Bringing Southern Hospitality to the Best in Independent Film!

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is hosted each year by the University of North Alabama in Florence, one of the four cities comprising the culturally rich Shoals. The Shoals is an entertainment destination with long roots, which reach to the heart of rock and roll, Southern rock, and the blues. It is the birthplace of “America’s First Lady of Courage” (Helen Keller), "The Father of the Blues" (W.C. Handy), and the legendary “Father of Rock and Roll” (Sam Phillips), who first recorded the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the list goes on.

Since 1998, our festival has been a cornerstone of the Shoals' artistic renaissance, inviting filmmakers worldwide to share their work. Join us in Florence for a unique blend of history, culture, and film.

We welcome local, national, and international entries as a competitive international film festival.  A special award, in the amount of $2000, is gifted in memory of George Lindsey’s dear childhood friend, Clyde “Sappo” Black, is given to the best film made in Alabama. 

The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival was founded by celebrated entertainer George Lindsey, along with now deceased Communications professor Bobbie Hurt and the late Director of University Relations Bill Jarnigan, George Lindsey is well known for his role as Goober Pyle on the "Andy Griffith Show" and many other credits in television, including episodes of “Hee Haw,” “The Twilight Zone," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Gunsmoke," "M*A*S*H," and as the host of Turner South's Emmy award-winning "Liars & Legends."

Submit your film and immerse yourself in unmatched Southern hospitality!