Atlanta Film Festival Announces New Organization Name for Year-Round Identity as Atlanta Film Society

The Atlanta Film Festival is pleased to announce a new name to reflect its year-round nature—the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). The ten-day Atlanta Film Festival will still take place every spring, but the organization will operate as the Atlanta Film Society going forward.

Originally founded as the IMAGE, Inc. (Independent Media Artists of Georgia, Etc., Inc.) in 1976, ATLFS has endured several name changes in the last four decades in order to convey its year-round service to the filmmaking and film-loving community while reflecting connection to its flagship program. 

“This name change represents who we are right now and paves the way for where we want to go,” said ATLFS Executive Director Christopher Escobar. “The change from ‘Festival’ to ‘Society’ better depicts the work and effort showcased all year long through screenings, classes, events and special programs. It clarifies that we are only part of the greater Atlanta film community and reinforces our plan to serve this community in a bigger way.”

For years, the organization has operated several year-round programs under the Atlanta Film Festival moniker, such as the Airport Shorts program, which screens select short films on 15 screens throughout Hartsfield-Jackson Airport’s new International Terminal; Eat, Drink & B-Indie, a monthly film-themed networking and educational mixer at Manuel’s Tavern; Film Festival Collective, an XFINITY Video On Demand channel that showcases short films from several prestigious film festivals across the country; the Filmmaker-in-Residence program, which supports accomplished Atlanta-based festival alumni in a three-year residency; and New Mavericks, a year-round screening and networking program spotlighting female filmmakers from Atlanta and beyond.

Among the most important details of the ATLFS announcement is the A/V Toolbank—a new equipment rentals program that provides audio/visual and presentation equipment for local groups and organizations seeking to host screenings or events. Operating as an arm of the nonprofit ATLFS, the A/V Toolbank borrows the spirit of the Atlanta Toolbank, but the focus on audio/visual equipment makes it the first resource of its kind in Metro Atlanta. This program provides high-quality equipment and technical expertise at competitive rates, creates additional support for the Atlanta Film Society and extends significant equipment discounts to other Metro area nonprofit arts organizations.

“The A/V Toolbank is a crucial facet of ATLFS,” Escobar continued. “We’ve been working with organizations like WonderRoot, GSU Student Film Festival and The Goat Farm Arts Center and aided events like Elevate, Flux Projects and Art on the Beltline while piloting this program. This announcement allows us to formalize the resource and make it more widely available.”

As with any nonprofit, the Atlanta Film Society relies heavily on the support of members and sponsors. For several years, year-round memberships have focused solely on the benefits they provide directly to members—with festival passes at the core—ranging in price from $50 to $750. In conjunction with this new identity, ATLFS has established patron levels ranging from $1,000 - $10,000 to enable community impact and maintain a focus on membership benefits.