The New Orleans Film Society discovers, cultivates, and amplifies diverse voices of filmmakers who tell the stories of our time. It produces the Oscar®-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival annually and invests year-round in building a vibrant film culture in the South to share transformative cinematic experiences with audiences, and connect dynamic filmmakers to career-advancing resources.

It cultivates the voices of Southern filmmakers through Emerging Voices, a nationally recognized mentorship program for filmmakers of color, and other initiatives such as Southern Producers Lab, and the annual South Pitch competition during the New Orleans Film Festival. Filmmakers from beyond our region also benefit from the Film Society’s professional development panels and roundtables and facilitated networking events, such as the Industry Exchange. It works to build a vibrant film culture in the South by producing a mix of public and members-only year-round events to engage film lovers through regular screenings and events, attracting thousands to high-quality films at partnering New Orleans venues.