Director Astrid Sims works with chef Terry Koval on the set of “chefATL” episode 104, filmed at The Deer and The Dove in Decatur. (Photo: Jenna Rose Weisenbach)
Astrid Sims was a sophomore at SCAD when her roommate came home raving about a TV show she was working on. A few days later, Sims was on the crew.
That show was chefATL, a student-produced docuseries made in partnership with WABE that explores Atlanta through its chefs. What started for Sims as a production assistant job eventually led her to direct two episodes of the series. This month, chefATL returns with a new episode on WABE TV, coming off winning a Southeast Emmy.
From PA to director
Sims describes her path through the show as both accidental and deliberate. After joining as a PA, she watched episode 102 director Wesley Giang work and took note of how he connected with the chefs and the crew. When the next episode came up, she asked her professor if she could step up to the position of story producer.
“I mustered up the courage to ask,” Sims said. “He said yes. And honestly, the rest is history.”
Sims says there’s a clear line between shooting on SCAD’s campus — where equipment is nearby, and the environment is familiar — and going on location in Atlanta, where the rules change.
She recalls arriving at Ponce City Market at four in the morning for one shoot, hours before the market opened, with a tight window to get everything done.
“You’re not at home,” Sims said. “So you really just have to lock in and really focus in with your crew. Know that so many different things are going to happen that you didn’t expect. But that’s all a part of it.”
That pressure, Sims says, is part of what the show is designed to teach.
Astrid Sims on set during production of “chefATL.” Sims directed episodes 104 and 107 of the SCAD student-produced series. (Photo: Jenna Rose Weisenbach)
Why the Emmys noticed
When Sims found out that chefATL had won a Southeast Emmy Award — in the Lifestyle Long Form category for episode 102 — her first reaction was disbelief.
“I didn’t know that we won an actual Emmy,” she said. “I was thinking, maybe it’s just something under the Emmy name.”
Her theory for why the show earned that recognition: authenticity.
The chefs aren’t scripted. The production team researches each subject extensively, then builds a dynamic between the chef and the episode’s host that viewers can feel.
For example, growing up in New Orleans, where her mother was a chef, Sims brought a personal history to her work on chefATL.
“Food is a really big part of our culture and my family’s culture,” she said. “I knew that I could take some of those memories with me — and that culture that I carry with me — to help create something great.”
What’s next for Sims
Weeks after Sims graduated from SCAD, she was headed to New York City for the Gracie Awards, where she accepted the 2026 Gracie Award for Director (TV – Student) from the Alliance for Women in Media — her first individual award.
She’s spending the summer in Atlanta, working on a short film called “Whistle,” which she plans to use as she networks for her next project.
A new episode of chefATL premieres Thursday, June 25, on WABE TV (PBS-30). Episodes are also available at wabe.org and on PBS Passport.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of Southeast Emmys that chefATL has won. The show has won one.
