Ask an Alum: Danielle Deadwyler, a.k.a. Elevate ATL's Didi Xio
Catch up with the ever-versatile championess of Atlanta to learn more about where to find her work this weekend and what sets Atlanta apart as an arts home.
Continuing our Ask an Alum series, we talked with ATLFF-selected filmmaker and actress Danielle Deadwyler about what makes Atlanta home, what she has coming up (hint: go to Elevate ATL!) and why she submitted to the festival. Currently showcased in the International Terminal in the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as part of the Atlanta Film Society's Airport Shorts Program version 3.0 with her short film Su:Per:He:Ro:In:Uh, Deadwyler is the first recipient of the Living Walls Laura Patricia Calle Grant with her project BUST IT OPEN—a multimedia arts installation that champions black feminism.
Q: ATLFF knows you primarily as an actress and narrative short filmmaker. What other genres do you like to work with?
A: I work in dance, experimental video/film, theatre, voiceover, poetry and hiphop (I go by didi xio too)...as well as film and TV. I'm willing and open and invested in being malleable and collaborative. I invite myself to play in all fields.
Q: What sets Atlanta apart for you as a creative home?
A: Atlanta is home first. That's what sets it apart. You know something, or a place, inside out, then it shifts as Atlanta is right now, and you have to relearn it, or learn as you go. And yet that place still holds history, memory all over you...that is a creative flux right there. It's a place still morphing...other cities are fixed...Atlanta is creatively taking shape, and can be shaped by artists who are present.Q: Why did you submit your films to ATLFF?
A: I submitted to ATLFF to gain connection. To reveal work at home. To be a part of a significant festival that could support me with access to information, education, and like minds.Q: What part of Atlanta (or place in Atlanta) serves as your most reliable or impactful arts incubator?
A: I can't say one place or one part of Atlanta has been most reliable for incubating my arts growth. There have always been multiple hoods and places serving my growth simultaneously. Whether I'm in Little five doing theatre or experimental work, or on Broad St of late performing with Dux or showing performance art work, or downtown learning at C4, or performing at the Southwest Arts Center, or being nurtured as an emerging artist at Spelman's Museum...Atlanta as a whole has invested in the present form of art that I am producing or collaborating to create.Q: Okay, everyone's favorite question—what are you working on now?
A: I'm currently preparing to present a public performance art multimedia work at ELEVATE ATLANTA Friday October 14. Come check it out! I'm traveling 3.8 miles from the old Club Nikki on Metropolitan Pkwy (old Stewart Ave) to Broad St and Mitchell St, where the ELEVATE event will be held.Q: If you were an Atlanta neighborhood. which would you be?
A: I'd have to be Capital View...its the neighborhood that birthed me.
We love our filmmakers. We love Atlanta. And there's no such thing as too much of either. Submit your work(s) in any of twelve categories before prices rise with the late deadline—October 28th. Catch Danielle and her work this weekend at Elevate ATL! You'll also find ATLFS-supported works from Josephine Figueroa and the Digital Good Times crew.
Ask an Alum: Atlanta's Alex Orr
We talked to three-time #ATLFF alum Alex Orr about his first ATLFF experience and an upcoming project.
In recognition of our final month of submissions for the 2017 ATLFF (!!!), we're catching up with some of the local alumni who continue to make great things in Atlanta and beyond. This week we say hello to three-time alumnus Alex Orr of Fake Wood Wallpaper Films. He's produced the polarizing #ATLFF 2016 selection and nationwide festival darling THE ARBALEST, FX's new smash hit Atlanta, and Easy—a new Netflix Original Series directed by Joe Swanberg (DRINKING BUDDIES, DIGGING FOR FIRE).
ALEX ORR STARS IN HIS SELF-DIRECTED, SELF-WRITTEN FEATURE "A IS FOR ALEX"
Q: How did you first hear about the Atlanta Film Festival?
A: I was in Film School at GSU and it was at the Hollywood 24 way on the north side of town. It was my intro to truly indie cinema. The first film I saw was a feature called Santa Smokes, the filmmaker was out front of the theatre jawing at people to go see his film.
Q: Why did you submit your films to ATLFF?
A: I live here and like to hang at the festival and see other filmmakers I know and meet new ones. It's great. I still work with people I've met at ATLFF through the years.
