The Alma Film Festival Holiday Social
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The Alma Film Festival Holiday Social
An intimate evening for the artists, entrepreneurs, and champions writing Alma’s next chapter.
Over the last three and a half years, the Alma Film Festival executive team has built relationships across 42 countries. Through them, we’ve witnessed something remarkable. Across continents and cultures, individuals, agencies, and institutions are eager to build community, forge collaborations, and create systems that preserve what matters most to them.
People are taking back ownership of their stories, their images, and their heritage, and telling them in ways that are more authentic, more accurate, and more complete. In some respects it is a rebirth, and in others an expansion, of creative and cultural confidence rooted in reclaiming what was always ours to tell.
We call it the Renaissance of Reclamation.
The success we’ve had is a direct result of a global coalition of more than 150 engaged stakeholders. This December, we’re inviting our Atlanta and regional stakeholders to celebrate what we accomplished together this year.
2026 Highlights
- The debut Alma Film Festival, March. We welcomed eight fellows from Fiji, Lesotho, South Africa, Jamaica, Honduras, and the Solomon Islands, and presented a series of screenings featuring work from across the Global South. That included work from the first Afro-Honduran filmmaker in the country’s history.
- Dr. Cornel West, one of the most notable academics in the United States, believed in our work so deeply that he allowed us to name an award in his honor. The inaugural Dr. Cornel West Award went to Rachel M’Bon, who co-directed the Swiss film Je Suis Noir with Juliana Fanjul. Je Suis Noir also won Best Documentary at the festival.
- The Dandelion Institute. Through the Dandelion Institute, we launched an Adopt-a-School program with Right to Learn Christian Academy in Las Terrenas. In July, we opened the First Frame Film Academy there. We planned for 15 students, and 47 showed up. Our work with those students continues, and the short films they’re developing will be showcased at the 2027 Alma Film Festival. In November, we brought a version of the First Frame Film Academy to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- Ent-Tech (Innovation and Discovery Expo), October. For a full week of activations, experiences, and engagements, Ent-Tech brought together people doing remarkable work where entertainment, technology, and storytelling meet. They traveled from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles.
- We partnered with Georgia State University and Morehouse College on activations throughout the Ent-Tech Atlanta series, and featured some of Atlanta’s leaders in AI filmmaking, the AI Makers Generation. The week also included another installment of the Afro-Mosaic Cinema Summit, which brought in voices from the four corners of the globe to begin establishing a global cinematic agenda.
The road wasn’t always smooth. There were ups and downs along the way, but every time, we crossed the finish line with the support of the community we’re proud to be part of. Each success belongs to the relationships we’ve nurtured and the conversations we’ve made room for.
At Alma, we’re intentional about how we build together. We recognize our differences, respect each other’s priorities and lived experiences, and find ways to bridge those differences so we can move forward as one. That means weighing the needs of every stakeholder alongside the growth of the festival, and building relationships in which support, opportunity, and generosity flow both ways.
And there’s more ahead. With new partnerships taking shape, we’re preparing for significant growth in 2027, and you’ll see that progress unfold over the coming months. We’re excited to have you be part of it.
For the evening itself, our partner Palate Atlanta Tasting Room has curated a wonderful selection of wines. We’ll also present two short theatrical performances that speak to this moment, along with a few surprises we’re still bringing together. It promises to be a dynamic night, but more than anything, what will make it special is your presence.
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