46th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference offers diverse lineup
Christopher Escobar, the executive director of the Atlanta Film Festival, has been the owner of the Plaza Theatre since 2017. The festival organization is also a partner of the Plaza Theatre, with many of the films being shown on their big screen. The film festival and educational conference will take place April 21 – May 1, and Escobar joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes ahead of the festivities to talk about this year’s diverse lineup.
As one of the top 10 most competitive film festivals worldwide (out of some 4,000), the Atlanta Film Festival received nearly 10,000 submissions from filmmakers this year. Out of the festival’s 150 selections, many represent an inclusive and convention-breaking array of talent, with 74% of the films directed by filmmakers identifying as BIPOC, female or non-binary.
The selection committee’s favorites range from as far away as Turkey, with the film “Breakwater,” which Escobar described as “a simple story of a young fisherman who… is largely undervalued, underestimated, and is able to make a rather significant discovery.” He went on, “There ends up being tension between family members that is on par with any other great dramas, for something so simple as having discovered a harvest of lobsters.”
Another selection, “Soul of the Beast,” comes to us from Switzerland. “We have a father, albeit a rather young father, who’s struggling with going from being a father, but still having his own selfish interests as well,” Escobar said. “It’s in a rather surrealist backdrop of what’s happening in their town… this is in Zurich when a few animals escape the zoo.”
Escobar also described a featured documentary that hits a little closer to home: “After Sherman,” a story of a Gullah African-American community in South Carolina where the filmmaker grew up. “It looks back to history prior to the Civil War, but it’s looking at how that history still lives today,” said Escobar. “It’s also a story of incredible perseverance and incredible heritage.”
After two years of virtual screenings due to the pandemic, this year’s fest presents its material in a hybrid model, with various viewing experiences and platforms. Escobar explained how indoor, outdoor, and virtual events have unique benefits. They could serve as potentially long-lasting ways of diversifying an audience’s options for sharing in the annual celebration of filmmaking.
“We’re able to use that openness and that flexibility to partner with a variety of people in a number of ways, to not only share these incredible stories, but these incredible storytellers,” said Escobar. “And then if they can connect to the places… that are essential to Atlanta, and unique here in Atlanta, then all the better.”
The Atlanta Film Festival occurs across several venues and platforms from April 21 to May 1. Passes, guides, and schedules can be found here.
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