BronzeLens Film Festival 2018 Brings Diverse Films and Interactive Experiences to Atlanta – August 22-26

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In response to the film and television industries’ continuous evolution and the increased demand for original on-screen multi-platform content creation, BronzeLens Film Festival 2018 (BronzeLens) will present an interactive experience designed to stimulate ideation and foster collaborations over the course of five days, August 22-26. Programming includes a diverse mix of cutting-edge panels, workshops, master classes and highly anticipated signature festival events such as BronzeLens Women SuperStars Luncheon, BronzeLens Awards Show and Brunch with the Brothers.

This year BronzeLens received submissions from 23 countries. A total of 85 films will be screened and juried films include the work of some the world’s most talented filmmakers. Narrative fiction, documentary, webisode, music video and short film screenings coupled with the who’s who of the film industry are the core components that have established BronzeLens as one of the nation’s most substantive film festivals. BronzeLens events will take place at multiple venues including the Atlanta Marriott Marquis (Festival Headquarters), SCADShow, Georgia Pacific Center Auditorium, Auburn Avenue Research Library, and Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. For the full BronzeLens schedule visit www.bronzelens.com.

BronzeLens Film Festival Highlights:

Sunday, August 19

BronzeLens will host the pre-festival Atlanta premiere of Nollywood’s Isoken. Nominated in 7 categories by the African Movie Awards Academy, Isoken is a feature film written, produced and directed by Jadesola Osiberu. Gladys Edeh’s documentary Mr. Gele: The Man.The Story. The Craft.,will also screen. Post screening talkback includes Joseph Benjamin, Isoken’s lead male actor, Mojisola Sonoiki, Founder of Iyalode Productions, Gladys Edeh, Kunbi Tinuoye, Founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz.com moderated by E. Kiszo Ugokwe, CEO Taradomefilms. The event will be held at the Southwest Arts Center.

Wednesday, August 22

All Shorts, All Night presented by BET Networks returns as a free event at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and will be hosted by Screening Room ATL Creator Khalimah Gaston.

Thursday, August 23

All Shorts All Day presented by BET Networks will continue the free screenings of 2018 BronzeLens short films selections.

Attorney James L. Walker along with some of the industry’s most accomplished professionals behind and in front of the lens will share their insight from the field during BronzeLens. The Legal Angle series on Content Acquisition and Rights, Distribution Legalities, and Setting Up Your Film Production Company as a Business highlights critical information on what it takes to conduct business successfully within the film and entertainment industries. Nollywood in the Digital Era is an exploration of distribution strategies of Nigerian film, the second largest feature film producers in the world. Participating panelist are Whitestone Pictures INC Producer, Director of Photography, and Director Robert Peters, Filmmaker and Producer Priscilla Nzimiro Nwanah, Filmmaker, Television Producer and Writer Rogers Ofime.
Opening Night at BronzeLens will be a double feature screening of Nijla Mumin’s Jinn and Brian Banks directed by Tom Shadyac at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Friday, August 24

Georgia Production Partnership will sponsor a workshop on the Status of Production in Georgia: What’s In It for Me? Leaders from Georgia industry groups and local Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County Film Offices address the influx of film production in the state and the region. Shaunya Chavis-Rucker, Division Director of the Fulton County Government Films Office in Atlanta, Lisa Ferrell, Co-Chair, Georgia Production Partnership, Shelbia Jackson, Director of the DeKalb Entertainment Commission, Ruth T. Paul SAG-AFTRA and Cardellia Hunter with the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment lead this panel.

BronzeLens Women SuperStars Luncheon presented by BETHer celebrates the accomplishments of women of color in the film and television industry at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Atrium Ballroom. Honorees include Actress Tina Lifford (Queen Sugar, Scandal, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders), Producer, Director, Animator, Writer, and Experimental Film and Transmedia Storyteller Ayoka Chenzira (Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy Headed People, Alma’s Rainbow, Queen Sugar), and Samantha Vincent (The Fate of the Furious, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Riddick).

First Glance Friday Feature Presentation: A BronzeLens Exclusive to all festival Screening Passholders Attendees will get a “First Glance” screening of The Bobby Brown Story presented by BET Networks. The event takes place at Georgia Pacific Auditorium.

