Proustian Effect
Bunker 
In Beautiful Dreams
Mend
Void
Blue Plate Special 
Compulsion
Alarm at Fort Mims
Cahaba
Deadbolt
Down in the Dumps
Scenes from Der Vaffleburg
An Escalation
Doorway
The Shape
The Witch
Mattress Monster
Home
The Things That Unite Us
Working On It
2006 in Flame Red
Knight Fall
Pathogen
The Masterpiece
Fatricide
Kudzu
Broken Solidarity
At a Moment's Notice

FAFA FILMS (Florence Academy of Fine Arts)

Fear
Ice Cream
Codependency
Chad and Brody
Sally 





2018 Lindsey Festival Winners

Pro Narrative Feature
     My Name is Myeisha
Pro Documentary
     Rodents of Unusual Size 
Pro Narrative Short
     New Neighbors
Vanguard
     Confetti
Student Narrative Short
     Yuna’s Lunch
Student Documentary
     Driven Blind
Youth Filmmaker
     Status
Feature Screenplay
     The Cat
Short Screenplay
     Santa's Not Real
Best of Show 
     Crab Trap
Clyde "Sappo" Black Sweet Home Alabama Award
     Whitman, Alabama
​​

2018 Screenplay Winners and Finalists

Short Screenplay
Mattress Monster
Del Obispo Road
Santa's Not Real - Winner

Feature Screenplay
Wonder Drug
The Cat - Winner
Dr. Needmore

2018 Category finalists and alabama Screeners

Category Finalists
Youth Filmmaker
Status
Halfway House
Days of Our Rovers
 
Student Narrative Short
It’s Just a Gun
Yuna’s Lunch
Spark
 
Student Documentary
Driven Blind
Grandma Dorota
Dancing in Limbo
 
Professional Narrative Short
Flip the Record
Crab Trap
New Neighbors
 
Professional Narrative Feature
My Name is Myeisha
Cortez
Blood Country
 
Professional Documentary
Whitman, Alabama
Rodents of Unusual Size
The Home for Wayward Babydolls
 
Vanguard
Parthenon
Confetti
What’s That in the Ground?

Alabama Screeners
33 Cloudless Blue
Sorry Charlie
The Trial of the Rockstar
In-Between
Drum Loop
The Shed
Rocket City Shakedown
The Art Collector
Helium
Pretty…for a Dark Skinned Girl
Behind the Scenes of a Thesis
The Inside Outside
The Forgotten Treasure
This Train: The Gospel Sessions
Take Time
The Day Before
Far West
Slingers
1954
Wrastlin
Community of the Cards
Direct Action: A Tale of Two Governments in 1963 Birmingham
Commit to the Song: The Joe Thomas Jr. Guitar Pull
Collar
Occupants
Two by 4
Forgive-Don’t Forget
Family Dinner
Bermuda City Web Series – episode 4
Bermuda City Web Series – episode 5
The Neals Need a Third Wheel
Get Off the Dock
Top Shelf
Crashscene
Reverie with April and Diane
I Love People
The Alabama Bigfoot Society
The Smell of Success
Fear and Preparation
Kima’s Cafe
​

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Submissions open for 2021 FEstival

Submissions are now open for the 2021 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, to be held March 4-6. Click on the FilmFreeway button on the right to submit your film or screenplay.

​  

​2020 SCREENPLAY FINALISTS AND WINNERS

The Lindsey Film Festival is pleased to announce the finalists and winners in this year's screenplay competition:
​
Winner - Feature Screenplay
"A Native Land," Caitlin McCarthy

Finalists - Feature Screenplay
"Mattress Monster," Bryant Hasheider
"Soul Man," Kyle Taubken

Winner - Short Screenplay
"Banana," Mary Charles Ramse
y
Finalists - Short Screenplay
"Fun Size," Jason Allen
"Snake Charmer," Bryant Hasheider

About the festival

Bringing Southern Hospitality to the Best in Independent Film!

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is hosted each year by the University of North Alabama in Florence, one of the four cities comprising the culturally rich Shoals. The Shoals is an entertainment Mecca with long roots, which reach to the heart of rock and roll, southern rock, and the blues. It is the birthplace of “America’s First Lady of Courage” (Helen Keller), "The Father of the Blues" (W.C. Handy), and the legendary “Father of Rock and Roll” (Sam Phillips), who first recorded the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the list goes on.

The Shoals area has always been known for its creative spirit and energy. It is now building on its rich musical heritage by devoting many of its resources toward enhancing its emerging film industry.  Since 1998, The Lindsey Film Festival has contributed to that effort through the exhibition of independent films from across the world and the appearances of many special guests, including Oscar winners Billy Bob Thornton and Ernest Borgnine; "Sling Blade" co-stars Lucas Black and Natalie Canerday; character actors Rance Howard (“Cool Hand Luke”) and Stephen Root ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?"); renowned film critic and Florence native Jonathan Rosenbaum; makeup-effects artist Robert Hall (“Angel” and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), actors Michael Rooker (“The Walking Dead,” “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer),  James Tolkan ("Back to the Future" and "Top Gun"), Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”) and Cedric Pendleton (“The Shield"); Music Supervisors Dave Jordan, Julianne Jordan, Thomas Golubic, and Andrea von Foerster, screenwriter and producer Bob Gale; radio personality Mark Thompson (of "Mark & Brian" fame), and many more.

