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VALDOSTA — The South Georgia Film Festival is extending its submission deadline for filmmakers until Dec. 16.

Organizers also announced the first film selected for this year’s festival “The Wintering Grounds.”

“We are excited for our seventh annual festival coming back this Spring. We have received so many more films this year as people have returned from COVID,” Festival Director Jason Brown said. “But we know everyone could use a little more time at the last minute.”

Celebrating the art and industry of film, the South Georgia Film Festival will be celebrating its seventh annual festival March 3, 4 and 5.. Hosted on the campus of Valdosta State University, the festival has received thousands of entries and brought hundreds of filmmakers and filmgoers to town over the last decade.

“We are putting on a party for the community,” Brown said. “Showcasing films from across the country and the world, we want to introduce Valdosta to great films, some great filmmakers to Valdosta and let everyone have a good time.”

“The Wintering Grounds,” a short documentary about the growing international significance of freestyle kayakers from Columbus, Georgia, will be screening at the South Georgia Film Festival. Producer Paige Swift, along with kayakers from the film, will be participating in Mayor Scott Matheson’s annual “Mayor’s Row” March 4. “Wintering Grounds” director Jeff Springer is an alum of the festival, having attended and screened the film “Rodents of Unusual Size” previously. The film has previously screened at the 2022 Sidewalk Film Festival. The 2023 ICF World Championship Freestyle Canoe event will be held June 27 — July 2 in Columbus and Phenix City, Alabama with over 300 participants from more than 20 countries.

The three day South Georgia Film Festival includes screenings of films from around the world, the country and the region. Along with categories for high school, college and graduate students, the festival features shorts and feature length films. Films are screened in the VSU Student Union, at the corner of Oak St and Baytree, an outdoor screening, along with being available online through the Eventive platform. With over 100 films on display, the festival presents filmgoers with the opportunities to see documentaries, animation and much more that they would not be able to see anywhere else.

Submissions can only be made through FilmFreeway.com. Students from VSU, Wiregrass, VHS and Lowndes are eligible for discounted rates. Passes to the festival will be available beginning Feb. 1.

Passes for the festival are $40, which includes access to all the virtual films, the in-person screenings and the parties. If you’re not able to attend all weekend, you can purchase a Daily Pass for $15, which gives you access to all the in-person screenings and panels for that day. The Eventive platform allows you to rent any individual film for $5. All college and high school students can get in to the screenings and panels for free by providing their school ID.

The South Georgia Film Festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the art and industrial impact of film for local businesses. Panelists and guest speakers will be announced in February.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or https://filmfreeway.com/SOUTHGEORGIAFILMFESTIVAL . Contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or jasonebrown@valdosta.edu.

For more information about The Wintering Grounds, visit https://www.facebook.com/thewinteringgrounds and https://aziliafilms.com/