Saturday, August 25

Nijla Mumin, director/writer at Sweet Potato Pie Productions, will lead Killer Creativity: A New Breed sponsored by BET Networks. Cinematographer, cine and print photographer Alfeo Dixon will present Finishing Your Film-Not Fixing It: Color Correction and Audio Sweetening and UpClose and through The BronzeLens: Making Jinn: A Case Study from Writing, Financing to Completion.

Students will have special programming at BronzeLens. Featured guest presenter is Clark Atlanta University alumni, actor, writer, producer Terayle Hill ( Step Up: High Water, A Father’s Love, SuperFly, The Quad). Aspiring college students interested in film and television will be able to attend the BronzeLens Student Track for a day of workshops designed to help students earn their “Big Break” into the business. This fast paced all day session includes insight from young professionals on how they got their break, studios on their internship programs, sessions on an array of industry jobs, and screening BronzeLens Official Student Selections to vote on the Student Audience Award.

BronzeLens Family Day 2018, presented by Fulton County and the Fulton County Arts Council, is a hands-on workshop, conducted by ASIFA-South that focuses on the art of animation. It is followed by a screening of the short animated film, The Water Princess, based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood in Africa. This screening will be facilitated by Dr. Collette Hopkins, of Diaspora U. Maya Penn, 18-year-old animator and the CEO of Maya’s Ideas, an eco-friendly fashion company, will facilitate a discussion on art, activism, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Also, actress Priah Ferguson, known for her breakout role as Erica Sinclair on Season 2 of Stranger Things, will facilitate a discussion with actress Karen Ceesay, (her TV mom) about their professional careers and the television and film industry.

Slated to emcee the BronzeLens Awards Show is actor, singer, all around entertainer Palmer Williams, Jr. The ‘Best of Festival’ filmmakers in their perspective categories and other noteworthy industry leaders will be honored at SCADshow. Categories include the best in Features, Documentaries, International Films, Shorts, Student Films, and Webisodes, as well as Best Actress and Best Actor.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26

Sunday Brunch with the Brothers has become a festival favorite that salutes men of color in film and television who are making waves as they share lessons from their journeys. There will be insightful and revealing conversation with actors TC Carson (Star, The Quad, Greenleaf, Black Lightening), Alan Maldonado (The Last O.G., Black-ish) and Mykelti Williamson (Canal Street, Fences, Forest Gump).

Cinema and Social Justice Sunday continues to be a critical and unique component of the festival, featuring a socially-relevant films and conversations at the Auburn Research Library on African American Culture and History. Screenings for 2018 are Fahamu Pecou’s Emmett Still and Max Power’s Don’t Be Nice. Post screening talkback will be moderated by Rev. Dwight Andrews, film composer and senior minister at First Congregational Church. Participants include Don’t Be Nice producer Cora Atkinson, fine art photographer, visual culture producer Sheila Pree Bright and interdisciplinary artist and scholar Dr. Fahamu Pecou.

Closing Night at BronzeLens will be a double feature screening of United Skates produced by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, and Canal Street directed by Ryan Lamar at Georgia Pacific Center Auditorium. Ryan Lamar and producer Amir Windom will participate in the post screening talkback.

About the BronzeLens Film Festival

BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Georgia, is a non-profit organization, founded in 2009, that is dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is two-fold: to promote Atlanta as the new film mecca for people of color; and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. Since its inception, BronzeLens producers have brought national and worldwide attention to Atlanta, helping to showcase the city as a leader in the thriving film industry.

In 2017 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved BronzeLens as a qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season.

2018 BronzeLens Sponsors

BET Networks, Turner, BETHer, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), AARP, Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Film & Entertainment, DeKalb Film, Music, Digital Entertainment Commission, AEE, Delta Air Lines, Fulton County Arts and Culture, Fulton County, Marriott Marquis Atlanta, Georgia Power, Bobbcat Films, The Sai Sai Group, Zaxby’s, Oz Publishing, Midtown Lifestyle, Everybody Digital, Pop ATL, Atlanta Indie Mart, and Iyalode Productions.

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