Spring into Orlando film fests

Plus news on FilmSlam and OFF

Exclusive to MeierMovies, April 30, 2026

With the venerable Florida Film Festival just concluded, you might think that’s all she wrote for Orlando spring film festivals, especially with Fringe ready to consume the local arts scene. But you’ve got another think coming, as a variety of smaller movie fests are on the horizon.

First up is the Organization of Independent Filmmakers’ X Challenge screening on May 16 at AMC Altamonte. With multiple events each year, OIF has grown into the top filmmaking competition for locals and has even expanded outside Orlando. May’s screening will feature short films from the psychological thriller/drama, romantic comedy and superhero genres.

The OIF screening is followed closely by Central Florida Film Slam, set for May 17 at Maitland’s Enzian Theater. Held four times each year, the event is billed as an “independent film showcase and competition open to all regional filmmakers and students.” (Enzian offers a variety of other “special programs” in the spring.)

Next up is the Orlando Urban Film Festival, scheduled for May 27-29 at Regal Cinema Pointe Orlando.

That’s followed by Spooky Empire, May 29-31 at DoubleTree Orlando SeaWorld. Though there is no film festival at spring Spooky (just the fall event), the horror convention still offers a smorgasbord of movie-themed goodies, such as discussion panels and appearances by celebrity guests such as Robert Englund and Brad Dourif.

The following month will see the Orlando International Film Festival take over the UCF-Marriott Hotel on June 18-21.

Though the Global Peace Film Festival won’t take place until September, Global Peace 360 hosts other movie events throughout the year. Check their website for information.

One familiar event you won’t see on this spring’s schedule is Jen Vargas’s FilmSlam, which was last held at the Orlando Museum of Art four years ago. But despite that long absence and the lack of updates to the fest’s websites, don’t count it out just yet.

“The organization remains active as a nonprofit, and our commitment to the local filmmaking community hasn’t changed,” Vargas told me. “While we haven’t yet secured an affordable public venue, we have been actively exploring ways to evolve the concept, building on what made FilmSlam special while introducing new ideas and opportunities for growth. Like many arts initiatives, funding remains our biggest hurdle, and I’m no longer in a position to personally underwrite the event. That said, FilmSlam is far from gone; we’re still here, still working, and quietly laying the groundwork for what’s next.”

Another event not held in a while is the Orlando Film Festival, which last welcomed the public in 2024 at the now-defunct CMX Cinemas Plaza Café 12 in downtown Orlando. Executive Director Daniel Springen was unable to hold the 2025 festival after the CMX closed and he did not secure a new location. However, he is now accepting submissions for a proposed 2026 event, which would take place October 23-30.

“The CMX theater downtown is currently for sale, and we expect it to be open for the 2026 season of the Orlando Film Festival,” Springen’s message on FilmFreeway reads. “In 2025, we gave out over 40 awards and 300 laurels to filmmakers from around the world and intend to do that in 2026 while in this holding pattern. Please understand that being accepted this year may not guarantee a screening unless the theater reopens for 2026. But being accepted does grant you a chance at prizes and the laurels of a 21-year-old festival.”

Neither Springen nor FilmFreeway responded to my requests to comment on whether a festival can be publicly listed on FilmFreeway and accept submissions without holding a physical event. (See FilmFreeway’s festival rules, which suggest that a publicly listed festival that accepts submission fees from filmmakers must hold at least one public screening.)

For background information on both Central Florida Film Slam and FilmSlam, go here. And click here for information on last year’s canceled Orlando Film Festival.

In other film news, Orange County this week launched its Film Incentive Program Application Portal. The program is open to production companies wishing to film in Central Florida. Eligible projects include feature films, television series, streaming productions and commercials. Go here to learn more.

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