Georgia Film Festival is back Sept. 16-17

It’ll be a day of highlighting films made in Georgia and/or produced by Georgia-based filmmakers.

The sixth annual Georgia Film Festival is headed to the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Gainesville campus. There will be submissions from both professional and independent filmmakers. “It’s really important that a state that is getting as much attention and business from Hollywood as Georgia is, be able to develop our own filmmakers,” said co-executive director of the festival, James Mackenzie. “We have a different perspective coming from Georgia. It’s important for us to find ways to showcase that, and the Georgia Film Festival is a very, very good venue for anyone from the Peach State.”

Attendees will also get to enjoy panels and workshops. Local students have been invited to learn about filmmaking that’ll include workshops on “everything from camera to screenwriting workshops to scenic design and color grading.” Director of UNG’s School of Communication, Film & Theatre, Dr. Jeff Marker emphasizes it’s the school’s goal to give up-and-coming filmmakers the spotlight. “Our mission is to support indie film and emerging filmmakers of all backgrounds. We’re proud to be one of the few festivals in the state whose focus is highlighting homegrown talent, and we get to showcase our own students’ work in the process. It’s a fun celebration of cinematic storytelling for the audience and a vehicle for filmmakers to represent their work,” said Marker.

This will be a great experience for filmmakers because they’ll have the opportunity to learn, showcase their work and even rub elbows with people who have already made their way inside the business. There will be a presentation from Mike Pniewski, a prominent local actor who has also taught courses at UNG. Pniewski has been involved in dozens of television series and movies, Mackenzie mentioned.

The Georgia Film Festival is set to take place Sept. 16-17 at the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Gainesville campus. You can grab your tickets at georgiafilmfestival.org.