It is that time of year again. One of my favorite weeks of every year is the annual Atlanta Film Festival. I have been attending the festival since 1999 and covering it since 2007.
The festival has changed quite a bit over the years. What used to be a small, quaint festival has morphed into a higher profile, big event format as they attempt to expand their notoriety while still not sacrificing their local, independent roots.
Last year they had one of their biggest scores with Winter's Bone, a film that went on to score major Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Lead Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. It was also the first year I was granted press credentials and the full access I was given allowed me to do extensive coverage as I reviewed more than 40 feature films and numerous short films as well.
This year will be a little bit different, as the festival changed its format for press relations by hiring a marketing company to handle the press credentials. Instead of giving press members full access, tickets have to be requested on a case by case basis. Also, screeners were not made available so reviewing and recommending films in advance is not possible this time around.
However, despite this change, I have purchased tickets beyond what was granted to me, so I can do as much coverage of the festival as possible. I should mention that the Atlanta Film Festival staff has been extraordinarily helpful in assisting me with adjusting to the new press format.
I will have reviews of each day's films by the next morning. When possible, I have tried to see the first screening of a film so I can recommend (or not) films to see for my reader(s) in the local area. I hope you enjoy my coverage of the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival.
