Back in March, I announced that I would, for the second year in a row, be covering the Atlanta Film Festival. And then, COVID-19 and the pandemic happened, throwing film festivals for a loop, with some cancelling all together like Cannes, and others going to virtual formats, like Fantasia Fest, which I am currently knee deep in covering. The Atlanta Film Festival postponed until September 17-27, and I’ve been awaiting to hear word on what it would look like, with Georgia still getting hit hard with cases.
Yesterday, we received that word, and it looks like the Atlanta Film Festival will be going to a hybrid virtual/drive-in format, inspired- no doubt- by the success this summer the festival’s home theatre, the Plaza Atlanta, has had with their pop-up drive-in format, which has been great fun to patron over the summer, as I’ve seen films like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, “A Fistful of Dollars”, “The Goonies”, and one of this year’s early announcements for the festival, “John Lewis: Good Trouble”, about the late, great Civil Rights leader. As much as I’m enjoying the virtual experience of Fantasia Fest in allowing me to cover an out-of-country festival from the comfort of my own home, I cannot wait to (hopefully) experience some new movies with an audience again, even if we’re separated by our respective vehicles.
When they announce the schedule, I will have more for you, including my prospective line-up of films to cover. For now, though, I hope you enjoy the deep dive into Fantasia Fest!
2020 Atlanta Film Festival: The Reviews
“John Lewis: Good Trouble”
“Climate of the Hunter”
2020 Atlanta Film Festival
Announcement
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
