Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference Announces 2020 Award Winners and Event Results

ATLANTA, GA (October 8, 2020) — The 44th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) is proud to announce today the distinguished jury and audience award winners for the 2020 festival, which took place from September 17, 2020 – September 27, 2020. Additionally, as the first major annual event to be held in Atlanta with an in-person component since the pandemic began, ATLFF is pleased to share event facts and figures resulting from its unique and innovative presentation.

Today’s announcement recognizes filmmakers in 10 categories for their achievements and cinematic excellence. Winners of the Narrative Short, Animated Short and Documentary Short Jury Awards not only proudly took home their awards, but now also qualify for the 2021 Oscar® short list. ATLFF is one of the few festivals in the country that is Oscar-qualifying in three or more categories.

The award winners were chosen by distinguished jurors from all backgrounds across the film industry. They include Danielle Deadwyler, an actress and filmmaker known from her roles in series such as “Atlanta” and HBO’s “Watchmen;” Dawn Porter, an award-winning filmmaker who recently directed JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE; Toby Wilson, an art director for Sony Pictures Animation; and Logan Hill, a veteran arts journalist who has spent 20 years reporting for the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone and GQ; among over a dozen others.

2020 ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Best Narrative Feature:
THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS, directed by Robert Machoian

Special Jury Award - Narrative Feature:
NAFI’S FATHER (BAAMUM NAFI), directed by Mamadou Dia

Best Documentary Feature:
OVERSEAS, directed by Sung-A Yoon

Best Narrative Short:
ARABIAN ALIEN, directed by Meshal Aljaser

Best Documentary Short:
WATER CHILD (MIZUKO), directed by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo

Honorable Mention - Documentary Short:
COBY AND STEPHEN ARE IN LOVE, directed by Carlo Nasisse & Luka Yuanyuan Yang

Best Animated Short:
KAPAEMAHU, directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson

Honorable Mention - Animated Short:
THE KITE (POUSTET DRAKA), directed by Martin Smatana

Honorable Mention - Animated Short:
SH_T HAPPENS, directed by Michaela Mihalyi & David Stumpf

Best Cinematography:
LOOKING FOR LIFE (CHÈCHE LAVI), cinematography by Sam Ellison

Honorable Mention - Cinematography:
MALPASO, cinematography by Juan Carlos Gómez 

Georgia Film Award:
BEAST BEAST, directed by Danny Madden

Filmmaker-to-Watch Award:
Rachel Harrison Gordon (BROKEN BIRD)

Audience Award Winners:

• BEAST BEAST, directed by Danny Madden

• CURTIS, directed by Chris Bailey

• DADDIO, directed by Casey Wilson

• BEST SELLER, directed by Nora Kirkpatrick

From a record-breaking 8,500+ submissions, ATLFF selected 148 works, a mix of narrative and documentary feature length films, short films and creative media, for the 2020 festival. Of the selected works, 55 percent were directed by a female, 20 percent had ties to Georgia and approximately 50 percent were directed by a person of color. In addition to the selected programming, ATLFF held ten Marquee screenings and 32 Creative Conference events.

Shifting from in-person screenings and events to a drive-in and digital format, the 2020 event drew approximately 27,000 total attendees. An estimated 4,250 people attended 50 drive-in screenings held at three venues (The Plaza, Dad’s Garage and Pullman Yard) during the 11-day festival. An additional 22,750 people streamed screenings from ATLFF’s virtual catalog of 127 films and 32 Creative Conference workshops, panels or Masterclasses.

With many of the drive-in screenings selling out, the virtual presentation of the film catalog also proved to be a success. Nearly three months’ worth of content was streamed during the festival, with viewers in 42 U.S. states and 14 nations across all six inhabited continents. The virtual format also allowed for 65 industry experts and professionals to participate in the Creative Conference, including writer and producer Damon Lindelof, who held a virtual Masterclass just days after winning 11 Emmy Awards for HBO’s “Watchmen.”

A full list of jury members with brief biographies is included in the attachment, as well as film information for all award winners and honorable mentions.

The 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference is set to take place from April 22, 2021 – May 2, 2021. ATLFF is currently accepting submissions for the 2021 festival.