The second annual Athens Film Festival has expanded its offerings this year to include five participating screening venues—Ciné, Flicker Theatre and Bar, The Globe, the Morton Theatre and Paloma Park—across four days, Aug. 14–17.
Showing 112 films from filmmakers around the world, the festival aims to celebrate the creativity and honor the stories of these creators while bolstering film’s place in the local art community. In addition to screenings, there are networking events and workshops/panels throughout the weekend.
The red carpet kickoff event on Thursday at Ciné will take place from 5–9 p.m. for all-access passholders, but it will open its doors to the public at 8 p.m. Workshops and panels include “Emerging Georgia Filmmakers” and “Art and Mental Health” on Friday, and “AI Isn’t the Director, You Are” on Saturday.
Whether you’re interested in movie-hopping all day or carefully planning the best bang for your buck itinerary, there are an overwhelming amount of options at the film festival. We’ve curated a list of suggestions below. For the full four-day schedule and to purchase passes or tickets to individual screenings, visit athensfilm.com.
EXPLORE GENRES: There’s no shame in knowing what you like, and the Athens Film Festival has made it easy to explore multiple films within a genre with its shorts blocks. You can catch international animated shorts at “World Class Animation 1” (Thursday, 5 p.m., Flicker) and “World Class Animation 2” (Friday, 5:30 p.m., Morton), or feel like a kid again with “Saturday Morning Cartoons” (Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Morton). If you’re looking for laughs, then the best bet is “Laugh Your Ath Off Comedy Shorts 1” (Thursday, 9:30 p.m., The Globe) or “Laugh Your Ath Off Comedy Shorts 2” (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Flicker). International horror shorts will be screened during “Bloodred and Black 1” (Friday, 9:30 p.m., Morton), with a Q&A led by local My Bloody Horrorcast hosts Carey and Steph, and “Bloodred and Black 2” (Saturday, 9:15 p.m., Morton). Check out a different perspective or learn something new with the “Documentary Shorts” (Saturday, 1 p.m., Morton). “Mind Frames” (Friday, 4 p.m., Flicker) features films specifically about mental health and personal struggle. Support narrative shorts directed and produced by women in “Women in Film” (Friday, 7:15 p.m., Morton). Finally, if you just want to skip straight ahead to the highly-rated films, then try “Best of the Fest” (Sunday, 1 p.m., The Globe) for a mix of the top narrative shorts.
SUPPORT LOCAL: Among the international filmmakers featured in the festival are many of Athens’ and Georgia’s own. Thursday’s opening night feature is Withdrawal (8 p.m., Ciné), a drama about the modern opioid epidemic by Athens-born director Aaron Strand. Based on personal experience and filmed in Athens, Strand states, “In 2013 I crawled back to my hometown of Athens homeless and shaking from withdrawal, just another statistic of the opioid epidemic. I turned to movies to make sense of what I had experienced. This film aims to humanize the opioid crisis and to paint an honest portrait of modern addiction filled with heart, hurt and humor.” American Deadbolt (Friday, 8 p.m., Ciné) is another Athens-produced feature starring Laura Slade Wiggins (“Shameless”), Jayson Warner Smith (“The Walking Dead”) and Jeff Fahey (“Lost”). Producer Clint Ross describes the film as a “character-driven thriller about five restaurant workers trapped during a Fourth of July terrorist attack only to realize the real threat may be among them.” More screen than film, JOKERJOKERtv is hosting a “Local Music Video Showcase” (Saturday, 5 p.m., Flicker). There will also be an “Athens Student Showcase” (Sunday, 2:30 p.m., The Globe) block of shorts with filmmaker discussions. For a medley of Georgia films followed by a Q&A with each filmmaker, check out “Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts 1” (Friday, 2:15 p.m., Ciné) and “Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts 2” (Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Morton).
FEATURE PRESENTATION: In addition to the local feature films Withdrawal (Thursday, 8 p.m., Ciné) and American Deadbolt (Friday, 8 p.m., Ciné), there will be screenings of Mass State Lottery (Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Ciné) and A Cell Phone Movie (Saturday, 8 p.m., Ciné). The feature selection Mass State Lottery is a horror film following New York City’s sloppy private investigator Richard Rathke on a missing person’s case that could be a big opportunity for his career. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. A Cell Phone Movie is the festival’s closing feature, a meta comedy making its U.S. premiere. Writer, director and star Will Sterling inverts reality as an out of work, struggling actor attempting to impress Hollywood by making a movie on his cellphone.
WHAT: Athens Film Festival
WHEN: Aug. 14–17
WHERE: Ciné, Flicker Theatre & Bar, The Globe, Morton Theatre, Paloma Park
HOW MUCH: $20–90
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
