ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL + CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF FILMS FROM 2022 LINEUP

 ATLANTA, GA (February 15, 2022) — The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is pleased to announce the first wave of films programmed for the upcoming 46th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF), slated for April 21 through May 1, 2022. Each year, this first wave announcement acts as both the earliest glimpse at the upcoming festival as well as a representation of the exciting programming choices to come.  

The first wave includes two documentary features, two narrative features, one music video, and one experimental short. These are representative of the innovative, brazen, and compelling breadth of stories to be found across ATLFF’s 2022 programming.

YOU RESEMBLE ME (Tu me Ressembles)
Directed by Dina Amer
USA/France/Egypt, French/Arabic, 91 minutes

Cultural and intergenerational trauma erupt in this story about two sisters on the outskirts of Paris. After the siblings are torn apart, the eldest, Hasna, struggles to find her identity, leading to a choice that shocks the world. Director Dina Amer takes on one of the darkest issues of our time and deconstructs it in an intimate story about family, love, sisterhood, and belonging.

#NarrativeFeatures

THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY
Directed by Morrisa Maltz
USA, English, 86 minutes

An invitation to reunite with her estranged Oglala Lakota family launches a grieving young woman (Lily Gladstone) on an unexpected road trip from the Midwest toward the Texas-Mexico border. In this largely solitary journey with an unknown destination, Tana navigates the complex, post- 2016 election social climate, and a natural landscape that is increasingly surreal. Along the way, she bonds with unexpected people that are as much a part of the landscape as the mountains and roads. At times at ease, at times on edge as a woman traveling alone, familiar faces and strangers shape her journey as she grapples with the pain of her recent loss and seeks to understand her place in the world.

#NarrativeFeatures

IN THE BONES
Directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega, Co-Directed by Jessica Anthony & Zandashé Brown
USA, English, 94 minutes

In the Bones is a lyrical documentary that explores the personal and political by interweaving the lives of 12 characters living in Mississippi during a legislative session in which equal pay for equal work and abortion rights are being decided. Although set in three distinct regions of Mississippi, In the Bones is a much broader exploration of our culture, an unsettling portrait of America that shines a light on the weight women live under in this country and also the resilience expressed in everyday acts of survival.

#DocumentaryFeatures

OUTTA THE MUCK
Directed by Ira Mckinley & Bhawin Suchak 
USA, English, 80 minutes

As we journey back to his family’s hometown of Pahokee, FL, filmmaker Ira McKinley reconnects with his niece Bridget and nephew Alvin, exploring a shared history that spans seven generations. Told through stories that transcend space and time, Outta The Muck presents a community, and a family, that resists despair with love, remaining fiercely self-determined, while forging its own unique narrative of Black achievement.

#DocumentaryFeatures

PEACH PURÉE DE PÊCHES
Directed by Stephanie Burbano
Canada, French/English, 3 minutes

Band stand fever dream with goddess Elle Barbara serenading you through the new/old sexual politic.

#MusicVideos

EYES AND HORNS (아이즈앤혼즈)
Directed by Chaerin Im
Germany/South Korea/USA, No Dialogue, 6 minutes

Exploration of masculinity begins with the Minotaur, a mythical creature Picasso used to portray himself in his etching print series. The Minotaur goes through a violent struggle between being male and female. Finally, lines blur and boundaries of sexes disappear.
#ExperimentalShorts

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL + CREATIVE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF FILMS FROM 2021 LINEUP



The annual festival and series of educational events will take place  

from April 22 to May 2, 2021 

 ATLANTA, GA (February 2, 2021) — The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is pleased to announce the first wave of films programmed for the upcoming 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF), slated for April 22 through May 2, 2021. Each year, this first wave announcement acts as both the earliest glimpse at the upcoming festival as well as a representation of the exciting programming choices to come.  

 “This past year, as we’ve faced a period of isolation and loss, many of us have turned to film as a source of comfort and as a means to connect,” said ATLFF Programming Director Alyssa Armand. “We look forward to elevating the work of filmmakers who have continued to create art against all odds and celebrating the immense value that their work brings to our lives.” 