Q: Okay, everyone's favorite question—what are you working on now?
A: A Christmas Special for Adult Swim. It will be out...this Christmas time.
Q: What sets Atlanta apart for you as a creative home?
A: I lived in LA for 4 years and made more indie projects my first year back in Atlanta than the whole time i was in LA. There's a lot less of the pretension and false promises to sort through in the South.
Q: If you were an Atlanta neighborhood. which would you be?
A: I would be Buckhead because I think I'm better than you, but I'm really just another redneck with a spray tan.
Want to join our alumni family or to see your work screened at the 41st Atlanta Film Festival? Submit before prices go up on October 28th. Already an alum? Have two cents to give about art in Atlanta or an upcoming project we can mention? Email us to be considered for the Q&A.
Cinema Greens Grounds Host Southern Thriller
Prize winner Tristan Kharvari wrote "Three Things Before I Leave" specifically for the setting, a short film he will direct in October.
At the 40th ATLFF in April of this year, Cinema Greens—a film and television source for plant and location rentals and 2016 ATLFF sponsor—awarded a locations package to one lucky filmmaker. Tristan Kharvari won three shooting days on the extensive acreage and versatile Cinema Greens setting.
"The Cinema Greens Prize propelled a novel project," says Tristan Kharvari, writer and director of THREE THINGS BEFORE I LEAVE. "Initially, I sought to alter a current script that would fit the Cinema Greens ranch. But after seeing it in person, I decided it would be fun to create a new story based on the location. The house has paranormal history associated with it, prompting me to write "Three Things Before I Leave." The isolated location, rustic vibe, and historic graveyard are perfect elements for a southern thriller. Not often does a crew of minority filmmakers get free range to create on grounds such as these."
The cast and crew begins filming on the Ranch October 7th. To find out more information about the project or how you can support Tristan and his vision, visit igg.me/at/threethingsfilm.
The Call for Entries for the 2017 Atlanta Film Festival is now open!
Submit your film or screenplay for 2017 Atlanta Film Festival consideration today! Earlybird deadline is June 30th!
From March 24 to April 2, 2017, we will be celebrating our 41th anniversary and we are looking to you to help us make it our best yet.
Last year, we received over 4,700 film submissions from more than 120 countries across all 6 populated continents (sorry, Antarctica). Out of nearly 200 films that play the Atlanta Film Festival each year, roughly 80% of those come from submissions! In programming next year's festival, we are looking for groundbreaking works in narrative and documentary features and short films, animations, experimental films, puppetry films, music videos, virtual reality films and episodic pilots. We are pleased to have Pivot as our documentary film sponsor for 2017.
We received nearly 600 screenplay submissions last year, making for our most competitive Screenplay Competition since its inception in 2008. We are looking for innovative and compelling storytelling, for characters that surprise and challenge you, for words that pop off the page, and for narratives that twist and turn like a country back road. This year we’re accepting both feature scripts and pilot scripts; you’re more than welcome to submit in both categories.
Films and screenplays must comply with category requirements and filmmakers must complete the process and payment to be considered for ATLFF '17. Have questions? Check out our Film Submissions FAQ and our Screenplay Submissions FAQ.
ATLFF '16 Jury & Audience Award Winners Announced!
Congratulations to all of our Jury and Audience award-winning films from an incredible 2016 festival!
Photo: Border Union Photography
2016 Jury Award Winners
- Narrative Feature Jury Award - HUNKY DORY (directed by Michael Curtis Johnson)
- Documentary Feature Jury Award - DRIVING WITH SELVI (directed by Elisa Paloschi)
- Documentary Feature Special Jury Award - JUANICAS (directed by Karina Garcia Casanova)
- Narrative Short Jury Award - THUNDER ROAD (directed by Jim Cummings)
- Documentary Short Jury Award - KRAINA (directed by Christina Tynkevych)
- Animated Short Jury Award - SHELL ALL (directed by Zaven Najjar)
- Music Video Jury Award - "Dove" performed by Pillar Point (directed by Jacob Krupnick)
- Filmmaker-to-Watch Award - ZELOS (directed by Thoranna Sigurdardottir)
- New Mavericks Award (presented by SPANX & The Sara Blakely Foundation) - DRIVING WITH SELVI (directed by Elisa Paloschi)
- Southern Spotlight Award (presented by Cineverse) - QUE SERA (directed by Robyn Hicks)
- Seed&Spark Award (for Crowdfunded Films) - EAT WHITE DIRT (directed by Adam Forrester) and THE NEW ORLEANS SAZERAC (directed by James Martin)
2016 Audience Award Winners
- Audience Award Feature - THE FOUNDERS (directed by Charlene Fisk & Carrie Schrader)
- Audience Award Short - HOTEL CLERMONT (directed by Heather L. Hutson)
HBO and the Atlanta Film Society invite you to the Ultimate "Game of Thrones" Experience, Sunday, April 24th
Did you really think we weren't going to do something for "Game of Thrones" this year? Get ready!
