ATLFF Filmmaker-in-Residence Brantly Watts Wants to Share "Birthday Cake" With You!

Brantly Jackson Watts, along with her husband and frequent filmmaking partner, Jon Watts, first came into the Atlanta Film Festival fold with their feature debut, "AKA Blondie," at ATLFF '12. Focusing on the Clermont Lounge's most famous dancer-poet-activist-author-celebrity, Anita Rae 'Blondie' Strange, that film became a local phenomenon and catapulted Brantly and Jon into positions as local film community leaders. Now in their second year as ATLFF Filmmakers-in-Residence, Brantly and Jon have been exceptionally busy in recent years. They both launched the Homespun Series in 2014, and Brantly has been a central figure in the birth of the New Mavericks program that launched early this year. 

Now, we are excited as Brantly prepares to make her first ever narrative film, "Birthday Cake."

Set in the deep south, Birdie marks the first anniversary of leaving her abusive lover, Donnie, with a ceremonial candle on a cake. As the evening unfurls, Birdie will be confronted by more than an aching heart in this Southern Gothic thriller. A haunting story of love, survival and the complexities found in relationships, this film examines modern domestic violence and abuse in a way that is seldom explored. Violence in relationships is often viewed with very clear moral distinction, without any gradations. "Birthday Cake" delves deeper into the issue to reveal the grey areas we often choose to ignore. An important film that promises to remain with viewers, "Birthday Cake" is as captivating as it is powerful.

The campaign was launched nine days ago and has already raised an incredible 86% of its $8,000 goal! However, stretch goals will be applied and the more money raised, the harder Brantly will work to make the film as perfect as possible! Check out the campaign and claim your perks now.

Contribute now!

ATLFF Filmmaker-in-Residence Darrell C. Hazelrig Needs Your Help (and Money!)

Darrell C. Hazelrig has been an Atlanta Film Festival alum for years, working on a variety of live action and puppetry features and short films, in various roles. In 2015, Hazelrig entered into the role of ATLFF Filmmaker-in-Residence and began prep work for his first feature film at the helm, "Edgor & Izzy (And Somewhere in the Middle is Me)."

"Edgor & Izzy (And Somewhere in the Middle is Me)" is an epic, cerebral, fantasy feature film—the long-lost love child of "8 1/2" and "The Wizard of Oz." Two cantankerous siblings, Edgor and Izzy, awake to find themselves trapped in the mythical Lonely Desert. As they try to solve the mysterious disappearance of their female companion, Rose, they encounter a multitude of strange characters who prove equal parts help and hindrance to their quest, all the while evading the relentless pursuit of Erebus, the dark-spirited madman who lusts for their destruction.

In the first three weeks of the campaign, 118 people have contributed, snagging some of the incredible perks offered! The goal is steep—$100,000—but possible. The good news is, IndieGoGo allows you to keep whatever you raise, unlike the all-or-nothing Kickstarter, so your money will 100% go towards getting "Edgor & Izzy" produced and on the big screen!

Contribute now!

WonderRoot is Celebrating the Best of its 2014 Local Film Series at the High Museum

WonderRoot's Generally Local, Mostly Independent Film Series is pleased to announce a 'Best of 2014' screening taking place at the High Museum on Friday, December 12 at 7 PM. These films were selected out of all of the films WonderRoot screened throughout the year and were curated by Erin Dougherty of the High Museum. Congratulations to all selected filmmakers!

In addition to the WonderRoot Local Film Series being founded by Atlanta Film Festival Programming Director Kristy Breneman, ATLFF connections abound in this lineup! ATLFF alum include Alex Zhuralov, Brantly Jackson Watts, Nathan Honnold and Cali Berry. Watts also serves as one of out ATLFF Filmmakers-in-Residence. Honnold's film "Thomas Bennett" won the Best Documentary Short Jury Prize at this year's festival. And of course, we can't forget "Starlight" filmmaker Marisa Tontaveetong, who is currently one of our programming associates!

• Vessels as Shadows by Alex Zhuravlov (ATLFF alum) and Arkia Jahani
• The Grey Area by Ebony Blanding, House of June
• Backtrack by Kristina Adler, Jump Cut Collective
• Golden Child by Brantly Jackson Watts (ATLFF alum, ATLFF Filmmaker-in-Residence)
• Dirty Nails by Kristina Adler
• Starlight by Shir Wen Sun, Tamarind King, Marisa Tontaveetong (ATLFF associate), Yu Ueda
• Thomas Bennett by Nathan Honnold (ATLFF alum, Winner of the ATLFF '14 Best Documentary Short Jury Prize)
• Pretty Bird by Joe McDonough
• Siren by Cali Berry (ATLFF alum)
• Keep It Clean by Arthur Thompson, co-directed by Cory Kruszewski 

This will be a spectacular group of films in a truly inspired setting. Plus, ADMISSION IS FREE!

For more information on WonderRoot, visit wonderroot.org.

Homespun returns this month to highlight Atlanta's most unique characters

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. 

Event management for Homespun Series powered by Eventbrite