The 2021 Atlanta Film Festival is set to kick off tomorrow, as the festival celebrates its 45th year in existence. 45 years!!! It’s no wonder the Atlanta Film Festival has become one of the real highlights of the region. This will be our third year covering the festival here at SoBros Network. Don’t tell anyone, internet, but between you, me, and our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, it’s quickly become one of our favorite film festivals to cover.
This year, they’re running back the same format that they ran in 2020, allowing you to consume the festival in three different ways. Some films and Creative Conference panels will be available virtually for you to stream through your phone, web browser, Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV. You can also enjoy a good old fashioned drive-in, as the festival has set up two locations for you to drive to and enjoy the cinema. Finally, The Plaza Theatre has been socially distanced for audiences to return in person. No matter what you’re comfortable with, or what you’re into, the Atlanta Film Festival has it covered. For more information on how to enjoy the festival, and which movies are scheduled, check out their festival overview page here.
For the third consecutive year, Brandon has been tasked with covering the festival. In 2019, he was down in Atlanta in person taking it all in. Last year, the two of us tag teamed the festival virtually. This year, we’re going the virtual route as well. I’ve been getting the reservation confirmations to the SoBros inbox, so I know exactly what Brandon’s going to be watching, and what you can expect to read and hear about on SoBros Network in the coming weeks. Here’s what we’re set to cover in case you want to watch along with us and be in the know for that episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast that’s sure to drop at the conclusion of the festival.
2021 Atlanta Film Festival Preview
Synopses courtesy of the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival film guide, where you can also check out the full slate of films featured at this year’s festival.
African Violet: “Middle-aged Shokoo finds out that her ex-husband, Fereydoun, has been placed in a nursing home by their children. She, and her second husband Reza, decide to take care of Fereydoun themselves, but in their own home. This new situation leads to unexpected changes in the lives of all three characters.”
See You Then: “A decade after abruptly breaking up with Naomi, Kris invites her to dinner to catch-up on their complicated lives, relationships, and Kris’ transition. Over the course of a one night encounter, they engage in a series of increasingly intimate and vulnerable conversations, before a shocking revelation is unveiled. SEE YOU THEN focuses on the universal truth that no matter how much you change, a part of you will always stay the same.”
Knock Knock: “In one night, in one room, three strangers–a thief, a retired policeman, and a delivery guy–are all present during the murder of the room’s occupant. As the trio tries to figure out this bizarre situation, the stakes are raised when they discover a huge pile of cash. They soon realize that the only way to get out alive is to unravel this mystery. What initially seems like a coincidence, turns out to be destined from the beginning.”
The Letter: “A gripping family drama about a 94 year-old Grandmother with a fearless spirit who must overcome dangerous accusations of witchcraft that are coming from within her family. Her grandson Karisa, travels home from the city to investigate, and it gradually emerges who sent the threatening letter and why. Filmed with a gentle pace and incredible closeness, THE LETTER is an intergenerational love story revealing indestructible female power.”
El Father Plays Himself: “A young film director, inspired to make a film based on his father’s life in the Amazon jungle, returns to Venezuela and casts his father to play himself. What starts as an act of love and ambition spirals into a confrontation with his father’s struggles with addiction and his life devoid of his son. “El Father Plays Himself” holds a steady lens to cinema as a force that unearths, binds, heals and destroys.”
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For it: “Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners of our time. Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian. Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent. RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno’s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists.”
At the Ready: “For many teenagers, the sound of gunshots ringing through the halls is their worst nightmare, but for criminal justice students at Horizon High, outside of El Paso, it’s the first step toward achieving their American Dream. Home to one of the largest law enforcement education programs in the region, students train to become police officers and Border Patrol agents. This film follows three Mexican-American students as they embark on such a career path and begin to discover that the realities of their dream jobs may be at odds with the truths and people they hold most dear.”
Again, for more on the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival, check out their website here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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