About this Event
🎬 Lights, camera, action!
The Arts Accelerator is South Florida’s premiere organization for emerging filmmakers.
Discover the future of film with this year’s premieres and awards from two exciting tracks:
The 48-Hour Film Project:
An intense, fast-paced challenge of creativity and technical skills, where filmmakers compete to make the best short film based on a given theme in only 48 hours.
The Florida Filmmaker Showcase:
Where regional filmmakers compete for a chance to qualify for the Florida Filmmaker Showcase, a global distribution launchpad for South Florida filmmaking talent.
The Film Festival is a unique opportunity to discover emerging local talent, network, develop your skills, and launch your career!
Discover Emerging Talent and vote for your favorite films!
- Discover (and vote for!) the winners of the 48-Hour Film Project and the qualifying films for the 2026 South Florida Filmmaker Showcase "Audience Awards".
Network
- Rub shoulders with seasoned producers and talent. Share your passion, forge partnerships, expand your network, meet collaborators, and unlock a world of opportunities.
Develop Your Skills
- At the How to Monetize Your Films on YouTube Masterclass
Discover rising stars from the next generation of Florida filmmakers at the Florida FIlmmaker Showcase and 48 Hour Project Film Festival, where the future of filmmaking comes to life.
Event Details
📅 Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: Savor Cinema, 503 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
PARKING IS FREE in the Jury Lot Across the Street
🎟️ Get Your Tix!
Event Schedule
1:00 - 2:15 PM
🎬 48-Hour Film Project: Group A Premiers
The “Audience Choice” award vote will occur at the end of the premiers. Winning films will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
- 1025 Productions
- BAGSSE Productions
- Beyond Ordinary
- Bright Idea Media
- cafe SAD
- Candle Lighting
- Conan studios
- Edge of my Seat
- Era Filmz
- Extremely Round
2:45 - 4:00 PM
🎬 48-Hour Film Project: Group B Premiers
Audience Choice award vote occurs at the end of the premieres. Winning films will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
- Guerrilla Films
- Gulfstream Productions
- Hammerhead Motion Pictures
- JC Studios
- JG Films
- Madness Media
- Mature Musical Pictures
- Phresh New Day Productions
- Prize Box
- Red Roc Films
4 :30 - 5:45 PM
🎬 48-Hour Film Project: Group C Premiers
Audience Choice award vote occurs at the end of the premiers. Winning films will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
- ReelBonds
- SIVECOLORS
- Spin Ai Editing Studio
- StillByStill Studios
- SU Productions
- Sudsies
- Team Evernia
- URGENT Inc.'s #FACETHEEXPERIENCE
- VLOR
6:00 - 8:00 PM: Creatives in Film Networking
Food Included FREE with any ticket purchase provided by Impex Catering
🍸 Expand your professional network! Learn about upcoming film projects and opportunities in this special networking event where film creatives find future collaborators. It takes a village to make a film. Start assembling or growing your village!
Drinks are available for purchase at the Savor Cinema bar.
6:30 - 7:30 PM - MASTERCLASS - How to Monetize Your Films on YouTube - led by Aldo Hafiz - Content Creator with over 4 million followers on YouTube.
It took Aldo 10 years to figure it out and he is going to share with you tips and tricks to accelerate the process. for you! This 1 hour Masterclass will guide you through the crucial steps of turning your creative work into income. Beyond the artistic process, you will learn practical strategies to monetize your films and content, reach the right audience, and build sustainable revenue streams from your creations. The session focuses on bridging the gap between creativity and business, helping creatios succeed in making their passion profitable. You don't want to miss it!
8:00 - 9:00 PM: Group D - Florida Filmmaker Showcase Film Screenings
🎬 Screening of regional short filmmakers competing for a chance to qualify for the South Florida Filmmaker Showcase, a global distribution launchpad for South Florida filmmaking talent.