Chad Hartigan, Sherri Shepherd, Erica Ash, Taylour Paige and Stella Meghie to Walk the ATLFF '16 Red Carpet for Closing Night!
We have a star-studded red carpet planned for Saturday night. Don't forget to get your tickets for JEAN OF THE JONESES and Closing Night Presentation, MORRIS FROM AMERICA now!
We have a star-studded red carpet planned for Saturday night, April 9th. Don't forget to get your tickets for JEAN OF THE JONESES and Closing Night Presentation, MORRIS FROM AMERICA now!
Writer/director Stella Meghie (winner of the 2011 ATLFF Screenplay Competition) and stars Sherri Shepherd, Erica Ash and Taylour Paige will walk the red carpet after the 5:15 PM screening of JEAN OF THE JONESES. Writer/director Chad Hartigan will walk the red carpet prior to Closing Night presentation MORRIS FROM AMERICA at 7:30 PM. Hartigan also stars in HUNKY DORY, which screens on Sunday, April 10th. Get your tickets to see these stars now!
JEAN OF THE JONESES
directed by Stella Meghie
Canada/USA, 2016, English, 82 minutes
Saturday, April 9, 2016, 5:15 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
Writer-director Stella Meghie's feature revolves around the troubled Jones family, one of whom dies at the start of the movie. When the paramedic who answers their 911 call falls for rambunctious Jean, the courtship goes south during a calamitous Jones funeral. This screenplay won the 2011 ATLFF Screenplay Competition.
MORRIS FROM AMERICA
directed by Chad Hartigan
USA/Germany, 2016, English/German, 91 minutes
Saturday, April 9, 2016, 7:30 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
A heartwarming and crowd-pleasing coming-of-age comedy with a unique spin, “Morris from America” centers on Morris Gentry (Markees Christmas, in an incredible breakout performance), a 13-year-old who has just relocated with his single father, Curtis (Craig Robinson), to Heidelberg, Germany. Morris, who fancies himself the next Notorious B.I.G., is a complete fish-out-of-water—a budding hip-hop star in an EDM world. To complicate matters further, Morris quickly falls hard for his cool, rebellious, 15-year-old classmate Katrin. Morris sets out against all odds to take the hip-hop world by storm and win the girl of his dreams.
After Party: Every ticket purchased comes with admission to our opening night party, located at Music Room. Live entertainment, superb libations, and catering will be provided.
ATLFF '16 Encores announced! Here's what gets a second screening on Sunday, April 10th...
Don't miss second screenings of these ATLFF '16 sold-out hits! "The Arbalest," "Frankenstein Created Bikers" and "In Pursuit of Silence" join our Award-winning Short Films for Encore Sunday, made possible by Film Festival Collective presented by XFINITY.
Don't miss second screenings of these ATLFF '16 sold-out hits! "The Arbalest," "Frankenstein Created Bikers," "In Pursuit of Silence" and the COTTON shorts block join our Award-winning Short Films for Encore Sunday, made possible by Film Festival Collective presented by XFINITY.
These screenings already sold out once, so don't hesitate to get your tickets in advance!
AWARD-WINNING SHORTS
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 12:30 PM — 7 Stages Theatre
Catch the Oscar-qualifying winners of the Narrative Short, Documentary Short and Animated Short Jury Prizes, plus the Filmmaker-to-Watch Award Winner and other winning short films.
IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE - Encore
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:45 PM — 7 Stages Theatre
As much a work of devotion as it is a documentary, “In Pursuit of Silence” is a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives. In our race towards modernity, amidst all the technological innovation and the rapid growth of our cities, silence is now quickly passing into legend. From causing aggressive behavior to hundreds of thousands of heart attacks around the world, there is no aspect of human life that noise does not infringe upon. Silence as a resource for respite and renewal from the sensory onslaught of our modern lives is now more important than ever before.
