From legacy favorites to future headliners, the ASA staff reveals who they're most excited for at this year's edition of the city's favorite festival ASA reveals who they're most excited for at Shaky Knees 2026 (Photo Credit: Ismael Quintanilla III) It’s official: we’re one week out from Shaky Knees! Atlanta’s favorite rock fest is right around the corner, and fans are counting down the hours until Piedmont Park opens its stages and gates. This year’s lineup is stacked, to sa

The third annual Athens Film Festival took place from Aug. 27-30, featuring over 100 independent films across six venues. Executive Director Chuck Griffin provides insights into the intricacies behind this year’s edition The Third Annual Athens Film Festival (Photo Credit: Rouse Photography) The Athens Film Festival kicked off its 2026 festivities on Aug. 27, beginning a four-day-long celebration of cinema that concluded on Aug. 30. The festival, located in the heart of downt

Two rising bands in the indie rock scene team up for a co-headlining show at one of Athens' favorite venues Winyah performing at Georgia Theatre in Athens (Photo by Magali Rivera) Winyah kicked off their co-headlining tour with Penelope Road at the tail end of August, ending the run of shows in the Southeast with two nights in Athens, GA. The indie rock band from Pawleys Island, South Carolina has spent their summer playing everything from headline gigs to festival slots to o

The interns of The Masquerade bring together local favorites for a presentation at their Altar stage Karma Kat at "Join Our Jam" hosted by The Masquerade (Photo by Javier Bastidas) On August 8th, the summer interns from the ever-iconic Atlanta venue, The Masquerade, came together to host their “Join our Jam” event. Three local talents took to the stage to show of their unique blend of genres as they continue to make their names known within Atlanta’s music scene. DARKSOULSTHU

The guitarist discusses the group's evolution as well as their latest record, Historia (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino) This Thursday, the Gipsy Kings will be returning to Atlanta to perform at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with founding guitarist Tonino Baliardo. The flamenco family band has embarked on a nostalgic journey through their careers as they share Historia, an album developed whilst filming a retrospective documentary. Ahead of their u

The multi-genre songstress gears up for her new album, I Hate You Marcus Johnson PJ opening for J. Cole's The Fall Off Tour (Photo Courtesy of Jeff Lewis) If you were lucky enough to score tickets to either of J. Cole’s State Farm Arena shows this weekend, chances are you had the opportunity to watch opener PJ crush it onstage. The rising star has written for a laundry list of your hip-hop, R&B, and pop artists, and she’s featured on “Legacy,” a fan-favorite track from J. Col

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