 The first wave of films includes two documentary features and one narrative feature, and are representative of the bold, creative, and compelling breadth of stories to be found across ATLFF’s 2021 programming. The Pattiz Brothers’ CARTERLAND lends a keen and thoughtful lens to reexamining the impact of a misunderstood president whose work shaped generations to come. In José Permar’s OFF THE ROAD, a group of young musicians vibrantly narrates the highs and lows of a quiet and isolated community awaiting the “Baja 1000” race to come speeding past them. Mari Walker’s SEE YOU THEN centers on a former couple intimately revisiting their past life, before old feelings and unresolved matters propel the night into a captivatingly raw confrontation. 

These three films will join an upcoming lineup of over 150 additional works selected from 7,092 film submissions. 

CARTERLAND 

directed by Jim Pattiz & Will Pattiz 

USA, English, 120 minutes 

In their feature film debut Carterland, the Pattiz Brothers examine the tragic,  yet inspiring story of America's most misunderstood president. While leading the nation through a series of unprecedented crises, Carter also confronted climate change and fought for social justice at home and abroad. This groundbreaking film draws on archival footage, experts, and insiders to reveal how Carter's selfless leadership and moral integrity ultimately cost him the presidency. 

#DocumentaryFeature, #Georgia 

OFF THE ROAD  

directed by José Permar 

Mexico/USA, Spanish, 77 minutes 

A group of young musicians sing the deeds of three men who live in the most isolated region of the Baja California Sur desert. As the “Baja 1000”, the world’s largest annual all-terrain car race, takes place crossing the Mexican-US border, these men look for an opportunity to be a part of it and escape the apparent monotony of their small communities. 

#DocumentaryFeature, #Cinemás 

SEE YOU THEN 

directed by Mari Walker 

USA, English, 74 minutes 

A decade after abruptly breaking up with Naomi, Kris invites her to dinner to catch-up on their complicated lives, relationships, and Kris' transition. Over the course of a one night encounter, they engage in a series of increasingly intimate and vulnerable conversations, before a shocking revelation is unveiled. See You Then focuses on the universal truth that no matter how much you change, a part of you will always stay the same. 

#NarrativeFeature, #NewMavericks, #PinkPeach 

In 2020, ATLFF successfully adapted to the on-going pandemic by shifting from in-person screenings and events to a drive-in and digital format. The pivot in formats allowed the festival and educational conference to reach audiences safely across the globe. The 2021 format is expected to incorporate both drive-in and virtual screenings again, with announcements on the full schedule forthcoming.  

Currently, ATLFS is partnering with the Sundance Film Festival in presenting 12 films—all making their world premieres at Sundance—in Atlanta as part of Sundance’s Satellite Screens initiative. These films are playing at the Plaza Theatre, both indoors and drive-in, and at Dad’s Garage Drive-In. For a full schedule, visit https://www.atlantafilmsociety.org/sundance-schedule. 

Atlanta Film Festival Announces First Wave of Films from 2020 Lineup

ATLANTA, GA — Leading up to the 44th annual Atlanta Film Festival & Creative Conference (ATLFF), taking place April 30 through May 10, 2020, the Atlanta Film Society is pleased to announce the first wave of feature film programming. This selection comprises six films, made up of two narratives and four documentaries.

“Each year we have the privilege of receiving films from thousands of filmmakers across the world. Our greatest joy as programmers is to discover unique and compelling works that stand out from the crowd and truly make us feel something,” said ATLFF Programming Director Alyssa Armand. “This slate is a brief glimpse of what you can expect from our 2020 program. We are so excited to share these films with you.”

This group of six films comes from a new ATLFF record of 8,559 works submitted. Hailing from Afghanistan, Belgium, Philippines, Sweden and the United States, these films represent the inclusive and far-reaching breadth of the forthcoming complete lineup. Last year, 50% of ATLFF’s film program was directed by women, 40% was directed by filmmakers of color and 20% came from Georgia-tied filmmakers.