As a competitive film festival, we welcome local, national, and international entries.  First place winners in each category receive a substantial prize.  A special award, gifted in memory of George Lindsey’s dear childhood friend, Clyde “Sappo” Black, is given to the best film made in Alabama.  Past winners have included Shane Acker's Oscar nominated "9," Steve Guttenberg's "P.S. Your Cat is Dead," Robert Hall's "Lightening Bug" and the Kathryn Tucker Windham documentary "Kathryn: A Story of a Teller."

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival was founded by celebrated entertainer George Lindsey, along with now deceased Communications professor Bobby Hurt and now retired Director of University Relations Bill Jarnigan, George Lindsey is well known for his role of Goober Pyle on the "Andy Griffith Show" and many other credits in television, including episodes of “Hee Haw,” “The Twilight Zone," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Gunsmoke," "M*A*S*H," and as the host of Turner South's Emmy award-winning "Liars & Legends."

We encourage you to submit your film and come experience southern hospitality at its finest!

Mission and Objectives

The festival, presented in a university setting and around the beautiful Shoals area, provides attendees with an exceptional lineup of quality workshops, panels, screenings, networking opportunities and informal interaction among filmmakers and all guests. Our priority is to discover emerging talent and promote their work by reaching, educating, inspiring, and entertaining audiences with the best in cinematic art. Our hope is that a representative of each selected work will be in attendance for the invaluable opportunity to discuss their work with other attendees in provided forums. We strive to be as eco-friendly as possible and we support our submitters and guests in being equally as mindful.

2017 "Best of" Winners

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Congratulations to the winners at the 2017 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival!

Feature Screenplay – “The Good Book”
Short Screenplay – “Customer Service”
Youth Filmmaker – “Journey”
Vanguard – “Hugo”
Student Documentary – “Gardeners of the Forest”
Student Narrative Feature – “An Evening of Eternity”
Student Narrative Short – “Icarus”
Professional Narrative Short – “A Matter of Prejudice”
Professional Narrative Feature – “The Things We’ve Seen”
Professional Documentary – “The Breaks: Centuries of Struggle”
Clyde “Sappo” Black Sweet Home Alabama Award – “Service to Man
Best of Show – “Icarus”


2017 Festival parties free and open to the public

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In honor of the festival's 20th Anniversary, the annual Awards Show and Party will be free! The show is Saturday, March 4, 6:30pm, at The Mane Room. To reserve your free ticket, email lindseyfilmfest@una.edu.  And don't forget the annual Kick-Off party, 6pm, Thursday, March 2, 116 Mobile, Florence. 

​George Lindsey Film Festival brings O’Neill and Goodeve for Q&As

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The 2017 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival will host actors Michael O’Neil and Grant Goodeve in two Q&As. O’Neill will speak to audiences at 7pm on Friday, March 3, in the George Lindsey Theatre on the UNA campus. Goodeve’s Q&A will take place at 2pm on Saturday, March 4, in room 124 of the UNA Communications Building.  Both will be free and open to the public.

Michael O’Neill, a Montgomery native, has played Richard Barkley in the biographical drama “Dallas Buyers Club,” and head of Sector 7 Tom Banacheck in “Transformers.” He has also appeared in many notable roles on TV, including recurring roles in “The West Wing,” “Bates Motel,” “Extant,” and “Rectify.”

Grant Goodeve has 53 acting credits, including David Bradford on “Eight is Enough,” the late 70s – early 80s ABC comedy drama that focused on the life of a family with eight children. He also portrayed Capt. Jack Smith on “7th Heaven.” Goodeve will appear Showtime’s upcoming revival of “Twin Peaks.”
​
For more information, including the full festival schedule, visit lindseyfilmfest.com.
To reach officials directly, contact lindseyfilmfest@una.edu or call 256-765-4592.​

George Lindsey Film Festival receives highest number of Alabama films ever

The 2017 UNA George Lindsey Film Festival has received its largest number of Alabama films submissions.

This year, the festival received 36 Alabama films, and in honor of its 20th anniversary, will screen all of them.
Three of the 36 are also category finalists in festival competition. “The Breaks: Centuries and Struggles” and “Waste Not Want Not” are finalists in the Professional Documentary category, which is open to filmmakers who are no longer in school. “The Fall” is part of the Vanguard category, which is optional for films that don’t necessarily fit in other festival categories.

All the films will be eligible to compete for the $2,000 Clyde “Sappo” Black Sweet Home Alabama Award. Black was a longtime friend of festival creator George Lindsey; the award is sponsored by the Clyde Black family in honor of his memory.

