The Southern Shorts Awards will bring past winners, new international films and an Oscars-style ceremony to Aurora Cineplex on Aug. 29.

For short filmmakers, rejection from a festival often arrives with little explanation. The Southern Shorts Awards built its identity around a different approach: Every submitted film is evaluated by three judges, and every filmmaker receives scores and written feedback, whether the film reaches the screen or not.

That model has now been operating for a decade. The Roswell-based international film festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary Saturday, Aug. 29, with an all-day program featuring 29 short films at Aurora Cineplex.

Filmmaker Stephen P. Sherwood founded the festival in 2016 to recognize carefully made short films while giving their creators something more useful than a simple acceptance or rejection. Organizers say the quarterly competition has received more than 2,300 submissions during its first 10 years.

Films may run no longer than 30 minutes and can come from anywhere in the world. They are evaluated individually rather than being selected to fill a predetermined program, with scores also used to recognize the work of actors, directors, editors, cinematographers and other members of the cast and crew.

A full day of short films

The anniversary program begins at 11 a.m. with screenings of 12 previous Best Picture winners, giving audiences a look back at films that helped define the festival during its first decade.

At 2:15 p.m., the focus shifts to a founder’s showcase featuring three films by Sherwood. The 14 selections from the Summer 2026 season begin screening at 4 p.m., followed by a formal awards presentation at 8:45 p.m.

The new selections cover a broad range of styles and countries. The program includes a South Korean musical, a French fantasy western and Pixar-style animation, along with drama, comedy, documentary, mystery, science fiction and fantasy. Separate categories also recognize student work and films made with artificial intelligence.

For North Fulton audiences, the festival offers an unusually affordable opportunity to watch an international film program at a neighborhood theater. The compact running times also allow viewers to encounter more stories, genres and filmmaking styles in a single day than they would during a conventional trip to the movies.

Full-access tickets cost $10 and will be available at Aurora Cineplex, 5100 Commerce Parkway in Roswell. The festival begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.

Additional information is available through the Southern Shorts Awards festival page and its verified FilmFreeway listing.