Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us
Newsroom
  • All Articles
  • Media Relations Contact
  • Expert Guide
  • Points of Pride
  • Magazine
  • Social Media
    1. UNG
    2. News

    Annual Georgia Film Festival turns to digital venue

    September 25, 2020
    The Georgia Film Festival will feature shorts from a select number of filmmakers ranging from students to local professionals from Oct. 2-3 on the festival's website. The festival is hosted by UNG's Department of Communications, Media and Journalism.

    Article By: Staff

    A select number of filmmakers ranging from students to local professionals will showcase their shorts during the Georgia Film Festival next month.

    Scheduled for Oct. 2-3, the annual festival transitioned to a virtual event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Department of Communication, Media and Journalism will host the event, which previously was held in-person on the Gainesville Campus.

    "We turned this into an opportunity," said Dr. Jeff Marker, professor and head of the CMJ. "Our filmmakers' work will be able to reach an even larger audience than in previous years."

    Thirty-one films can been seen for free on the festival's website during the two-day event.

    "We had dozens of wonderful submissions from filmmakers this year," said James Mackenzie, assistant professor of film and digital media at UNG. "A team of students carefully evaluated and selected the films, making this a student-curated event."

    The short films are grouped together based on a theme into four distinct blocks: Southern Perspectives, Midnight in Georgia, Filmmakers to Watch, and Nighthawk Shorts. This year's shorts, which run an average of 10 minutes or less, were made by filmmakers based in Georgia and the surrounding states. The Nighthawk block features films exclusively from UNG students.

    "I am always excited for our UNG students to screen their films," Marker said. "Even on this new platform, it is a big deal for them to share their work. Now, their loved ones along with the cast and crew can watch the film from anywhere."

    Mackenzie said the Georgia Film Festival also provides an opportunity for other filmmakers to share their work and provides a chance for people to escape into a movie without visiting a movie theater.

    "I'm excited to celebrate the filmmakers when there is so much uncertainty at the time with the film industry being affected by the pandemic," he said.

    The festival will also screen a feature documentary, "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché."

    "She was one of the first female filmmakers," Mackenzie said. "This film reminds us great filmmakers can come from anywhere, especially North Georgia."

    Featuring minority and diverse filmmakers is a main component of the film festival. Mackenzie pointed out more than half of the films in the festival are directed by women.

    "Representation is vital in today's film community," Mackenzie said. "We want to champion the idea that great films can come from any person no matter the person's race, religion or gender. That is an important message for our students to hear, and we plan to showcase that with our selections for the Georgia Film Festival."

    The Georgia Film Festival will share about 30 films. For more information, visit the festival's website.

    Contact the Author

    Book by Rifenburg explores cadet writing

    Book by Rifenburg explores cadet writing

    UNG English faculty member Dr. Michael Rifenburg is publishing a book about the writing training ROTC cadets receive.
    Trio attends intelligence education conference

    Trio attends intelligence education conference

    A faculty member, a recent alumna and a staff member attended an intelligence education conference in Italy.
    STARTALK academy offers students variety

    STARTALK academy offers students variety

    UNG held a Chinese and astronomy camp for 16 high school students this summer thanks to an NSA grant. These students will receive further learning opportunities throughout the 2022-23 academic year.
    Three receive study abroad grants

    Three receive study abroad grants

    UNG students Melena Appling, Edleen Henriquez, and Susana Olivo Sandoval received funding from CIEE to study abroad in 2022 or 2023.

    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment /HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2022 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.1 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    AskNigel