For more information on the finalists, visit lindseyfilmfest.com. To reach officials directly, contact lindseyfilmfest@una.edu or call 256-765-4592.

Jasmine Fleming​

2017 SCREENPLAY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

FEATURE LENGTH SCREENPLAY
WINNER - The Good Book by Lucy Fazely
RUNNER UP - Barbie Boy By Paul Castro Jr. and Aly Miller 
SHORT SCREENPLAY
WINNER - "Customer Service" by Juan Pablo Daranas Molina and Alex Medina ​
RUNNER UP - "Sorry Charlie" by Bri Palmer


Screeners Selected for 2017 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival
March 2-4
(check the schedule page for more details)

Professional Narrative Feature
   The Things We've Seen
   Coat Check Lady
   Khoj (The lost)
Professional Narrative Short
   A Matter of Prejudice
   Mother No More
   The Hem
Professional Documentary
   Waste Not Want Not
   Faces of a Conflict
   The Breaks: Centuries of Struggle
Student Narrative Feature
   An Evening of Eternity
   Bullet Vein
   Honey, I'm Home
Student Narrative Short
   Battle of the Brides
   Icarus
   Welcome to My World
Student Documentary
   Adi | At The Confluence
   Gardeners of the Forest
   The Bus Trip
Vanguard
   Hugo
   The Fall
   Jouska
Youth Filmmaker
   Journey
   Petrichor
   The Loneliness of the Short Distance Runner
​

2016 Lindsey film festival winners

The Lindsey Film Festival is pleased to announce this year's winners!

Category Winners
Feature Screenplay – “Blue Monday”
Short Screenplay – “Whitewashed”
Youth Filmmaker – “Tree Hugger”
Vanguard – “Makeshift Satellite”
Student Documentary – “Sharing the Secrets”
Student Narrative – “Bright Black”
Professional Narrative Short – “Across”
Professional Narrative Feature – “The Mourning Hills”
Professional Documentary – “No. 2: Story of the Pencil”
​
Special Awards
Best of Show – “Bright Black”
Clyde “Sappo” Black Sweet Home Alabama Award – “The Mourning Hills”
Hero of Film Award – “Titanic Boy”
30IN24 Winner – “Immoral Beloved”


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LIndsey Fest and Half Minute Horror to host 24 Hour
Horror Film Competition


2016 sCREENPLAY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

FEATURE LENGTH SCREENPLAY
WINNER - 
 Blue Monday by Ian Wilson 
FINALIST (2nd place): Bound for the Outer Banks by Alicia Dutton
OFFICIAL SELECTION  (3rd place): The Polish Medallion by Siovonne Smith

SHORT SCREENPLAY
WINNER - 
"Whitewashed" by Anita Williams Isaroom 
FINALIST (2nd place): "Walter's Day" by Nathan Ludwig 
OFFICIAL SELECTION (3rd place): "The Adventuras of Juan Sawyer" by C.W. Jones 

Screeners Selected for 2016 Lindsey Festival, March 3-5


​Student Documentary

                Fitting the Description in North                                            Portland
                Sharing the Secrets
                The Self Deception Artist
Student Narrative
                Alison and Jeremy
                Bright Black 
                Dog Days
Professional Documentary
                Back in Time
                LUTAH: A Passion for Architecture:                                   A Life in Design
                No. 2: Story of the Pencil
                Undeniably Donnie
Professional Narrative Short
                Across
                BIRTHDAY
                The Red Thunder
Professional Narrative Feature
                The David Dance
                Lester
                The Mourning Hills
Vanguard
                Balloon Ride
                Makeshift Satellite
                Sister
Young Filmmaker
                Keep It Clean
                One Day on Carver St.
                Tree Hugger               
Alabama Films
                April Showers
                Casual Conversation
                City Federal
                Dead Saturday
                Final Moments
                Hollis Treasures
                The Mourning Hills
                The Pragmatic Vestige
                The Process
                Ruby
                Stay
                Titanic Boy
                Tutwiler
                Undeniably Donnie
                Veteran’s Day Reunion
                Wisdom Tooth

2014 winning filmmakers and screenwriters - acceptance speeches and comments - check out our new page.

2014 Lindsey film fest winners

Prof Narrative - "Pechorin"
Prof Documentary - "The Man Left Behind"
Student Narrative - "East of Kensington"
Student Documentary - "Ditching School to Whistle"
Vanguard - "System Preferences"
Young Filmmaker - "Writing the Big One"
Feature Screenplay - "A Second Last Breath"
Short Screenplay - "More than Life"
Best of Fest - "East of Kensington"
Clyde "Sappo" Black Sweet Home Alabama Award - "Mt. Pleasant"
Hero of Film Award - “Regione Caecorum (In the Land of the Blind)” Drew Goldsmith 


2013 Lindsey Fest Gallery

If you were unable to attend this year's George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, you missed out on lots of great film and other fun events.  Here are a few of the highlights; to see more, visit the UNA photo page.
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George Lindsey UNA Film Festival
UNA Box 5151
Florence, AL 35632-0001
(256) 765-4592
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