The 50th Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! As one of the largest and longest-running festivals in the country, ATLFF welcomes an audience of over 28,000 annually to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films selected from 8000+ submissions worldwide. As always, there is an emphasis on films celebrating the local area, with festival films tied to Georgia filmmakers. Attending the Atlanta Film Festival is a must for film lovers. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and from around the world.

The 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, May 3, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta, with some of its lineup available virtually from May 4th - 11th.

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” Atlanta Film Festival has been celebrated as the Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, 10Best, and Atlanta Magazine.

Opening night on Thursday, April 23rd, will feature Idiots, directed by Macon Blair and filmed in Georgia. Emmy-winning producer Alex Orr, Executive Producer Joshua Harris, and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. will attend.

Also on the same night, the premiere of the limited series documentary, The Birth of Trap Music, makes its debut. Stars and Executive Producers T.I. and Drumma Boy, among other cast members, will walk the red carpet ahead of the Opening Night and take part in a post-screening Q&A following the documentary screening.

On Friday, April 24, the Tara Theatre will screen One Spoon of Chocolate at 8 pm. The event will be attended by the film’s director, RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and director. The cast features Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, Blair Underwood, Michael Harney, and Emyri Crutchfield.

A special screening of Gifted will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Tara Theater at 5 pm, with Emmy and Critics Choice Award-nominated star McKenna Grace in attendance. Grace will receive ATLFF’s Phoenix Award at the event, honoring her achievements, career momentum, and ongoing contributions to Atlanta’s film industry.

Oscar-nominated, Grammy-winning actress and singer Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Peacemaker) will attend a special screening of If I Go Will They Miss Me at the 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

2026 IMAGE Film Awards Gala, part of the festival’s milestone 50th anniversary, will be held Friday, May 1, at Assembly Atlanta, recognizing standout contributions to film, television, and Georgia’s creative community.

This year’s honorees include Will Packer (Ossie Davis Award), Josh Brolin, Carrie Preston, Hilton Howell, and Georgia Entertainment (IMAGE Film Awards), David Cross (Rebel Award), and Alex Orr, who will receive the inaugural Will Packer Award.

The Closing Night film on Saturday, 2nd, will be Boots Riley's I Love Boosters, starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore.

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The annual Creative Conference, ATLFF’s popular educational programming extension, runs April 28 to May 1st. The Creative Conference provides educational programs for aspiring filmmakers, festivalgoers, newcomers, and community members to gain insight from industry experts. The Creative Conference features workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution, and how they all come together to make a film or television episode.

Highlights include conversations with David Cross and directors Craig Zobel (The Penguin) and James Ponsoldt (Spectacular Now), alongside sessions such as Practical AI for Independent Filmmakers, Inside the Independent Film Ecosystem, and Creating Creature FX and Puppetry for Indies.

The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online.

Inside Out

Family Faire: Inside Out (2015)  PG   Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is dealing with a lot in her young life; a move from the Midwest to San Francisco, a new school and having to make friends. Good thing she has emotions, Joy, Disgust, Sadness, Fear and Anger to help her cope. This film is destined to be a classic, in-line with other great Pixar films like Toy Story (1995), Finding Nemo (2003) and Up (2009). The film has a brilliantly written script and contains an inventive storyline. Amy Poehler is phenomenal as the character Joy, and Lewis Black is priceless as Anger. The film is funny, a joy to watch (no pun intended) and melts your heart. Though made in 3-D,  it’s not necessary to see the movie in 3-D as it didn't add anything to the experience. Don’t miss this film that the whole family will fall in love with and teaches us, it's OK to have feelings.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See It Again   Inside Out Website

Indiefest: Dope (2015)  R   Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a geek just trying to survive in a tough neighborhood. His life changes when he is invited to an underground party, and he and his friends go on an adventure of a lifetime.  I enjoyed this film, especially the performance of Shameik Moore, who is a delight to watch on the screen as the geeky and shy Malcolm. The storyline is interesting, and I loved the ending of the film. I didn’t like that Malcolm and his two best friends get involved (not by choice) and are rewarded for distributing drugs. I also didn’t like that Molly’s drug use was seen as okay and a fun way to party. But those problems don’t overshadow that this is a unique film with a very unconventional hero at its core.    My Rating: Full Price   Dope Website

Indiefest:  The Connection (2014)  R  One man, Marseilles magistrate Pierre Michel (Jean Dujardin), makes it his life work to take down one of the most notorious drug smuggling operations in history: The French Connection. This is a well-done crime drama that focuses on the magistrate that tirelessly works to bring down a gang responsible for so many people’s deaths and destruction.  Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche, who plays the drug lord that the magistrate is trying to bring down, are both exceptional in their roles, and their scenes together are full of sparks and high drama. Lellouche does a remarkable job in making us care about a very despicable character. Unfortunately, The Connection is going to be compared to the 1971 film, The French Connection even though they are two very different films. The Connection is an excellent addition to the crime drama genre with two outstanding performances by Dujardin and Lellouche.    My Rating: Full Price   The Connection Info

Indiefest:  The Wolfpack (2015)  R   A documentary on six brothers and one sister who have lived their whole lives inside a New York City apartment. The children have been home-schooled and almost never leave the apartment due to a controlling father. To entertain themselves, the six brothers re-create their favorite films with homemade costumes and scripts.  I enjoyed the film, mostly because the boys are so outgoing, and their re-creations of films are fascinating. I wanted more on their background, and while we do see quite a few home movies, I never felt that I got to know anyone in-depth in the family. The movie also never fully explores the darker side of the father and his hold on his family. There are hints that he bullies the boys and that he might have hit his wife, but these are never fully explored. The Wolfpack is a film that never quite lives up to its potential, leaving me thinking that the boys were merely characters in their own film, instead of real kids trying to find their way in the big, wide world of New York City.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Wolfpack Website 

Forgotten Film:  La Cage aux Folles (1979) R   This is a far better film than the American remake, The Birdcage (1996). The plot is roughly the same; a gay couple’s son is getting married into a conservative family, so the couple attempts (very badly) to act straight so that the wedding will go off. This French film is funny, warm and is a combo of a farce and a musical. The film brilliant plays out, becoming funnier as it goes along. The film is worthy of its three Oscar nominations and is a joy to watch.    My Rating: Full Price   La Cage Aux Folles Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Inside Out: Character Modeling and Articulation Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Bronze (2015)     A foul-mouthed former gymnast (Melissa Rauch) has made a living on the fact that she won an Olympic bronze medal. Now she is asked to put her ego aside and help mentor a new up-and-coming star. I love Melissa Rauch and am looking forward to seeing what director Bryan Buckley can do with this material. Buckley has directed some of the best commercials of the past ten years.   The Bronze Info

Until Next Time!