The 7th BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta (GA) will run from August 25-28, with a more than 49-film lineup that will also include webisodes. BronzeLens events will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis (Festival Headquarters), SCADShow, Georgia Pacific Center Auditorium, National Center for Civil and Human Rights and South Fulton Arts Center.
Highlights this year include:
— Thursday August 25: BronzeLens Film Festival will kick off on Thursday August 25 with “All Shorts All Day,” a full day of short film screenings at the Atlanta Marriot Marquis sponsored by BET Networks. Winner of the BEST SHORT will be presented with a $5000 cash prize award from BET Networks.
— “Becoming a Camera Ready Vendor: How to do Business for Film and TV” is sponsored by the UGA Small Business Development Center at Clayton State University will kick off the festival’s educational programming. The afternoon’s “Legal Mash-Up” series of discussions on “Story Legalities, Music in Film,” and “People in Film: Talent, Crew and Employment Law” will be led by some of the industry’s foremost legal talents, providing critical information on what it takes to conduct business successfully within the film and entertainment industry. Producer, Casting Director and CEO of So Chi Entertainment, Brett Dismuke (The Undershepherd, 35 & Ticking and Black Coffee) will be joining other film executives for a conversation on successful film distribution, and the BronzeLens Filmmakers Reception sponsored by the Producers Guild of Atlanta will be a gathering of aspiring and established filmmakers.
— Friday August 26: New to BronzeLens Film Festival is the television series-focused “First Glance Friday.” BronzeLens will begin the inaugural event with two Atlanta premiere screenings. Attendees will have a first glance at the highly anticipated HBO series “Insecure” and talkback with show creator and actress Issa Rae, who is most popularly known for her YouTube web series “Awkward Black Girl.” Immediately afterward BronzeLens will screen new upcoming Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) series “Queen Sugar,” produced and created by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey followed by a talkback session with director Neema Barnette. Both events will be held at the Georgia Pacific Center Auditorium. Bronze Pass, Friday Festival Pass, or an advanced Friday screening pass required for entry.
— “Women SuperStars Luncheon” will anchor the Friday events at the Atlanta Marriot Marquis Hotel. Awards for the accomplishments of women of color in the film and television industry will be presented to selected 2016 Honorees. There will be an “In Conversation” interview with film marketing and public relations executive Cheryl Boone Issacs, led by renowned television broadcast journalist, news anchor, radio show host and WSB-TV veteran Monica Pearson.
— Georgia Production Partnership will sponsor a panel discussion on the “Status of Production in Georgia.” Followed by “Up Close Through The BronzeLens” with Roger Bobb CEO/Bobbcat Studios, and filmmaker and author Julie Dash (“Daughters of the Dust”). ASPiRE Television will host a conversation with rapper, record producer and actor David Banner.
— Saturday August 27: Students will have special programming at BronzeLens. College students interested in film and television will be able to attend the “BronzeLens Student Track.” This fast-paced, all-day session includes insight from young professionals on how they got their start, studios about their internship programs, sessions on an array of industry jobs, and screenings of BronzeLens Official Student selections to vote on the Student Audience Award. Lunch will be served. Also, Hammonds House Museum Family Film Festival for children age 5 to 12 years will present film screenings that include shorts based on the works of award winning children’s author Jacquelyn Woodson.
— BronzeLens hosts a conversation with Dawn Gilliam, a 25 year veteran Script Supervisor. “Up Close Through the BronzeLens: A Conversation with Dawn Gilliam| From Boyz in the Hood to Star Wars,” explores Gilliams’ work with such popular films as “The Hunger Games,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Star Trek” and more. Technological innovation and access is the focal point for Matthew Cherry’s panel “Shooting a feature on Your Cell Phone and Flying High| A Drone Filming Workshop.”
— The Seventh Annual BronzeLens Awards Show will salute The “Best of Festival” filmmakers in their perspective categories, other noteworthy industry leaders and festival supporters will be at SCADShow. Categories include the best in Features, Documentaries, International Films, Shorts, Student Films, and Web Series, as well as Best Actress and Best Actor. Red Carpet opens at 7:00 PM.
— Sunday August 28: “Cinema and Social Justice Sunday “produced in conjunction with National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a unique and critical component of the festival. Featured film is the Atlanta premiere of “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice,” written, directed and produced by Deborah Riley Draper and co-produced by Blair Underwood, Amy Tiemann, Michael A. Draper. “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice” tells the story of the 17 unrecognized members of the “black auxiliary” who participated in the Berlin Olympic Games and their heroic actions in the fight against Nazi Aryan Supremacy and Jim Crow Racism. A Q&A discussion with director/producer/writer Deborah Riley Draper and other special guests will follow the screening. This film is included in the Bronze Festival Pass and will be shown at 2:00pm at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Individual general admission tickets are also available.
Since its inception the BronzeLens Film Festival has evolved as one of the most comprehensive film festivals for filmmakers of color in the United States. Visit www.bronzelens.com for more information regarding the BronzeLens Film Festival and for registration information.
