George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Kicks off March 5
Mar. 02, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama will welcome the return of Alabama’s longest-running film festival when the 29th George Lindsey UNA Film Festival kicks off Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. at the UNA School of the Arts Galley on Tombigbee Street in downtown Florence.
“We take great pride in showcasing Alabama film alongside the most exciting new works from independent filmmakers across the country,” said Dr. Nora Stone, Assistant Professor of Film Production and George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Lead Programmer. “Dozens of directors and actors will descend on Florence for the festival. At every film screening, audiences have the chance to talk to the people who brought these exciting, personal, beautiful stories to life.”
The Festival will offer three days of screenings, live performances, and community events, all of which are free and open to the public, highlighting the creativity and talent of actors and filmmakers from UNA and beyond.
On the morning of March 5, the Festival will welcome 40 students from Deshler High School for a screening and community workshop, followed by screenings of short films made by Alabama filmmakers. That evening, there will be a live music performance from Bonnie Watson and Justin Arnold, followed by two featured film screenings in the nearby Mane Room.
The Festival was co-founded by UNA alumnus George Lindsey, a Fairfield, Alabama, native and acclaimed actor and comedian best known for his role as Goober Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show.
A longstanding tradition of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival is its spotlight on student and alumni work. Screenings on March 6 include:
- UNA Student Films at 10 a.m. in the Mane Room and
- UNA Alumni Films at noon in the Mane Room.
Alumnus Austin Parsons stars alongside Shoals native and UNA alumna Phoebe Jones in When the Night Falls, a film that will premiere on March 5 at 10:30 p.m. in the Mane Room.
“I have a huge appreciation for my time at UNA and would not be the artist I am without the influence of its professors, academics, and my colleagues, many of whom have become lifelong friends and collaborators,” said Jones. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a project that’s close to my heart with my friends, family, and community that raised me.”
The Festival will conclude March 6, with an awards program set for 6 p.m. in the Mane Room. For more details and information on the festival, visit http://www.lindseyfilmfest.com/ or email lindseyfilmfest@una.edu.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.