Not Another Home Movie Film Festival (2026 - Hybrid)

We are the future of storytelling. George Washington University's Not Another Home Movie Film Festival is hybrid, and is taking place on Feb. 20, 2026, from 6-9 pm at Jack Morton Auditorium, or online via Zoom. For those attending virtually, on-demand access to the featured films and festival highlights will be provided post-premiere. We want people to believe in the power of telling their own family and personal stories. We want them to get that story out of the attic. Why? When we tell our stories, we actualize and manifest our dreams.

Info: Check-in will begin at 5:30 pm, and will continue until 6:00 pm. A seated yoga warmup will take place between 5:45 pm and 6:00 pm.

Info: Akshay Bhatia is a Georgia-born, Atlanta-based filmmaker who recently served as Francis Ford Coppola's personal assistant and directorial apprentice on Megalopolis, where he followed the project from pre-production all the way through post-production and premiere. During the shoot, he aided in directing and writing scenes for the film, and apprenticed under Roman Coppola, director of the second unit, working most frequently with him to help rehearse the many practical special effects in the film.

Along with the active development of his debut feature TAM, Bhatia is on a festival tour of his latest short film titled The Preakness, starring Jeffrey Pierce of The Last Of Us fame, with music by electronic music legend Dan Deacon. The Preakness was nominated by the Georgia Film Critics Association for the 2024 Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema.

Info: Our Opening Ceremony will be led by our founder, Hanan Daqqa, who is also the founder of DaQQa Productions and the creator of the Not Another Home Movie concept and course. She is an independent multimedia journalist in Northern Virginia with a background in science and filmmaking, and she teaches writing and storytelling at George Washington University. She is the author of two books, published overseas. Her stories have appeared in The Lily, the Washington Parent and the Fairfax County Times, among other publications.

Info: Preeti Kulkarni is a senior at the George Washington University, studying
International Affairs. She is the author of Flower Storms on the Riverbank, a poetry collection described as “a breath of fresh air” from “a voice so young and so wise.” She is also a D.C. Youth Poet Ambassador for Words, Beats, and Life, a D.C.-based nonprofit promoting hip-hop, poetry, and other art forms. She has performed at the Smithsonian FolkLife Festival and written op-eds for publications like Tangle News and the Baltimore Sun. Her work often explores themes of love, loss, resilience, and growth, deeply rooted in her Indian-American heritage.

Info: A total of 16 artistic and original family films will be featured from around the world, including films created by George Washington University (GWU) students. Our global film selection has been curated by several experts in the film industry. The films will be introduced by two GWU students, who will serve as the film festival's emcees.

Info: Audience members will vote live on their favorite family film, to determine the recipient of the Audience Favorite Award!

Info: A Q&A session featuring various finalists will be held to learn more about their filmmaking process and their experience of making a Not Another Home Movie.

Info: An Awards Ceremony will be led by our founder to reveal the recipients of this year's Not Another Home Movie Film Festival Awards! These include the Best Storytelling Award, New Art Form Award (sponsored by Francis Ford Coppola's All-Movie Hotel), Opportunity Award – U.S. (sponsored by The George Washington University Institute for Socioeconomic Opportunity), Opportunity Award – Global (sponsored by The George Washington University Institute for Socioeconomic Opportunity), and the Audience Favorite Award.

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Host or Publisher Hanan Daqqa