COTTON Shorts Block - Encore
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 5:00 PM — 7 Stages Theatre
Hardy and tight-knit. Presented in partnership with Homespun, a series crafted by Atlanta Film Society Filmmakers-in-Residence Jon Watts & Brantly Watts. Featuring "Hotel Clermont," "The New Orleans Sazerac" and "Eat White Dirt."
FRANKENSTEIN CREATED BIKERS - Encore
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 7:30 PM — 7 Stages Theatre
An outlaw biker finds himself addicted to a diabolical substance and hunted by a grenade-tossing femme fatale, bounty hunters, law enforcement, a rival motorcycle gang, mutations and a topless stripper hit squad.
THE ARBALEST - Encore
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 7:45 PM — Plaza Theatre, Upstairs
"The Arbalest" is a confessional recount of the reclusive private life of Foster Kalt, the world-renowned inventor of the Kalt Cube. The strange reflection pieces together strange events and romantic obsessions that compound in a disturbing invention despite his ten-year vow of silence. —My Nguyen
Pinewood Atlanta Presents A Conversation with William H. Macy and Production Panel on Sunday, April 10th
On Sunday, April 10, 2016, ATLFF and Pinewood will host A Master Class with William H. Macy. Immediately following, Pinewood Atlanta presents: The Production Panel will feature four established filmmakers with previous or current productions on the Pinewood lot.
Pinewood Atlanta Studios Presents the Production Panel and A Conversation with William H. Macy at the 40th Anniversary Atlanta Film Festival
The 40th Anniversary Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is pleased to announce a partnership with Pinewood Atlanta Studios (Pinewood) that will bring key educational Creative Conference programming to the 2016 event. On Sunday, April 10, 2016, ATLFF and Pinewood will host A Conversation with William H. Macy. Immediately following, Pinewood Atlanta Presents the Production Panel will feature four established filmmakers with previous or current productions on the Pinewood lot. Pinewood Atlanta Studios is a full service film and entertainment studio complex comprised of 11 sound stages on 700 acres in Fayetteville, Georgia USA, just south of Atlanta.
“It is an incredibly exciting time for the Atlanta film industry as we experience rapid growth in both independent and big-budget studio production. With four decades of experience, the continued mission and responsibility of the Atlanta Film Festival is to provide enriching programming that will support our film community in sustaining this growth,” said Christopher Escobar, Executive Director of the Atlanta Film Festival. “We are pleased to have the support of esteemed community partners like Pinewood Atlanta Studios to share in this goal. Our partnership with Pinewood will bring two distinctive educational opportunities to the 2016 Creative Conference that provide exclusive glimpses into filmmaking at the prestigious studio complex.”
“We are proud to support the Atlanta Film Festival and thrilled to be supporting the growth of the film industry in Georgia. There has never been a better time to film in Atlanta” said Kevin Bar, Sales Executive for Pinewood Atlanta Studios.
ATLFF and Pinewood will present A Conversation with William H. Macy at 10:00AM on Sunday, April 10 at 7 Stages Theatre, located at 1105 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. Pinewood Atlanta Presents the Production Panel will also take place on Sunday at 7 Stages at 11:00AM. ATLFF 2016 festival badges (prices range) and individual tickets to both Creative Conference events ($10) are available now.
Pinewood Atlanta Studios is part of the Pinewood Studios Group, one of the leading providers of studio and related services to the worldwide film and television industries. Synonymous with world class British and international productions, Pinewood’s studios have an impressive heritage and have been home to some of the most successful features films and TV shows ever made.
In 2014, Marvel’s Ant-Man was the first production to shoot on the newly constructed Atlanta lot. The film went on to open at #1 at the box office and grossed more than $519 million worldwide the following year. On May 6, 2016, the second Marvel production made at Pinewood Atlanta, Captain America: Civil War, will be released in theaters around the world. Sony’s Passengers, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, wrapped up production at Pinewood Atlanta in early 2016; making way for production of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which is currently underway.