Of the six films, one is directed by an ATLFF alumni, Dawn Porter (JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE). Recently, SOME KIND OF HEAVEN held its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Two narrative features are included in the lineup; CURTIS from Chris Bailey follows a former basketball star struggling with his mental health, MILKWATER from Morgan Ingari examines the complexities of having children in queer relationships. Documentary CINEMA PAMEER showcases the day-to-day of a movie theater operating in downtown Kabul, while OVERSEAS takes a look at Filipino domestic workers getting receiving training to start new jobs abroad.

These films will be joined by nearly 200 others for the 44th Annual Atlanta Film Festival & Creative Conference, taking place April 30 through May 10, 2020.

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CINEMA PAMEER
directed by Martin Von Krogh
Afghanistan/Sweden, Dari, 79 minutes
A film about a cinema, the passionate people working there, and their unrelenting love of film in a harsh conflict-ridden city. CINEMA PAMEER explores everyday life in a country torn apart through a cinema in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan – a place for escape, inspiration, and refuge in a city still trying to find its footing after decades of war, poverty, and religious fundamentalism. 

#DocumentaryFeature

CURTIS
directed by Chris Bailey
USA, English, 80 Minutes
Curtis (Dwight Henry) is a former high school basketball star now living under the torment of schizophrenia. When he discovers his championship ring is missing, it triggers him into a frantic search through the streets of Detroit to find it. Meanwhile, a young boy fights his own battles against the other kids on the basketball court and at home with his father. After a chance meeting on the court, the two come to an agreement to help each other. Their journey together leads them past the basketball court and into a world of self discovery.

#NarrativeFeature

JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE
directed by Dawn Porter
USA, English, 96 minutes
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter (TRAPPED, GIDEON’S ARMY), chronicles the life and career of the legendary civil rights activist and Democratic Representative from Georgia. Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 79 years old, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life. 

#DocumentaryFeature

MILKWATER
directed by Morgan Ingari
USA, English, 101 Minutes
Seeking direction and purpose, Milo (Molly Bernard) rashly decides to become a surrogate and egg donor for an older gay man she meets in a bar (Patrick Breen). However, as Milo becomes increasingly attached to him, she starts leveraging the pregnancy as a means of staying embedded in his life.

#NarrativeFeature 

OVERSEAS
directed by Sung-A Yoon
Philippines/Belgium, English/Tagalog/Ilonggo, 90 minutes
In the Philippines, women get deployed abroad to work as domestic workers or nannies. In order to do so, they frequently leave their own children behind, before throwing themselves into the unknown. In one of the many training centers dedicated to domestic work that can be found in the Philippines, a group of trainees are getting ready to face both homesickness and the possible abuses lying ahead. During role playing exercises, they alternatively play both the roles of the employee and that of the employers. Bordering on fiction, OVERSEAS brings to light the question of modern servitude in our globalized world, while emphasizing these women’s determination, their sisterhood, and the strategies they find to face the ordeals that await them in the near future. 

#DocumentaryFeature

SOME KIND OF HEAVEN
directed by Lance Oppenheim
USA, English, 81 minutes
SOME KIND OF HEAVEN explores life inside the palm-tree-lined streets of The Villages, America’s largest retirement community in Central Florida. Referred to as the “Disneyland for Retirees,” this pre-planned retirement city is home to over 130,000 seniors and offers a utopian vision of America as we might wish it were, and as some believe it once was: wide, safe streets, perfectly manicured lawns, and countless activities all in service of re-energizing the golden years of life. While most residents have bought into the packaged positivity, we meet four residents living on the margins, struggling to find happiness. Barbara, a widow; Dennis, a bachelor; and married couple Anne and Reggie each strive to find their footing in this fantasy land as they seek new purpose, look for second love, and navigate the extremes of mental deterioration. By turns biting, tender, and surreal, the film demonstrates that no matter our age, we are always becoming. With strikingly composed cinematography, SOME KIND OF HEAVEN challenges our stereotypes around aging, emboldening its characters to live as vibrantly as possible in the time they have left.

#DocumentaryFeature