Wheaton Film Festival

Overview

The 12th Annual Wheaton Film Festival, taking place Saturday November 7, 2026, is a great opportunity for filmmakers from to showcase their talent and learn about the industry. Everyone is welcome to submit their films, watch screenings, and/or attend the panel discussions. Categories for submissions include films up to 10 minutes in length: • General Submission- for films of any genre from filmmakers located anywhere in the world. • Student - for filmmakers who are currently students or were students at the time of making the film. • Local - for films that were produced in or are about Montgomery County, MD in USA and/or produced by a filmmaker from Montgomery County, Maryland in the United States. NOTE - All accepted filmmakers must attend in-person or send a representative to attend the Festival in-person. Wheaton Film Festival 2026 is supported in part by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Brian Frankel Law Firm PLLC, Adobe Software, Chuck Levin's Music Center, Arune LLC, DC Filmmakers, FilmConvert, Sound Department, Pro Cuts Editing Services, Write Brothers, and Promethean Fundraising. Our promotional partners include DC Filmmakers, TIVA, WIFV, Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, ReelAbilities Film Festival, Docs In Progress, Action Youth Media, Wheaton Arts Parade, Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Film Office, Yelp, and DC Media Makers: An Official Adobe User Group.

Last updated Sep 6, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

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Festival Details

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

• Filmmaker

  This festival is very grass roots and brings the entire community out to celebrate the creative work of filmmakers. My film won the "Levin Grand Prize" - Jury Award for Best Film in General category and the experience was wonderful. I strongly suggest filmmakers submit to Wheaton Film Festival.

• Filmmaker

  I am so grateful to Wheaton Film Festival for making Dirt Road an official selection, and to Brian Frankel for hosting such a wonderful event. My experience there was amazing, and it was an honor for me, my cast, and my crew to have our work recognized. Thank you.

• Filmmaker

  I couldn’t attend but they were on top of everything from day 1! A real pleasure to interact with.

• Filmmaker

  The Wheaton Film Festival was very enjoyable with a great community atmosphere! We were proud to be selected and thankful to share this film with the community. Thank you for making the event a great experience for filmmakers!

• Filmmaker

  Brian and the Wheaton Film Festival team care deeply about independent film. If you want to make a scrappy little short film, all you have to do is attend their networking events, and they will do their best to help produce it and teach you the tools you'll need to do it yourself. They even had a section in the festival screenings to showcase those "club" films. Prior to the event, Brian and his team kept solid communications, and then at the event, they packed the house with attendees. There were panels, meals/snacks, and networking before the showcase, a quick ceremony after, and then a happy hour after. If you love short films, this is definitely an event to check out! I ended up winning the Grand Prize in the main showcase, and Brian was quick to provide more prizes than I expected! Thank you, Wheaton Film Festival!

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