It was standing room only at this week’s Eat, Drink, and B-Indie as the New Puppet Order invaded Manuel’s Tavern and led attendees on a tour through their uniquely twisted minds. Members Sam Carter, Beau Brown, Darrell C. Hazelrig, and Greg Van Laningham guided us through an oral history of their own backgrounds in filmmaking and puppetry as well as the occasionally fraught production process of each of the 8 short films they’ve produced since forming the NPO in 2010. 

What came out most of all in last night’s discussion was the passion that these gentlemen have for every level of the craft, often disregarding their own physical and emotional comfort but always with the goal of giving their audience something they’ve never seen before and won’t find anywhere else. The Atlanta Film Festival would like to sincerely thank them not only for participating last night but also for the consistently great work they’ve put out since their inception. They are a testament to the diverse yet incredibly passionate group of artists we have working in this city. You can learn more about them, see some of their films, and keep up with future projects by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter.

We would also like to thank Earmark Post for sponsoring the occasion. Five lucky raffle winners each went home with $150 gift certificates for post-production sound services at their studio. Be sure to keep an eye out for future promotions and giveaways at upcoming EDBI gatherings. In the meantime, check out their website.

Next month we will welcome Casting Coordinator Cynthia Stillwell (Glory, Fried Green Tomatoes, Remember the Titans) to the North Avenue Room to talk about her work and career. You can get acquainted with her here before joining us on September 17th.