What ATLFF's Programmers Watched on Summer Vacation
At ATLFS, September means it’s time to buckle down to screening submissions for the yearly Atlanta Film Festival. Which in turn means that our long summer of watching whatever we want is over! Before the leaves turn and the weather cools down, our Programming team highlights some of the gems in this summer’s free time watching.
Jonathan Kieran - Programming Director
Materialists - I really like it when a heavily anticipated film ends up being so divisive. In the case of Celine Song’s follow-up to her Academy Award-nominated debut PAST LIVES, so many filmmakers and other folks whose opinions I really value seem to have not just disliked but actually hated the film. Cases like this can be a great key for thinking about what I like about films, and why. I’m excited to give it a rewatch later this year.
Personal Problems - This year, I made a goal to rewatch as many of my favorite films as I could find, and even among such stiff competition, Bill Gunn and Ishmael Reed’s experimental soap opera was a standout. The Blu-ray reissue is still a knockout as it was in 2018, and I can only hope that the revolution of digital restoration continues to make these gems of Black independent filmmaking available again.
Alien Workshop: Memory Screen - I’ve never been a huge skate-tape watcher, although there’s much about skateboarding that I respect (how it reactivates dead public spaces, the integral role of failure in the way it evolves). The first video by Alien Workshop (founded in the unlikely skate mecca of Dayton, OH) has an incredible flavor of early-90s punk artistry, from the scuffed VHS textures to the diary-like collages that surround the skate footage.
Keep the Dream Alive - Every year or so, I take another listen to this five-part podcast series about John Vanderslice and Tiny Telephone, his recording studio. I’m always inspired all over again by JV’s thoughts about facilitating art-making and the community around it, even and especially when the difficulty of leading the art life seems impossible.
Jennica Carmona - Documentary Programmer
Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? - This year was the first time in a long time that I was able to attend the Tribeca Film Festival. While looking at the lineup to make my selections, I came across this title and was immediately taken back to my early 20’s, when I would blast the ‘Mr. Jones and Me” and “Round Here” on loop- so I knew I had to see this one. The film was super nostalgic and just all around great to watch, even as it delved into the messier/painful side of the group's story.
The Shadow Scholars - This was also the first year I ever attended the BlackStar Film Festival, a fest I have always heard so much about and longed to attend. The stars finally aligned this year, and I was able to check out some amazing films and meet some pretty cool people. This film blew me away with its brutally honest portrayal of the young Kenyan writers who anonymously write essays for international students who are willing to pay for them.
Everything's Going to be Great - Another one of my Tribeca pics, this one a narrative starring one of my favorite actors, Bryan Cranston (of Breaking Bad fame). Really liked this exploration of family, unfulfilled dreams, and the weight those dreams have on the next generation. Theater kids/lovers- this is one for you!
Sugar Island - Another one of my Blackstar pics, this incredible film really exposes many of the grim realities and challenges of the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic, told through the lens of a young woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant.
Astin Rocks. - Short Programmer
“How are they going to get out of this?” That’s my favorite question to ask when I am watching anything. Keep me guessing with a mystery to solve, a scream to let out, and general high stakes. THE BEAR S4 is the outlier from my summer watchlist - I pretty much knew Syd wouldn’t go through with the new restaurant.
I saw SINNERS in theaters twice. Afterward, my lust for more body horror surfaced when HBO hit this dry spell of nothing but ‘70s and '80s movies waiting to be explored. Invasion of the Body Snatchers hit all the marks - I had to finish it in the daytime! Scanners gave me what I needed as well, but with some deep, big laughs in between.
WEAPONS - is my all-time favorite theater experience of the year. I don't care what anyone says - any horror that garners a crowd reaction comparable to Eagles Fans at the Super Bowl deserves all the awards!
Follow us on Letterboxd for more reviews and recommendations. Discover who’s behind making our official selections for #ATLFF50 here!