Audience Choice award vote occurs at the end of the premieres. Winning films will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
- Tuned to Win, Documentary by Brian Arango
- Killjoy, Horror by Michael J Kinsey
- Waiting, Comedy by Joshua Aucoin
- Get Off the Floor, Arts House by Isa Hussain
- Dire Dryer, Animation by Samantha Zielinski, Genevieve Gonzalez
- Young Kingdom, Drama by Jose Navas
Florida Filmmaker Showase Festival Judges:
James Pratt is an award-winning actor, director. He is the recipient of various international film awards including, Best Actor at the Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Director 2022 Cannes Film Awards and Best Actor at the 2022 Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival.
Natalie Ballesteros is a Cuban American casting director and Producer Natalie Ballesteros is a partner and founding member of Adams, Ballesteros, Luna Casting (ABL). This partnership was launched with the intent of highlighting a variety of artists in the entertainment industry, focusing on authentic and inclusive representation in both film and television. The trio has worked on various projects for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Branded Television, HBOMax, and also cast the inaugural presentation of the Warner Bros. Discovery Access Talent Spotlight.
Bryan G Thompson is an award-winning actor, director, and producer, known for the feature films “Dirt”, “Valentine’s Date” and “Blowback” starring “Clifton Powell”. Bryan is also a US Army Veteran who served in Iraq. He founded his production house Imani Films in 2008 and is also the Founder and Director for the Miami Web Fest, and Virginia Black Film Festival.
Leonardo "Lenny" Gonzalez is an Award Winning Filmmaker, Founder of RHINO STUDIOS and now L MEDIA STUDIOS. His body of work has received prestigious awards and accolades, including Oscars, Grammy Awards, Addy Awards, MTV VMA, Billboard Music Awards, Premio Lo Nuestro, Cannes Lions, Sundance, and SXSW.
9:15 - 10:30 PM: Awards Ceremony
🌟Includes awards for films from all premiers, including the Arts Accelerator Florida Filmmaker Showcase and the 48-hour Film Project.
🌟 South Florida Filmmaker Showcase Awards:
- Audience Choice Award
- Best Film
🌟 48-Hour Film Project Awards
- Best Film, 2nd Place, 3rd Place
- Audience Choice - Voted for at the awards ceremony by attendees
- Best Actor - also receives a free one-on-one acting package from The Coach MC Acting Studio
- Best Directing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Use of Line
- Best Writing
- Best Sound
- and more...
48-Hour Film Project Best Film Prizes include
- 8 hours of free studio time at CML Studios
- $500 Gift Certificate from Budget Video Rental
- Screening at the 48hr world competition at Filmapalooza 2026 in Curacao
- A chance to screen at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
10:30 PM - 11:00 PM: Afterparty!
Ticket Pricing:
All Events - Early Bird $47 till Sept. 21, 2026
All Events - Regular $77
A Screenings Only 48-Hour $17.50
B Screenings Only 48-Hour $17.50
C Screenings Only 48-Hour $17.50
D Screenings Only Florida Filmmaker Showcase $17.50
Monetize Your Films Through YouTube Masterclass Only $37
PARKING IS FREE in the Jury Lot Across the Street
About Arts Accelerator
Arts Accelerator is a nonprofit with a mission to enable local talent to create valuable media with global reach.
Florida is full of talent, but for decades, South Florida creatives have had to leave the region to develop their skills and sustainably monetize their talent.
Arts Accelerator was founded to stem this creative drain by helping local talent develop sustainable entertainment industry careers in South Florida.
To do this, Arts Accelerator offers programming designed to provide local creatives with exposure to industry professionals, rapid upskilling, talent discovery, and promotion & monetization opportunities.
Programming includes film workshops, film festivals, networking events, live script readings, and distribution opportunities designed to help local talent develop sustainable entertainment industry careers in South Florida.
Arts Accelerator: Developing South Florida film talent. For more information go to www.artsaccelerator.org.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
This programming was funded in part by the Broward Board of Trustees and the Broward County Commissioners. Sponsored by Savor Cinema, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Keller Williams Realty, Alton Atland, Sony/AVR, The Coach MC Acting Studios, Bilzin Sumberg, CML Studios, Budget Video Rental, Film Lauderdale, Community Foundation of Broward, and Broward Cultural Division.
Event venue & nearby stays
Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale, 503 Southeast 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.