The inaugural Athens Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, Aug. 15. Billing itself as “3 Days, 4 Venues, 80+ Films,” the new event is filled with movies, movies and more movies (also some partying in the business casual dress of “networking”). From Thursday to Saturday, Ciné, Flicker, The Globe and the Morton Theater were taken over by well-curated shorts, features and film lovers. As the irascible shark hunter Quint growled, “Y’all know me. Know how I earn a livin’.” Let’s go (back) to the movies!
Thursday
Flicker had the honor of kicking off the festival with a screening where seats were so scarce, a few patrons chose the floor over missing out on the animated action. Everybody loves animation, right? What better, more crowd-pleasing way to kick off the festivities than with a bunch of light-hearted, anthropomorphic animals traipsing through the woods singing songs!
Wait, the world is ending in the festival’s first short, “Au Revoir, Mon Monde!” “Lost Child” has a trigger warning! WTF, “Primogeniture”? Where are all the cute, fluffy animals? “Cold-Blooded” has a sweet Nemo-like fish… who wants to eat a guy! Global animation goes hard, guys.
After a well-attended kickoff party at Ciné, crowds jostled to get a seat in a packed-out theater for the Southern U.S. premiere of Ugly Sweater (reviews of all films can be found below). The film was welcomed by laughs, gasps and applause, and the subsequent Q&A with filmmaker Lauren Musgrove, co-writer Gemma Farquhar, star Deja Monique Cruz, co-star Kallie Tabor and composer Allyn Hanks offered an enlightening, frank, pleasant discussion of the struggles and successes of independent filmmaking.
Next it was on to The Globe for some laughs. I missed the opening standup performance due to the Ugly Sweater Q&A, but was able to get into the standing room only venue to catch the Laugh Your Ath Off Comedy Shorts. Read to the end for brief reviews of “Losing It,” “CTL ALT Defeat,” “The Little Death,” “The Showstopper” and “Autographed by God.” Comedy is hard, and while no short was devoid of laughs, the drinks might have flowed more abundantly. International Cinéma closed out the opening night with the “Best in the Globe Narrative Shorts” at the Globe, where an Afterglow Party raged simultaneously; alas, both were past my bedtime on a school night.
Friday
Friday’s action shifted to the historic Morton Theater, while also broadening the options available to festival attendees. Those in the biz could kick off the day with a workshop led by UGA’s Marty Lang and local filmmaker Aaron Strand about “The Power of the Audience: Crowdfunding and Crowdsourcing in Independent Film.” The day’s first films started at Ciné with the first of three sets of “Reel Peaches” featuring homegrown films from across the state, including the excellent “Chessboxer,” which I’ll fortunately catch later.
As the evening films approached, the day’s first choice had to be made. Should I check out Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts 2 at the Morton or Best in the Globe 2 at the Globe? I chose to stay close to home and see what Georgia had to offer. The films—“Prelude of a Story,” “Midnight Run,” “Proud,” “The Magic Ticket” and “Chipper”—were mostly excellent, with “Chipper” being an early contender for the festival’s best short. The post-film Q&A with filmmakers Ashley Salman, Phil Stevens, Denise Santos, Kaleb Rodriguez and Jayson Warner Smith was enlightening without devolving into effusive self-congratulation.
The second choice of the day was even tougher. The festival’s second feature, the world premiere of Mike Cuenca’s Boys About Town #1, loomed at the Globe, while the Women in Film Narrative Shorts were happening at the Morton. I hung around the Morton and was not disappointed. Included were two of the festival’s best shorts, “How about My Lipstick?” and “Nobody,” as well as “Leila,” student film “Dots & Dashes” and an encore of “The Little Death.” The ensuing Q&A was the festival’s best yet; Brazilian filmmaker Kathia Calil of “How about My Lipstick?” blended intriguing insight into the world of foreign, independent filmmaking with the excitement of someone who truly loves to make movies.
After Calil’s ebullient Q&A, a raucous crowd stuck around for the Bloodred & Black Horror Shorts. I can only assume the festival’s more sedate attendees were down the road at The Globe for another round of Best in the Globe Narrative Shorts. At the Morton, we were ready for blood, guts and gore (at least I was). Well, the gore did not flow; the Bloodred & Black shorts skewed more funny and subversive (“A Terrible Place,” “White Gaze” and “Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors,”) than bloody and gory. I was in the mood for more fake guts like Argentina’s standout, dinner party with a twist, “Devour,” or overt scares like “Parasonnia.”
Unfortunately, the well-attended and well-received horror shorts let out too late for me to make it over to Ciné for the late-night feature, The Founder Effect, starring Greg Sestero (The Room). Anyone not ready for bed could have headed over for Friday’s Afterglow Party at Paloma Park.
Saturday
The final day of the festival kicked off after lunch with an influx of new attendees either hanging out with the filmmakers at a pre-screening happy hour or attending one of the only documentaries, Finding Purpose: The Brookwood Story, at the Morton. Choices abounded for the next block. You had episodic content at Ciné, where the TV showcase featured pilots for “Heebuck” and “The Countdown.” The post-screening buzz for both was strong, and I wish I had seen them. The next feature, Hungary’s The First Two, showed concurrently at Ciné. I attended Ciné’s standing-room-only Jury-Nominated Shorts session solely to rewatch Kathia Calil’s festival favorite, “How about My Lipstick?,” and catch Albin Pepe’s “Chessboxer,” both of which ended up on my Best of Fest list; be sure to check out my impressions for each film below. The other films selected by the Jury were “Offerlamm,” “The Leak” and “Nobody.”
Encores dominated the next hour for anyone who missed the Best in the Globe or Laugh Your Ath Off shorts. I intended to head to The Globe for the foreign films, but the Q&A with Calil and the cast/crew of “Chessboxer” bled into that hour. Calil charmed another crowd without repeating herself from the previous night’s Q&A, and the makers of “Chessboxer” impressed those in attendance. Keep your eye on Pepe and his collaborators like cinematographer Kelsey Schmitt; you should be seeing their names in future credits.
The festival’s last push included the Closing Night Feature, Out and About (see review below), which I had already watched on Tubi (you can too; I recommend it). Unfortunately, filmmaker Peter Callahan was sick and could not make it. A well-attended screening of student shorts ran concurrently at the Morton. I remember my days making student films, which can be rough to watch; there was not a dud among “A Pause in Time,” “Imposter,” “Who Is She?,” “Pink Lemonade,” “Sterling,” “Offerlamm” (for a third time) and “Hostage,” all of which I review below.
The Athens Film Office sponsored the third collection of local Georgia shorts, the last fresh screening of the festival (only an encore of the horror shorts still awaited the brave). I would say “Guest with Benefits,” “The School Mistress,” “Nana Dara Is Gay” and “Wokman” were the best the state had to offer, but “Chessboxer” from Reel Peaches 1 set the bar too high. Filmmakers from each short offered insights into their production to the openhearted crowd. Unfortunately, I missed Jeremy Thao’s “Wokman” so I could find out who won the awards.
The Awards Ceremony nicely capped off this first annual event. Who were the big winners of a trophy playfully realized as an okra turned into a film reel? The Student Short award went to “Offerlamm,” which I can get behind (I wound up seeing it three times!). The Animated Short honor went to “The Leak,” which I appreciated more on a second viewing. In a bit of a surprise (though not the biggest), the honestly risqué “Nobody” was handed Narrative Short. “How about My Lipstick?” surprised no one when it deservedly won Foreign Short. An ecstatic Calil picked up her Okreel (I’m working on it) in person; this award is her first but should not be her last. In a smart move, “Chessboxer,” which I thought might get Narrative Short, received the award for Georgia Short. The prize for Narrative Feature was apparently the toughest to decide and went to Callahan’s accomplished Out and About. A special Townie prize was awarded to The Globe for going above and beyond.
That’s a wrap, and that’s all, folks! Congratulations to director Chuck Griffin and everyone who worked on the Athens Film Festival, both paid and volunteer! I hope you were able to celebrate the fruition of your hard work at the closing party at Little Kings. I am already looking forward to next year!
Reviews
“A Pause in Time”: Natalia Sophia Gonzalez’s student film shows potential as she recounts a personal tale of love in the time of COVID-19. Kylie Cunningham’s affecting performance as Rose will look nice in her portfolio.
“A Terrible Place”: Directors Victor Sanchez-beato and Simarro Lozano deliver a quixotic short about a young girl, her imaginary friend dressed as a rabbit and a scary man making a poisonous sandwich. A cool nod to De Palma’s split diopter shots is the standout moment in this quick, quirky short I doubt I’ll think about again.
“Au Revoir Mon Monde”: If Pixar took on the end of the world, it might be something like this fun, animated short about a guy dressed up as sushi finding love as the world ends. Imaginative set pieces and creative character design make Estelle Bonnardel’s student film a highlight of the animated shorts.
“Autographed by God”: Two missionaries run into a guy who claims to be God but goes by Petey. They wind up fighting over the Good Book he autographs. Director Bill Doty leaves an impression with a bloody climax, metal soundtrack, and winky performances by Joshua Malloy and Mason Dotson.
“Bon Appetit”: Sasha Kobrina’s student film is like an adaptation of the song about the old woman who swallowed a fly. It’s too light and breezy to leave more than a fleetingly positive impression.
“Chessboxer”: UGA MFA student Albin R. Pepe’s brutal boxing short may be making its world premiere at the Athen Film Festival, but its festival journey should be long. Shot in gorgeous black and white to a classical score à la Raging Bull, this Rocky-ish redemption tale of a chessboxer climbing the ranks after a cheating scandal has plenty of room to grow into a future. Pepe proudly displays his cinematic influences, but the film never feels like it is trying to be Raging Bull; it’s a completely different entity organically grown from its seed. Actors Julian Barros and Eliseo Arreola sell the boxing better than some professional features; stunt coordinator Paul Burke deserved the multiple mentions in the Q&A. One of the most ambitious shorts I saw at the Athens Film Festival, it never outpunches its reach, making it a technical knockout. And yes, chessboxing is a real thing. Flagpole’s Best in Fest
“Chipper”: Atlanta native Jayson Warner Smith produces and stars as an estranged son dealing with his bedridden father’s choice to die on his own terms. Smith’s performance could anchor a feature, and the delicate subject matter is softly handled by director Shaun MacLean and writing duo Ruckus and Lane Skye. FBF
“Cold Blooded”: Anna Argiros has dark fun with this claymation subversion of an Aesop fable that stands tall amongst the animated shorts.
“CTL ALT Defeat”: UGA students Taylor Shults and Katie Ree offer a delightful take on AI with the world premiere of their short, a highlight of the Laugh Your Ath Off slate.
“Devour”: Argentine filmmakers Andrés Borghi and Ivan Rojas twist the popular zombie genre with this bloody dinner party that would get my prize for Best Horror Short.
“Dots & Dashes”: Liana Jordan’s student film about an angry, young woman and her hospitalized grandfather welcomes viewers into its conclusion with one of the festival’s most well-chosen extreme close-ups.
“Egg Chamber”: The claymation in Sijua Wang’s exploration of gender and sexuality was unpleasant, but I have thought more about this short than many of the others.
“Electra Wasp”: Wasan Hayajneh’s experimental student film about Amelia Earhart opens intriguingly but leaves little of an impression amongst the festival’s strong animated selections.
“Guests with Benefits:” Georgia’s Actor’s Army produced this world premiere short from the mind of writer and star Daisy Pareja. A woman must find a new tenant for her family home before 3 pm, else the doors be locked to them forever. The short is funny and engagingly constructed with the energy of a classic screwball comedy.
“Hostage”: This student film from Trevor Cebulski and Anna Rodman should be optioned by a studio right now. The script following a group of high schoolers playing together one last time could be polished and turned into the next Superbad. As is, “Hostage” is already funnier than the last few studio-made teen comedies I have seen. The unknown cast amps up the energy as well as the sense that all these madcap shenanigans could really happen. I loved it! FBF
“How about My Lipstick?”: Kathia Calil’s short film closed out the female-led slate and won the prize for Foreign Narrative Short. Calil took a true story related to her on Instagram and constructed her own version of a ‘70s revenge flick, starring herself as Elena, a woman dealing with the aftermath of a violent relationship. Lipstick plays a crucial role; I do not want to ruin anything. Know that it was shot for $1,000 and looks like it cost far more. The propulsive score sets an insanely tense atmosphere. Calil is a filmmaker to watch. If you ever run into this film, make plans to watch it. FBF
“Icepick”: While nice to look at, Nadia Amadou’s “Icepick” is entirely too redolent of the endless antics of Ice Age’s Scrat.
“Imposter”: This student film from Jordan Faniel tackles the heavy topics of race, identity and authenticity without sinking itself. The final shot of actress Savannah Dowling blossoming from black and white to color is brilliant.
“I Want, I Can’t, I Won’t”: In João Victor Montuori’s depiction of a tiny rebellion, a waitress refuses to give her manager a cigarette. Her overreaction lights one of the top comedy shorts in the festival.
“The Leak”: Another student film, Paola Cubillos’s quiet, introspective animated short about a leaky apartment got lost amongst other, more assertive animated shorts in the first screening; good for the jury for remembering it enough to award it the Animated Short prize. The stop-motion animation stuns, but so does the narrative ambiguity.
“Leila”: A Lebanese filmmaker makes a fateful return to Beirut in this energetic film from writer-director Pamela C. Saade. Spending some more time with the energetic Leila would have left a more lasting impression.
“The Little Death”: Autumn Palen’s fun look at self-pleasure and Catholic guilt, “The Little Death,” received more laughs at the Women in Film Showcase than the comedy one. Jude Salazar and Nina Conception deliver some of the festival’s strongest comic performances.
“Losing It”: Christine Grobelny plumbs the depths of sex comedy as a 30-something tries to lose her virginity on her birthday. Genre tropes are on full display, but the funny, gay best friend and cougar mom prove tried and true additions, rather than subtractions.
“Lost Child”: SCAD’s Briana Renea Jones conjures memories of Rankin/Bass-era animation in a memorable addition to the festival’s strong animated entries.
“The Magic Ticket”: Yelena Krivosheyeva’s “The Magic Ticket” overcomes some heavy-handedness with true sincerity in its depiction of homelessness and its complicated connection to the military and sexual assault.
“Midnight Run”: Director Phil Stevens and star Denise Santos confront domestic violence head-on in an extremely effective film conceived to raise funds for a Georgia church.
“Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors”: Chris Ethridge’s horror-comedy successfully mixes its blood with a dark bit of dreamy Groundhog’s Day antics.
“Nana Dara Is Gay”: Conceived as an attempt to launch a limited series based on Tammy Lynne Stoner’s novel Sugar Land, “Nana Dara Is Gay” is an all-around hit with excellent performances from local actress Sheri Mann Stewart and Theresa Burkhart Gallagher and eye-popping mise-en-scene thanks to period perfect set and costumes.
“Nobody”: Director, writer and star Marcela Jacobina reveals a week in the life of an online sex worker, a world for which many audience members have no schema. Racy without being explicit, “Nobody” smartly juxtaposes her objectification and her struggles to love and find herself when she is so often asked to play someone else at the whims of her paying clientele. As if that were not enough, throw in the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships. FBF
“Offerlamm”: Ken Burns’s “The Civil War” meets Midsommar as a sheep writes a letter to his sister while preparing for ritualistic slaughter. Tova Persson’s student film is top five in multiple categories (Student Short and Animated Short). FBF
Out and About: Currently available on Tubi, Out and About is like one of those features you hear or read about at Sundance that some studio pays millions of dollars for, as is. It is not hard to imagine writer-director-star Peter Callahan’s feature experiencing a good arthouse run were it to star that actor everyone recognizes but no one can name; Callahan reminds me of Peter Berg or Bruce Greenwood. As middle-aged Jeff Fisher ponders a big professional decision, he walks the streets of his old hometown, running into old flames, fiery aggro homeowners, even his ex-wife and his replacement. While walking, Peter’s stream of consciousness is vocalized via voiceover, and surprisingly, a movie that reads slow and dull on paper makes for a brisk, droll watch. Sure, Jeff can come off a little too smug, but aren’t we all a little smug in our own heads? Spending a feature film with another person’s inner self may not seem necessary in our modern world where social media incentivizes us to trumpet every thought, especially those we used to hide from everyone else. Still, we all keep posting and scrolling anyway; why not experience it the old-fashioned way, via the big screen and a voiceover? FBF
“Parasonnia”: Italian filmmaker Angelo Cannella’s short dives into the horror of sleep paralysis and reminds me of David F. Sandburg’s calling card, “Lights Out.”
“Pink Lemonade”: Student filmmaker Santiago Lopez drops his hazy, wonderfully absurd “Pink Lemonade” in its world premiere. He references ‘70s films like Harold and Maude and concludes with a French version of Neil Diamond’s “Song Sung Blue;” I dug it, man.
