The time has come, once again, for the Atlanta Film Festival. My schedule will be a bit different, on account of having a work schedule that is more amiable to nighttime screenings- and weekends off- so it will be nice to have some normalcy return to my festival.
Last year was a much needed respite from the stress of work and personal matters. This year, it will be my first film festival of the year, with Marietta’s Renegade Film Festival taking the year off, and I cannot wait to dive into some of the smaller documentaries and narrative features they have, as well as see who will be around to discuss their films. Like last year, my coverage will span here at Sonic Cinema, In Their Own League, the podcast as well as the YouTube channel, as well as Patreon for short films. From the looks of what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a great year.
Some of my schedule is not yet set in stone, but I look forward to seeing the following between April 25-May 5.
In-Person Screenings
=“The Idea of You” (Dir. Michael Showalter; Opening Night on April 26 at 7pm at the Plaza)- Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.
=“Thelma” (Dir. Josh Margolin; April 27 at 1pm at the Tara)- When 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
=“A Song for Imogene” (Dir. Erika Arlee; April 27 at 4:15pm at the Plaza)- Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Cheyenne, a once free-spirited songwriter, flees in the night from her possessive boyfriend, Alex. Back in her rural hometown, Cheyenne faces her bitter mother and reunites with her vagabond sister, Janelle: now a single mother to a five-year-old son. The two rekindle their sisterhood and Cheyenne’s forgotten dreams. Meanwhile, Alex discovers evidence of the hidden pregnancy and decides to chase Cheyenne down, challenging her to break a generational cycle of abuse. Immersive in its realism, A SONG FOR IMOGENE is a story of grit set against the grueling landscape of the American South that explores issues of abuse, trauma, and the female bid for independence.
=“I Saw the TV Glow” (Dir. Jane Schoenbrun; April 27 at 7pm at the Plaza)- Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.
=“The Body Politic” (Dir. Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough; April 28 at 3pm at the Tara)- THE BODY POLITIC is a harbinger of hope in a country plagued by gun violence. In Baltimore, Brandon Scott, an idealistic young leader with a holistic plan to stop chronic violence in his city,is elected mayor. Throughout his first year in office, we follow Brandon as he fights powerful political forces to save lives in Baltimore and reveal a pathway toward healing for the nation
=“Naked Ambition” (Dir. Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch; April 28 at 6pm at the Plaza)- Bunny Yeager, once heralded as the “world’s prettiest photographer,” had a huge influence in 20th-century pop culture. As a model and photographer, she was a trailblazer whose work helped pave the way for both the feminist movement and sexual revolution. Featuring Dita Von Teese, Bruce Weber, and Larry King, NAKED AMBITION is a rediscovery of a brilliant and forgotten artist.
=“The South Got Something to Say” (Dir. The Horne Brothers; May 1 at 7pm at the Plaza)- Pulling footage from an archive spanning the first fifty years of hip-hop as well as new interviews with Atlanta icons and genre luminaries (Killer Mike, Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, Lil Yachty, Jermaine Dupri), THE SOUTH GOT SOMETHING TO SAY tells the ongoing story of Atlanta’s undeniable impact on hip-hop.
=“Red Rooms” (Dir. Pascal Plante; May 2 at 9:30pm at the Tara)- The high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier has just gone to trial, and Kelly-Anne is obsessed. When reality blurs with her morbid fantasies, she goes down a dark path to seek the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered 13-year-old girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance.
=“Babes” (Dir. Pamela Adlon; May 3 at 7:30pm at the Tara)- After becoming pregnant from a one-night stand, Eden (Ilana Glazer) leans on her married best friend and mother of two, Dawn (Michelle Buteau), to guide her through gestation and beyond.
=“Thank You Very Much” (Dir. Alex Braverman; May 4 at 1pm at the Tara)- Throughout his short life, Andy Kaufman’s work dissolved the boundaries between fiction and reality, and his commitment to performance on-stage and off rendered any distinctions between his characters and his real life useless. From Executive Producers Josh and Bennie Safdie, THANK YOU VERY MUCH is the definitive documentary look at how a shy, oddball kid from Long Island became the most polarizing performance artist of the 20th century.
=“Last Summer” (Dir. Catherine Breillat; May 4 at 4pm at the Tara)- Follows Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives with her husband Pierre and their daughters. Anne gradually engages in a passionate relationship with Theo, Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, putting her career and family life in danger.
=“Sing Sing” (Dir. Greg Kwedar; Closing Night on May 4 at 7pm at the Plaza)- Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors.
=“Pianoman (w/Olive)” (Dir. Sunny Liu; May 5 at 1pm at the Tara)- David Avenando, an undocumented immigrant in NYC, finally achieves his dream of opening a piano factory in Yonkers, but runs into unforeseen circumstances that threaten to take away his livelihood and potentially separate him from his family. This moving film will resonate deeply with those intrigued by civil rights, social justice, and immigration.
=“Family Tree” (Dir. Jennifer MacArthur; May 5 at 4pm at the Plaza)- FAMILY TREE explores sustainable forestry in North Carolina through the stories of two Black families fighting to preserve their land and legacy. Despite setbacks, they work to create sustainable land to pass on to the next generation. The forest itself and the beauty of its changing seasons become a primary character in this family drama.
