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 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

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

The festival ended with a screening of one of the year's most anticipated features Boots Riley and Taylour Paige's Q/A at ATLFF 50 (Photo by Mikey Smith) Boots Riley is back and he’s taking no prisoners. The multi-hyphenate artist appeared for the closing night of the 50th Atlanta Film Festival at the historic Plaza Theatre to present his latest film, I Love Boosters. Boots Riley at ATLFF 50 (Photo by Mikey Smith) In typical Boots Riley fashion – the same auteur that brought

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

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

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

Honnie Korngold, founder of CineVantage Honnie Korngold has worn many hats. She’s the founder of Athens-based production company CineVantage , along with workforce development nonprofit PhilanthroFilms and the Georgia Storylab creator hub. As she’s watched the film industry shift, sink, and soar over the years, this producer learned a crucial lesson that’s kept her afloat: the important of pivoting. Originally from Los Angeles, Korngold got her start in travel events, orch

"Inconceivable!" A live table read of William Goldman's The Princess Bride hosted by Reel Friends (Photo by Mikey Smith) There’s no better cure for the February blues than a storybook adventure. On Sunday, Reel Friends hosted their first live table read event, reenacting William Goldman’s beloved script, The Princess Bride. Housed in the historic Avon Theatre , it was a night full of fairytales, swordfights, and of course, twoo wuv. The cast, listed below, was an all-star sh

The multi-hyphenate challenges Georgians to shift the narrative surrounding the local arts scene Withdrawal director/writer/editor Aaron Strand Indie. In both movies and music, the term has lost much of its original meaning. What was once a proud signifier of independent, unconstrained production is now often minimized to a marker of genre or aesthetic. As big-budget companies continue to misconstrue the label for their own use, filmmaker Aaron Strand is here to show that tr

A Georgia-grown sports flick gears up for a groundbreaking national release If there’s one thing Signing Tony Raymond proves, it’s that good things come to those who wait. The film industry is notorious for overlooking the little guy. Though the studio system of Old Hollywood is long gone, the field is still dominated by big players. Investors tend to avoid taking chances on smaller projects and opt for familiar faces to fill seats. This weekend, sports dramedy Signing Tony