Homespun returns this month to highlight Atlanta's most unique characters
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Created by ATLFF Filmmakers in Residence Jon Watts & Brantly Watts, Homespun is a curated series of short documentary films profiling unique individuals around the metro Atlanta area. Partnered by the Atlanta Film Festival, the series features local filmmakers who highlight the characters and neighborhoods that give Atlanta its distinctive culture. Through these individual character studies, Atlanta will be revealed as the Homespun phenomenon it has become.
This installment of Homespun celebrates imagery in Atlanta. Featuring three subjects who live on the outskirts of our society, these films challenge viewers to find beauty in the places and the characters of our city that are often dismissed. In addition to the films and Q&As with the award-winning filmmakers, a special mobile gallery exhibit will follow the screening from We Love ATL that has been curated specifically for the Homespun audience. Arguably one of the best local film screenings of the year, this is an event you don’t want to miss.
Films in this installment:
Thomas Bennett
Directed by Nathan Honnold
Thomas Bennett is a hymn-singing Vietnam War veteran with a love for costume jewelry and war medals. An intimate and empathetic portrait of a man who lives on the fringes of our society, “Thomas Bennett” promises to elicit both compassion and intrigue from its viewers.
Adrian
Directed by John Merizalde
Adrian is a teenager who lives in “The Bluff", a neighborhood in northwest Atlanta notorious for drugs and violence. This short is a tone poem documentary that attempts to capture an essence of Adrian and what it's like living in his neighborhood.
Tommy (World Premiere)
Directed by John Merizalde
Tommy Nease is a free spirit—equal parts vagrant, photographer, and philosopher. His artwork is critically acclaimed and has been featured in both local and international galleries. Tommy lives by his own rules, creating art and traversing the world through any means - be it walking, hitchhiking, or even train-hopping. Utilizing some of his own personal footage, this short documentary attempts to piece together a portrait of a young artist that lives on the fringes of our society.
About the Filmmakers:
Nathan Honnold is an emerging local Atlanta film director with a degree in film and video from Georgia State University. His films have premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival. His latest film "Thomas Bennett" won the jury prize for Best Documentary Short at the 2014 Atlanta Film Festival.
John Merizalde is a 24 year-old director from Atlanta, Georgia. His work has been screened both nationally and internationally at various festivals including the Atlanta Film Festival and the Cannes Short Film Corner. In 2011 he co-directed an international feature documentary about sex trafficking and slavery entitled "Freedom", which helped raise millions of dollars in aid. His music videos have been featured on Vimeo Staff Picks, VEVO, MTV and more, where they have amassed millions of combined views.