=“Power” (Dir. Yance Ford; May 5 at 6:30pm at the Tara)- In the United States, police have been granted extraordinary power over our individual lives. The police determine who is suspicious and who ‘fits the description.’ They define the threats and decide how to respond. They demand obedience and carry the constant threat of violence. Thousands of these interactions play out in our cities and towns every day, according to real and perceived ideas of criminality and threats to social order—as decided by the police. Police make the abstract power of the state real. POWER traces the accumulation of money, the consolidation of political power, and the nearly unrestricted bipartisan support that has created the institution of policing as we know it. The film offers a visceral and immersive journey to demonstrate how we’ve arrived at this moment in history, from the slave patrols of the 1700’s and the first publicly funded police departments of the 1800’s to the uprisings of the 1960’s and 2020’s.
Already Seen Via Screener
=“Atikamekw Suns” (Dir. Chloé Leriche; In-Person on May 5 at 3:45pm at the Tara)- This film blends documentary and narrative drama to tell the story of the death of five young people from the Atikamekw First Nation community in 1977, and the apathy that the authorities displayed in investigating their deaths. This one hit me hard when I watched it in early April. You can read my review in early May over at In Their Own League.
=“Faceless After Dark” (Dir. Raymond Wood; In-Person on May 1 at 10pm at the Plaza)- One of the stars of the “Terrifier” franchise, Jenna Kanell, co-writes and stars in this psychological horror film about an actress from a killer clown franchise who’s struggling to build off of her minor fame. When she’s taken hostage, an unexpected opportunity arises. Kanell keeps this film moving, and interesting, even when the script wavers.
=“The Trap” (Dir. Lena Headey; In-Person on April 30 at 6:30pm at the Tara)- Adapting her own 2019 short, “300” and “Game of Thrones” actress Lena Headey directs a complicated story of family bonds, and the importance of knowing where you came from, that takes some chances, but is best when the film stays steady with its emotions.
=“Happy Campers” (Dir. Amy Nicholson; In-Person on April 25 at 7pm at the Plaza and April 27 at 6:15pm at the Tara)- Every summer, working-class families enjoy waterfront living in a scrappy trailer park off the coast of Virginia. When the relentless march of capitalism threatens their shabby Shangri-La, the denizens of Inlet View face the inevitable, and reveal the secrets to a rich life.
=“A Strange Path” (Dir. Guto Parente; April 27 at 4pm at the Tara)- A young filmmaker returns to his hometown and attempts to reconnect with his eccentric father as the pandemic rapidly accelerates across Brazil. Resuming their distant father-son relationship proves to be more complicated, however, as bizarre phenomena begin to fray the edges of their reality.
=“Boca Chica” (Dir. Gabriella A. Moses; May 1 at 7pm at the Tara)- As a young girl growing up in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, 12-year-olld Desi is powerfully drawn to song and music by a famed ancestor with a musical legacy. Her handsome brother Fran lives in New York pursuing his music, too, while struggling to make ends meet. The long-awaited return of their cousin Elvis and his marriage festivities animate the family and community. But Elvis’ sinister machinations reveal that his business interests involve trafficking children. Threatened by the very people who should care for her most, Desi finds her voice among a group of underground rap artists. BOCA CHICA weaves richly drawn stories into a coming-of-age story of hope and discovery.
Virtual Screenings
The virtual screenings period will begin on Monday, May 6 after the festival ends, and last until May 12. I will be honest, I am not sure what I will take in just yet; it will likely depend on what I get to prior to the festival, as well as during. I will definitely be digging into the short films, though, and maybe more. Here are some films I have not yet screened, but know I will not be able to make the festival screening that could be post-festival views.
=“Dragoons” (Dir. Reinis Ubelis; April 27 at 10pm at the Tara)- Father-to-be Pavel and his pregnant girlfriend Sabine spend their days living like nomads and breaking into houses in search of food and resources. Upon finding themselves lost in a mysterious forest, they seek refuge in a crumbling gothic manor inhabited by two aging siblings, the Dragoons. Soon they find that escape is impossible and Sabine’s delivery is approaching. Haunted by the guilt of leading his girlfriend into a nightmare scenario and falling under the sway of the weird Dragoons, Pavel soon begins to question his own ability to separate reality from dreams.
=“Do You Say What You Mean?” (Dir. Win Marks; April 30 at 6:45pm at the Plaza)- Aliyah, confident and easy going, quickly falls for a truck driver, Sean. Their relationship plays out in snapshots as they try to build a life together, but the more they try, the more they unravel.
=“Rape Play” (Dir. Gabriella Mykal; May 4 at 4pm at the Plaza)- RAPE PLAY is an experimental documentary that explores fanfiction writing amongst teenage girls online and the learned narrativization of sexual experiences. Through interviews, lyrical essays, and fantastical reenactment, it touches on internet history, sexual assault discourse, and the magical cultural production happening in the bedrooms of teenage girls worldwide every day.
2024 Atlanta Film Festival – The Reviews
“Atikamekw Suns” (at In Their Own League)
“Faceless After Dark”
“The Trap”
“Happy Campers”
“A Strange Path”
”Boca Chica” (at In Their Own League)
“The Idea of You”
“Thelma”
“A Song for Imogene”
“I Saw the TV Glow”
“The Body Politic”
“Naked Ambition”
“The South Got Something to Say”
“Red Rooms” (YouTube Quick Take)
“Babes”
“Pianoman”
“Family Tree” (YouTube Quick Take)
“Power”
“Do You Say What You Mean?” (YouTube Quick Take)
“Rape Play” (at In Their Own League)
“Dragoons” (YouTube Quick Take)
Thanks for Listening,
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
