Submit
A celebration of film, story, and song in family and faith-based entertainment — honoring filmmakers, screenwriters, playwrights, musicians, authors, and artists from around the world.
With our longtime home, the Sumter Opera House, closed for renovations through 2027, Romans VIII takes the stage at the Sumter Little Theatre for 2026 — the same September weekend as the final edition of the Moonless International Film Festival. One theatre, one weekend, twice the reason to be there.
September 11–13, 2026 · Sumter Little Theatre · Sumter, SC
Screenings, the screenwriters & playwrights competition, and the awards show — one weekend, side by side with Moonless.
What the weekend holds
Selected films screen for a live audience on a community stage nearly 90 years in the making.
Submit on FilmFreewayFeature screenplays, shorts, pilots, and stage plays — with a live table read featuring our VIP guests.
Enter the competitionRenovations are underway at our South Carolina home. We look forward to walking back through those doors.
Under RenovationTo every filmmaker, writer, musician, sponsor, and audience member who has been part of this festival — thank you. Come see us in Sumter this September.
Romans VIII is a non-profit festival honoring creative work across family and faith-based entertainment. Every submission, every ticket, and every partnership is reinvested in programs that grow opportunities in the arts — for local creators and for voices around the world.
Films from around the world that families can watch together and walk away better for — judged on craft, heart, and the story on the screen. South Carolina projects qualify for a submission discount.
Submit on FilmFreewayA platform for emerging and established storytellers across film, television, and theatre — recognizing scripts built on faith, hope, justice, and redemption.
The celebration reaches past film. Musicians, authors, and artists working in family and faith-based entertainment are honored alongside our filmmakers and writers each year.
Get in touchOfficial awards presented during the Romans VIII Film Festival, with a trophy or certificate of achievement.
Introductions through our network of producers, directors, literary agents, and publishers.
Professional coverage or development notes on winning screenplays and stage plays.
Selected winning scripts are read live at the festival, featuring our 2026 VIP special guests.
One winning short script and one winning feature earn a private sit-down with producers for optioning and development consideration.
Winning playwrights are considered for a live stage reading or production through our affiliated theatre partners.
Submissions run through FilmFreeway through the September 5 final deadline — fees and category rules are posted there. South Carolina films, screenplays, and stage plays qualify for a discount — including films the state's directors produced at least partly in South Carolina.
Every screening, panel, and ceremony — three days at the Sumter Little Theatre, presented with the Swan Lake Premiere Film Festival and the Moonless International Film Festival. Friday and Saturday are in the books — here is closing day.
Before you go — thank you for a remarkable weekend.
Sign up for the quarterly newsletter →
Take the two-minute event survey →
Filmmakers: rate the festival on FilmFreeway →
Guests: leave us a recommendation on Facebook →
Sunday day pass $15 at the door · Weekend Pass $30
The 2025 awards show was held May 18, 2025, at the Sumter Opera House — hosted by actress and producer Jacklyn Collier and Breanne Heldman, Executive Editor of TV & Events at People, with actress and producer Erin Cahill among our special guests.
One stage.
One community.
Stories worth telling.
A beloved community theatre on Mood Avenue in Sumter, South Carolina — educating and entertaining audiences for nearly 90 years as part of the Sumter County Cultural Center. An intimate room where a screening feels like an event, and the shared stage for this September's festival weekend.
Romans VIII is a non-profit. This festival happens because people show up — as participants, volunteers, set supporters, and donors.
Donations fund the platform itself: scholarships, grants, and community programs that make the arts more accessible; educational workshops and mentorship for aspiring creators; and a festival weekend that brings visitors and business to the community that hosts it.
Every gift goes toward the same goal — giving filmmakers, writers, musicians, and artists a real stage for their work, and raising the next generation of storytellers behind them.
Participate.
Volunteer.
Support a set.
Donate.
Sponsors and partners carry a real share of this festival — and in return they stand behind work that families and communities gather around.
Films, screenplays, and stage plays — one September weekend in Sumter. Questions on screenplay submissions? Write to screenplay@romansviiifestival.org.
This Page
We're putting the finishing touches on this. Check back shortly — or reach out and we'll point you in the right direction.