The Atlanta Film Festival kicked off 10 days of events on Friday, April 1, 2016 that will continue through Sunday, April 10, 2016. In addition to more than 150 film screenings and over a dozen special events, the 40th Anniversary event will feature nearly 40 Creative Conference educational events. Previously announced Creative Conference programming includes the Master Class Series featuring discussions with Oscar-winning documentary producer James Moll (Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, ATLFF 2016’s Mully), Broadway vet Shuler Hensley, director Victor Nunez (Ulee’s Gold, Ruby in Paradise) and director James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now, The End of the Tour).
Pinewood Atlanta presents: A Conversation with William H. Macy
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 10:00AM — 7 Stages Theater
William H. Macy is an Oscar® and Golden Globe nominee, a SAG and Emmy Award–winning actor, and a director and writer in theater, film and television. He currently stars in the Showtime series “Shameless”. His many film credits include Seabiscuit, The Cooler, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Jurassic Park III and Fargo. Macy is currently prepping for production of his 3rd directorial project, Krystal, on the Pinewood Atlanta lot.
Pinewood Atlanta presents: The Production Panel
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 11:00AM — 7 Stages Theater
Join a panel of filmmakers assembled by Pinewood Atlanta Studios for an educational discussion on filming at the Atlanta studios in Fayetteville, Georgia. Expected participants include:
Camille Friend – Hair Designer ("The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2," "Miles Ahead," "Captain America: Civil War")
Simon Hatt – Associate Producer (Marvel’s "Guardians of the Galaxy," Marvel’s "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2")
Christopher Townsend – Visual Effects Supervisor (Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Iron Man 3," "Captain America: The First Avenger")
Will Greenfield – Producer/Production Manager ("Krystal," "Loving," "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea")
James Gunn and Michael Rooker to bring GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY to ATLFF '16!
A presentation of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be immediately followed by a Q&A with James Gunn and Michael Rooker on Sunday, April 10th at 4:00 PM.
Directed by James Gunn
USA, 2014, English, 121 minutes
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 4:00PM — Plaza Theater, Main
JAMES GUNN
A presentation of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be immediately followed by a Q&A with James Gunn and Michael Rooker.
From Marvel, the studio that launched the epic franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes an unlikely new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe expands into the cosmos when brash space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) steals a coveted orb and becomes the object of a relentless bounty hunt. To evade his enemies, Quill forges an uneasy truce with Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a gun-toting raccoon; Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), a tree-like humanoid; the deadly assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana); and the revenge-driven Drax (Dave Bautista). But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb, he must rally his ragtag band of misfits for a desperate battle that will decide the fate of the galaxy.
Filmmaker James Gunn began making movies at the age of twelve growing up in St. Louis, Missouri. While attending Columbia University in New York, Gunn wrote the screenplay for his first cult hit, the feature-film Tromeo & Juliet. He went on to write and direct dozens more including The Specials, Slither and Super. In March of 2004 Gunn became the first screenwriter in cinema history to write back-to-back #1-for-the-weekend box office hits, with the critically-acclaimed, re-imagined Dawn of the Dead (3/19/04). Slither, Gunn’s feature-film directorial debut starring Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks, is currently featured on Rotten Tomatoes as one of the “Top Ten All–Time Best Reviewed Horror Films.” The film, which he also wrote, was named “The Best Horror film of 2006” by Rue Morgue Magazine, and Gunn won a Saturn Award and a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for his work. In 2008, Gunn launched the “PG Porn” web series for Spike.com. The series paired mainstream actors and porn stars in comedy shorts and has since become one of the most profitable web series of all time. Gunn wrote and directed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which grossed over $750 million dollars worldwide making it one of the top grossing and best reviewed films of 2014. He is currently directing the sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, from a script he also wrote.
Michael Rooker portrays blue-skinned alien ‘Yondu Udonta’ in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and is known as the character fans loved to hate on AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, as ‘Merle Dixon.’ Rooker has thrilled fans for decades with complex portrayals of characters audiences can’t help but cheer on despite their dark personas. He made his film debut in 1986 playing the title role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a film based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. He has since appeared in numerous films including Mississippi Burning, Sea of Love, Days of Thunder, JFK, Cliffhanger, Tombstone, Mallrats, Rosewood, The 6th Day, and Jumper. He and Gunn have been a longtime collaborators on productions including Slither, Super, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the upcoming sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Production on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is currently underway at Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios.