Samantha LaCroix and David Jongebreur give the inside scoop on their latest film festival The cast and crew of Stella and the Woman in the Photo at MSFF The McDonough Storytellers Film Festival (MSFF) took place on the first weekend of June 2026 in McDonough Town Square. The festival was co-hosted by Samantha LaCriox, a filmmaker, and David Jongebreur, the owner of Story on the Square. Inform, Inspire and Ignite The festival had three initiatives: Inform, Inspire and Ignite

Musings on storytelling and orange Tic Tacs ahead of Thursday’s Reel Friends screening A month before I turned nineteen, I took my first screenwriting class. I’d always been a writer, but I had yet to work up the courage to officially tackle a script. The professor—who has since morphed into a longtime mentor for my creative endeavors—opened with a foundational piece of advice, one emblazoned into the hearts and minds of storytellers across time and space: Write what you know

The Georgia director shares behind-the-scenes info ahead of the film's premiere at Tara “Who were you with… before me?” This question doubles as the tagline for the independent feature Before Me, which is slated to world premiere at Atlanta’s Tara Theater on Sunday, June 14. Before Me premieres at Tara Atlanta on June 14th Before Me follows a heartbroken photographer as he falls for an aspiring writer. However, after discovering her secret past, his retroactive jealousy threa

Art Seen ATL tours Roswell's headquarters for creators You42 Studios in Roswell (Photo by Mikey Smith) In the heart of Roswell, You42 Studios is a brand-new hub for creatives of all kinds. Housed inside the old Andretti Indoor Karting on Alpharetta Highway, the space offers a Hollywood backlot-style setup with over a dozen filming locations, a myriad of dining options, and tons of ways to discover art in your own backyard. Art Seen ATL had the pleasure of exploring You42 Stud

The Athens superstars celebrate a victory lap with two of Georgia's favorite groups hallpass performing at Aisle 5 in ATL (Photo by Magali Rivera) Athens, Georgia is a breeding ground for indie and alternative bands, with its bustling venues and nightlife as well as its creative, college-aged clientele. hallpass (stylized as such) formed in late 2022, played their first show that November, and began putting out recorded music the following year. Their debut single “Maine” was

The dark summer counterprogramming stops at the Plaza Theatre this June The 2026 Bleak Week lineup at Plaza Theatre The American Cinematheque, an independent, non-profit cultural organization based in Los Angeles, CA, first began “Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair” in June 2022. The idea was spearheaded by Director of Programming Chris LeMaire as a way to encourage audiences to return to theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic. This exigence for the importance of theatrical

The women of Parachutes talk the band’s multi-genre stage-to-studio journey Rachel Burdge (left) and Megan Faye (right) of Parachutes (Photo by Mikey Smith) Hot and fresh off the musical presses, local rockers Parachutes just released their debut EP, Get Obsessed. Comprised of Megan Faye (vocals), Rachel Burdge (guitar), Scott Ellison (drums), and Neal Aronson (bass), Parachutes fuses garage rock, riot grrrl, and much more for an in-your-face and out-of-this-world sound. On a

Founder Drew Sawyer talks the ATLFF opening night premiere of Idiots The Atlanta premiere of Idiots at ATLFF 50 (Photo by Mikey Smith) “It takes a village, and sometimes a village of lunatics to make a movie,” Moonshine Post Production founder Drew Sawyer humorously said upon taking the stage at the Atlanta Film Festival Opening Night, where he helped introduce a screening of Idiots to a sold-out crowd. Idiots – which follows two down-on-their-luck men forced to work togeth

A hidden-gem documentary that’ll make you yearn for yesteryear When We Were Live screens at ATLFF 50 The in-person run of the 50th Atlanta Film Festival has officially concluded, but the festivities are far from over. The virtual fest is in full swing, inviting audiences from all across the globe to watch some stellar selects from this year’s lineup. As you peruse the catalog, I’d like to recommend a lovely little documentary from the heart of Austin, Texas. When We Were Live

Writer-Director Jared Sprouse and co. give the inside scoop on their zany dark comedy The cast and crew of Party USA (Photo by Nico Hawthorne) Party USA is a firework of a film: it’s bold, it’s colorful, and it sure knows how to pack a punch. The dark comedy describes itself as “a downward spiral of red, white, and blue-collared chaos,” charting a disgruntled retail worker’s (Ainsley Seiger) journey to undo the fallout following an uncovered shift at a party store. Ahead of t

13 years after its initial release, Ponsoldt's Georgia-based love story still remains a landmark in the state's filmmaking journey ATLFF's revival screening of James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now When you search the keywords “Georgia filmmaker” or “Directors from Georgia,” you will almost always come across the name James Ponsoldt. Ponsoldt, an Athens native, has been directing feature films and television for over twenty years. From his first film, Off the Black, to 2015’

Four panelists gather at ATLFF 50's Creative Conference to discuss the importance of audio in filmmaking The Audio Post panel at the Atlanta Film Festival (Photo via My Global Presence) Filmmakers, editors and sound engineers filled the Jack Auditorium at the Tara Theater this week during the Atlanta Film Festival to learn about audio from four seasoned veterans, with over a hundred years of experience combined. Elise Riley, CEO and founder of My Global Presence, served as mo

Writer-director Costa Karalis invites audiences to experience this North Florida “magic trick” Frogtown director Costa Karalis promoting the film at ATLFF 50 (Photo by Mikey Smith) If there’s one mission on filmmaker Costa Karalis’ mind, it’s to make movies unlike anything audiences have seen before. Karalis’ debut feature, Frogtown, had its Atlanta premiere on Saturday at the 50th Atlanta Film Festival. The film played to a sold-out audience, with a line of s

The writer-director crafts a darkly funny tale of love, secrets, and corporate power The cast and crew of Third at ATLFF 50 (Photo by Mikey Smith) A husband stuck in a rut. A wife hungry for more. A handsome stranger falling from the sky. What could possibly go wrong? Atlanta-based feature Third had its world premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival on Friday. Created with an insanely talented local crew, the film is a shocking tale of twists and turns that holds far more than

The program kicks off with two projects proudly produced in the heart of the ATL ATLFF preparing for their 50th film festival (Photo by Mikey Smith) As the sun set over Poncey-Highland on Thursday, the 50th Atlanta Film Festival kicked off at the historic Plaza Theatre. Arguably the city’s biggest film event, the 11-day festival runs from April 23 to May 3 and is set to welcome a plethora of creatives from all across the globe. From screenings and Q&As to filmmaker meetups an

The R&B-pop hitmaker dishes on her newest album ATL's Jai'Len Josey releases her newest record Serial Romantic (Photo by Respective Collective) With her bold Southern flair and bubbly personality, Jai’Len Josey is a multi-talented artist from the heart of East Atlanta. The rising starlet is charming audiences with her brand-new album, Serial Romantic, and thanks to °1824, Art Seen ATL had the chance to chat with Josey ahead of the project’s release. Josey’s love of music bega

The band muses on Muscle ahead of their headlining gig at Eddie’s Attic Perfect Animal ahead of their headlining Eddie's Attic show (Photo by Mikey Smith) Perfect Animal is, in every sense, a dream team. The four-piece rock group has developed a reputation in the scene for their introspective lyrics, genre-bending instrumentation, and stellar production. Armed with a brand-new release (and several more on the way), the band is fully in their element and are gearing up for an

Reflections Ahead of Reel Friends’ One-Night-Only Event Haynes and Bale doing press for Velvet Goldmine (from MovieStillsDB) “The idea is to create a world in which reality, fantasy, and memory each have equal weight.” - Todd Haynes, Velvet Goldmine commentary track There is a scene early on in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America in which two characters, both strangers, share a dream. In this dream they encounter a phenomenon they call the “threshold of revelation,” which al

North Georgia heats up with local rock! Summer In the Psych Ward performing at Moe's Record Shop (Photo by Yoselin Madrid) North Georgia may have been in a bit of a cold rut but coincidentally, the region started to warm up after the three band show Moe’s Record Shop held on Friday. Summer In The Psych Ward , 7th Try , and UNIQO didn't just warm up Moe’s, but the entirety of Gainesville. UNIQO with their garage/indie infused rock, 7th Try with their identifiable alternative

Executive Director Jessie Sparrow dives into the non-profit’s mission of belonging As the world looks towards the future of storytelling, Georgia’s own RE:IMAGINE ATL is on the front lines of fostering the next generation of creatives. What began as a music video summer camp quickly evolved into a media education and workforce development center that has serviced over 7,500 young people. Founded by Susan Spiccia in 2014, the non-profit offers courses, camps, and creative opp