Kicking off on Thursday, Sept. 12, GFF 2024 will start with a screening of My Old Ass, directed and written by Megan Park, starring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza. This grand opening event is exclusive to weekend pass holders and UNG students.
Friday afternoon will feature expert industry advice. Melissa Simpson, co-founder of Film Impact Georgia, will offer insights on maximizing festival runs. Maxwell Bentley of Bentley Media will provide guidance to freelancers on securing and getting paid for work.
Following these talks, the festival will present two documentary shorts focusing on indigenous cultures and the southeastern U.S. landscape. ᏩᏯ Waya, Saving Our Red Grandfather, directed by Jennifer Loren, explores the Red Wolf’s cultural significance to the Cherokee people. Conservationists hope that indigenous knowledge will help save it from extinction. Longleaf Forever, directed by Laura Albritton, immerses viewers in the longleaf pine forests, one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet.
On Friday evening, UNG will showcase student films from the past year in the Nighthawk Shorts. The evening includes a catered reception, which is included in the price of a day or weekend pass. The night will conclude with Guacamole Yesterdays, directed by Jordan Noel, starring Sophie Edwards and Randy Havens.
The festival’s final day, Saturday, Sept. 14, will feature The Sound of Images block which will explore innovative uses of sound design and music. This will be followed by the Connections block, which will highlight films that examine how people seek personal connection and build community through various narratives.
Between film blocks, a featured industry panel will discuss technology that is currently disrupting the TV and film industry. Kristina Kromer and Patrick Perry from Moonshine Post will share their experience with AI in post-production and debate the broader implications of AI technology with Professor David Smith from Columbia State College.
The film festival will conclude with two feature films. The Loved and Lost, directed by Anna Thaman, is a family adventure drama about Becca (Scout Smith) and Cal (Brando White) facing a financial crisis. It will be followed by Our Movement Starts Here, directed by Melanie Ho and John Rash, a story of a rural community in the American South that inspired the international environmental justice movement.
Tickets for weekend and day passes, as well as individual screenings, are on sale now at georgiafilmfestival.org
