RECAP: 50th Atlanta Film Festival Opens With "Idiots" and "The Birth of Trap Music"
- Olivia Smith
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The program kicks off with two projects proudly produced in the heart of the ATL
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 and artist seminars, the fest offers a wide variety of exciting opportunities you won’t want to miss.
This year’s ATLFF program opened with two Georgia-grown projects: Idiots and The Birth of Trap Music. Check out Art Seen ATL’s recap of these screenings, along with some exclusive red carpet photos and interviews:
IDIOTS – Dir. Macon Blair (U.S. Wide Release August 28, 2026)
To those rallying the cry for the return of studio comedies, Idiots just might be the answer you’ve been searching for: a balls-to-the-wall, non-stop journey of chaos and comedy. The film follows down-on-his-luck Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and grade-A catastrophe Mark (Dave Franco) as they attempt to escort a troublesome rich kid (Mason Thames) to rehab. Filmed and edited in Georgia, this kickoff screening was a homecoming of sorts for the festival darling (is festival doofus more on-brand?). Christopher Escobar, owner of the Plaza and Tara Theatres and Executive Director of the festival, remarked on the film’s impressive run during the post-screening Q&A, noting that it sold out repeatedly at Sundance and South by Southwest.
On the red carpet, Jackson dished to us that director Macon Blair encouraged him to watch comedy classics like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Midnight Run to get a tonal feel for the project. It’s intimidating to try to live up to the greats, but Idiots does a wonderful job of paying tribute to the hijinks of its predecessors while also “adding [its] own flavor,” in Jackson’s words. “I think you can only do that when you’re a student of the game like Macon,” the actor shared. “[He’s] somebody who knows the genre, knows the flavor that things are supposed to be, but also lets his actors breathe and do their own thing.”
Without giving too much away, Idiots is chock full of jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud moments. The screening was totally sold out—I got lucky and snagged a last-minute standby seat in one of the Plaza’s upstairs overflow theaters. The audience cackled, gasped, and yelped at the onscreen escapades from the story’s ragtag crew. There are a handful of wonderful cameos, but Nicholas Braun’s character seemed to get the most laughs out of my crowd. I’ll spare you any spoilers, but during the Q&A, producer Alex Orr revealed that a pre-Succession Braun auditioned with a 12-minute music video of him interacting with strangers whilst in character. The Idiots crew was so tickled by Braun’s commitment to the bit that they knew he was a lock, and he truly delivers an unforgettable performance as Pricka Bush.
In true Art Seen ATL fashion, we’d be remiss to not ask the stars of Idiots about the project’s Georgia roots. We chatted with Atlanta native Najah Bradley (Crystal) ahead of the screening about the significance of the film finally returning to her hometown. “[I’m] literally floating,” she grinned. “I’m incredibly grateful for every experience I’ve gotten, like being born here, deciding to stay here, and pursue a career in the arts here and then to be a part of these major films with these incredible directors and incredible casts is like, ‘Pinch me.’” Bradley also shouted out some local ATL restaurants at the top of her current favorites list, including dessert haven Bar ANA, “hidden gem” Whoopsie’s, and hybrid bar/coffee shop/taco joint Muchacho. “I’m going outside more and more because Atlanta is such a turntable,” she explained. “Every year, I feel like something new is happening or something is evolving, so I just want to do it all.”
In addition to sharing his love of Atlanta staples Waffle House and JJ Fish and Chicken (“I don’t know what they put in their little seasoning, but that is fire”), Jackson closed our red carpet interview by talking about his relationship with this city over the years. “I shot Den of Thieves here, I shot [Godzilla: The King of Monsters] here, I did Just Mercy here, and now Idiots, so I’m well versed,” the actor said. “Please keep film in Atlanta! Keep film in Atlanta.”
THE BIRTH OF TRAP MUSIC – Dir. Christopher Scholar (Full Series Coming Soon)
After mingling at the Plaza’s larger-than-life afterparty, I headed back inside to the LeFont for The Birth of Trap Music, a short documentary about the intricate history of the ever-evolving genre. Produced by Tip “T.I.” Harris and Drumma Boy, the doc played to packed house, full of fans of the artists behind the project and those hungry to learn more about where the music came from.
The event marked the world premiere of the first episode of The Birth of Trap Music, and it only made sense for this limited series to make its debut in Atlanta. The ATL is one of many birthplaces of the genre and has incubated some of its most iconic artists, including founding fathers like Gucci Mane, and Young Jeezy. The episode featured interview footage filmed at the Trap Music Museum on the Westside, and in a city where rap, hip hop, and Black art are so crucial to the culture, it’s incredibly valuable to see Atlanta’s contributions to the conversation onscreen.
During the post-screening Q&A, Harris noted that this project had been in the works for quite some time, but it wasn’t until recently that he and Drumma Boy decided to bring the vision to life. “I’ve been thinking we could do something on the origins of the genre [...] but it wasn’t until Drumma approached me and said ‘Ayo, I’ve been working on this thing,’” Harris shared. Drumma Boy added that they’ve been involved with the project for nearly two years, working alongside the production team to capture the message at the heart of the documentary. “[We’ve] just been making sure the story is told the right way, and it’s included in the writing, because you know how everybody wants to tell somebody else’s story and they might not tell it appropriately,” he explained. “While we’re alive and living, let’s put this together and just unify. The producers, the engineers, the artists, the executives, the DJs [...], everybody that’s been part of it. Let’s do it.”
What sets The Birth of Trap Music apart from other rap-related documentaries is its desire to dig deeper than the surface—the project is not merely an exploration of the music’s origins, but rather the commodification and sociopolitical complexities underneath the genre. The doc digs into the contexts that shaped trap, while also alluding to the intervention of record labels and music execs to profit off the lived experiences behind these songs. With more on the way, this opening episode provided the perfect glimpse into what’s to come from the creatives behind The Birth of Trap Music.
Article by Olivia Smith. Photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