“Prelude of a Story”: Ashley Salman’s debut film documents the effects of her mother’s passing through home video footage both uncomfortable and comforting.
“Primogeniture”: Another student film, Savanna Menzel’s horrifying animated short builds a world where breaking curfew means death for a young girl or her brother. This short could have (should have?) been included with the Bloodred & Black Horror Shorts. FBF
“Proud”: A young man comes out to his father in Mya-Breyana Morton’s local short. The strong, emotional performances are hampered by subtitles that could use a once-over by an editor. Lots of people probably will not notice; I wish I had not.
“The School Mistress”: UGA MFA student Alex Richard Thomas brings his love of Chekhov to the screen in an adaptation of “In the Cart.” Excellent location scouting in northeast Georgia, period attire for lead actress Emma Rose Wagner, and a lush score from Bethany Lambert highlight a short that would fit perfectly alongside GPB’s literary fare.
“The Showstopper”: Aaron Sorkin would love the long takes and walk-and-talks as love dies during a theatrical disaster. Alexander Salomon’s student film, a fact which undoubtedly hampered its casting (not bad performances, just age-inappropriate), is worth seeking out.
“The Sprayer”: Farnoosh Abedi’s animated short is stunning and makes me question my pick of “Primogeniture” or “Offerlamm” for best Animated Short. His fascist-dominated world where all plants are outlawed has feature potential. FBF
“Sterling”: The best comment I can possibly make about Gunnar Sizemore’s student film is I did not thnk it was a student film; having the recognizable face of a working actor like Malcolm Goodwin goes a long way to establish professionalism. However, it is Lester Purry’s monologue that sells it successfully.
“Tent City”: Due to its subject matter, Camille Angelina Romero’s student film should have made a deeper impression; however, its credits have more impact than its animation.
Ugly Sweater: UGA professor Lauren Musgrove’s feature debut will forever be the feature that opened the Athens Film Festival and sets a strong, steady tone for the narrative features to follow. In the timeworn tradition of the coming-of-age genre, anxious teen Ruby (Deja Monique Cruz) navigates the Ivy League admissions process, while balancing first love with puppy dog sweetheart Blake (Brendan Egan). Lucky Ruby has supportive parents (Andrea Lyman and Christian Cibotti) and a goofy best friend, Alice (Kallie Tabor), none of whom can conquer her self-doubt and insecurity. Musgrove and co-writer Gemma Farquhar offer a sweet, honest view into modern-ish (its set in 2011-12) young adulthood. Small, independent features often need a grading curve when it comes to critical assessment, but Ugly Sweater breaks the curve. Cruz is the most noticeable asset as she’s in nearly every frame; her Ruby is fragile, tough, sweet, and funny (no doubt thanks to the guidance of Musgrove and co-writer Farquhar’s words). Hopefully, this film will catch on and shoot her to the bigger things she deserves. Musgrove also makes her teen drama unique by incorporating stop-motion dreams and the titular sweater, which sparkles like the night sky (stars and space play a large role in the narrative). The film’s absence of music in several key moments is far more affecting considering how effectively composer Allyn Hanks scores the rest. She inspires the Christmas scenes with “Charlie Brown” piano musings and a fiery dream with the electronic chords of John Carpenter; it fits the film as perfectly as that ugly sweater. Check it out if it ever screens again in town. FBF
“White Gaze”: In its Southern U.S. premiere, ETA’s centerpiece, “White Gaze,” is intriguing, well-acted (props to Gema Rubi, Shannon Gibbs, and Alain Argueta), well-shot (its street level view of Gema’s apartment reminded me of John Carpenter’s underrated Prince of Darkness), atmospherically scored and ultimately unfinished. I adore the ‘70s and ‘80s social commentary disguised as horror film (“White Gaze” may very well be Rosemary’s Baby) so remain intrigued by a feature extension where that scary white girl and the horrors of gentrification are given a more overtly horrific last act, à la Hereditary.
“Who Is She?”: Nadia Cox and her collaborators take a supernatural shot at small-minded church groups as a young woman struggling within herself, who finds help from a mysterious woman, identified as an extraterrestrial in the Q&A with filmmakers. The filmmakers still love this movie despite their own admissions that they have grown since making this first collaboration.
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