Students can shine at Georgia Film Festival

The eighth annual Georgia Film Festival will take place Sept. 12-14, featuring several University of North Georgia (UNG) students. This year's films will be shown in the new cinema in the Gainesville Campus Performing Arts building.  

"Opening night of the festival, on Sept. 12, will double as the grand opening of the cinema," Dr. Jeff Marker, director of the School of Communication, Film & Theatre, said. "We're very excited to share all the great films this year, too. The festival offers so many opportunities for student growth. It is a magical moment for young filmmakers to show their work to an audience in a real movie theater, and it's crucial for filmmakers to learn how to use festivals to boost their careers." 

Film festival veteran Lauren Bowman of Statham, Georgia, is serving this year as a volunteer. Pursuing a degree in film and digital media, Bowman has previously served as a filmmaker liaison. She shared that her experiences connecting with individuals in the profession directly impacted her career aspirations. 

"Attending the Georgia Film Festival is an incredibly enriching experience, not just for filmmakers but for everyone. It provided opportunities to interact and network with industry professionals who have offered invaluable advice on navigating the film industry," Bowman said.  "It's also given me a chance to receive constructive feedback on my work. The access to Q&A panels has allowed me to ask questions and gain insights from those with firsthand knowledge and experience." 

"Nighthawk Shorts," a segment of the festival that features films from UNG students, is set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13.  

Chandler Thornton's film "Piercing the Veil" will be shown during the festival. He described the short film as a take on loneliness and the ways people can become isolated in their daily lives. He's also pursuing a degree in film and digital media.   

Originally from Gainesville, Georgia, and expected to graduate this December, Thornton shared this is his fifth time showing a film at the festival. 

"The first time was a short I made in 2019 while I was still going to Gainesville High School," Thornton said. "Screening it at the festival was my introduction to the film program at UNG." 

Born in Queens, New York, Asenat Prado is also participating in this year's festival. Her film "Peach" portrays a woman on the brink of madness who gets pushed over the edge when a strange man steals peaches from her tree. This will be the film's premiere.  

Prado, also pursuing a degree in film and digital media, shared that the peaches throughout the film are symbolic to the viewer.   

"When I wrote the story, the peach was symbolic of grief and the feeling that comes when you're at rock bottom and life keeps taking," Prado said. "I hope this movie makes everyone who's struggling with anger and loss feel seen and know they're not alone in the suffering and need for catharsis." 

The festival kicks off Sept. 12 at 7 pm with a screening of "My Old Ass," written and directed by Megan Park and starring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza. This fresh coming-of-age story brings free-spirited Elliott (Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Plaza) while celebrating her 18th birthday with friends, leading to a transformative summer. Only weekend pass holders and UNG students will be admitted to this special grand opening event. 

The Sept. 13 feature film is "Guacamole Yesterdays," directed by Jordan Noel and starring Sophie Edwards and Randy Havens. Following a painful separation, a heartbroken woman uses an experimental technology that allows her to revisit and manipulate her memories as a means to cope. 

The festival culminates with two feature films. "The Loved and Lost," directed by Anna Thalman, is a family adventure drama about Becca (Scout Smith), a formerly promising fashion designer turned homemaker, struggling to find meaning in motherhood in the wake of an abandoned fashion career. Her husband Cal (Brando White) is a carpenter whose clientele has dried up, creating an urgent financial crisis for the family. As Becca and Cal each attempt to take matters into their own hands, their children fall between the cracks and become lost.  

The festival closes with the documentary "Our Movement Starts Here," the inspiring story of a predominantly Black, rural North Carolina community that in 1982 mobilized to fight the state's plan to site a toxic PCB landfill in their county. This landmark action brought together civil rights activists and environmentalists for the first time to fight for common goals and inspired an international environmental justice movement. 

A variety of industry panels and film blocks are also part of the festival. More on the festival's screenings and panel can be found on the Georgia Film Festival website.