This year's Atlanta Film Festival held entirely at two historic theaters — the Plaza and Tara

The Atlanta Film Festival is held at the Plaza and Tara Theatres this year. (ATLFF)

The 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival returns April 25 through May 5, along with the 14th annual Creative Conference series. There will be events and screenings of 142 works by local and international filmmakers, including 27 world premieres.

The festival will showcase diverse creators and new works in film that programming director Johnathan Kieran, describes as “artful, challenging and flat-out fun.”

Two historic Atlanta theaters, the Plaza and the Tara, will present virtual and in-person screenings, with various accompanying panel discussions and educational opportunities. “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with Atlanta Film Festival Executive Director Christopher Escobar, who is also the owner of the Plaza and Tara Theatres.

“What’s really important and special about the festival is the films by people whose names you might not know,” said Escobar.

He continued, “A lot of the questions we get are if there is an overall arching theme [around the festival], and I think there’s a lot of work about healing and finding ways to move forward.”

More information about this year’s Atlanta Film Festival is available here.