???? Investing in Georgia films

Growing GA’s film ecosystem

Aug. 8  — During a panel on indie filmmaking at an event called “The Creator’s Toolbox” on Aug. 6, panelists talked everything from marketing to distribution. But some of the loudest applause of the night went toward the prospect of homegrown Georgia films. 

During the panel, Atlanta Film Society Executive Director Chris Escobar encouraged the crowd to think about how they can invest in Georgia filmmaking on a grassroots level. Over the past several years, he said, Georgia has proven they have the sound stages (the panel took place at Shadowbox Studios), the talent and crew base, the post-production assets, and everything else needed to mount a full-scale production. Almost everything, that is. 

“The thing that we are lacking though, is real investment, from a dollars standpoint,” Escobar said. “What we’ve not done is grow our local customer base, so that there are filmmakers who have a project that is funded and greenlit. That’s what we’ve got to play some catch-up on.”

Georgia’s film tax incentive, which requires productions to spend a minimum of $500,000 to qualify (many indie filmmakers are making movies for far below that price tag), is set up to attract large-scale productions to the state. But what Escobar is talking about is attempting to create an ecosystem in Georgia that doesn’t just make outside productions want to come here, but gives Georgia filmmakers the ability to fully mount a homegrown production. In addition to encouraging the crowd to think about their role, he encouraged them to talk to their elected officials. 

“[Elected officials] have done a tremendous job making sure that the ecosystem from a tax credit base is there, and the work can want to come,” he said. “But what are you doing to invest to create the ecosystem where our local, independent filmmakers have access to funds to create films that actually have a real shot in being a customer in a place like this?” 

Without further ado … Action!

 The deadline for the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition is Sept. 12. Learn more about how to submit here.

 Actor Kelley Mack, known for her role on “The Walking Dead,” passed away from a rare type of cancer this week. She was 33 years old. 

 The Atlanta Underground Film Festival runs this weekend from Aug. 8-10 at the Limelight Theatre.

 In other festival news, get your tickets for the BronzeLens Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 20-24.

 The ensemble comedy “Mister Fun,” starring Jesse Metcalfe, Mitchel Musso, and more, is currently filming in Atlanta.

 David Ellison, the founder of Skydance, has unveiled the new Paramount Global leadership team in the wake of the Paramount/Skydance merger. Only one current executive will stay on.

 Last, but certainly not least, in some of the funniest news I’ve heard all week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is using audio of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver screaming at each other in the film “Marriage Story” to scare wolves off from killing cattle. 

vThis week’s newsletter includes Gregg Shapiro’s interview with filmmakers Tricia Cooke and Ethan Coen, as well as my interview with Sundance Institute Producers Lab fellow April S. Chang. We’ve also got reviews of “Freakier Friday” and the new horror film “Weapons.” Plus, what’s coming to theaters this week, some new episodes of my podcast Crash Zoom, and some reading and listening recommendations for your lunch break. 

Thanks for reading!
Sammie

Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke talk queer noir film ‘Honey Don’t!’

 Non-traditional married couple Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke are on a roll with the queer noir film “Honey Don’t!”

The second installment in co-writer/director Coen and co-writer Cooke’s lesbian trilogy, following 2024’s “Drive-Away Dolls,” “Honey Don’t” also stars Margaret Qualley (who also had a lead role in the aforementioned “Dolls”). While “Honey Don’t!” has a similar comedic tone found not only in its predecessor but also in numerous Coen Brothers movies, it also takes a much darker and more unsettling turn at the end.

For the Georgia Voice, Gregg Shapiro interviewed Cooke and Coen about the movie, which opens in theaters on Aug. 22.

 Check out Gregg’s interview here. 

Global Flavor Local Heart

SPONSORED BY DISCOVER DEKALB

  Chamblee serves up something special at every turn. You’ll find Korean barbecue next to taco joints, and soon, coffee shops inside plant shops. It’s the kind of community where everyone shows up for each other and visitors feel right at home.

➞ Come for the flavor, stay for the feeling. Chamblee is ready when you are.

Local producer selected for 2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab

April S. Chang, a Los Angeles-based producer who grew up in Gwinnett County, was one of 11 producers chosen to participate in this year’s Sundance Institute Producers Lab.

The Producers Lab, which took place July 14-19 for fiction films and July 19-24 for nonfiction films in Wyoming, kicks off a yearlong fellowship for the chosen producers as they work on their respective feature-length projects. Chang and producing partner Vicki Syal’s chosen project is “Dying is Fine,” which is about a suicidal woman whose worries disappear when she finds out she is dying of brain cancer.

I recently spoke with Chang about “Dying is Fine” and the road she took to get where she is now. Check that out here.

The cast of ‘Freakier Friday’ brings the heat

WEEKLY FILM REVIEW

Come with me on a journey back to 2003, and answer me this: what was the magic sauce that made “Freaky Friday” work?

It was partly Jamie Lee Curtis, yes – that can’t be overstated. But the real magic of that movie is Lindsay Lohan. Curtis had the far more fun role, given the space to ham it up while embodying pure, unadulterated teenage angst. But finding a teenager who can adequately capture the energy of a middle-aged mom is the real trick of “Freaky Friday.” And Lohan rose to the task with confidence and control.

2003’s “Freaky Friday” ends with Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) resolving their problems and switching back into their respective bodies. Lucky for us, there will always be clashes between moms and their daughters. So “Freakier Friday,” a sequel written by Jordan Weiss and directed by Nisha Ganatra, seems timely without even trying too hard. The real question, then, is whether or not the production would be able to find young actors who have that same Lohan quality that allows them to be wise beyond their years. The answer is a resounding yes.

 Read my full review here.

The horror of community apathy comes through in ‘Weapons’

WEEKLY FILM REVIEW

There’s a scene in 1978’s “Halloween” where Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), running from Michael Myers, heads to the nearest house and starts frantically banging on the door, screaming for the occupants to help. The porch light flickers on, and with it comes relief – they’ve heard her! But, as Laurie continues to scream, the light eventually turns back off, all hope of rescue extinguished. That dark porch in a suburban town is as ominous as anything else in the film – a chilling reminder that, despite the promise of small-town solidarity, this is every man for himself.

Fast forward almost 50 years later, and we’ve got Zach Cregger’s “Weapons,” one more step forward in the broken promise of suburbia – a horrifying, ultimately funny yet brutal treatise on the so-called safety of these so-called communities. One night, somewhere in suburban America, 17 kids – all but one of the students from Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) third-grade class – got out of bed at exactly 2:17 a.m. and ran off into the night.

Despite support groups, despite meetings,  despite a tribute to the missing children insisting that this community is strong in the face of adversity – the divides in this town have only deepened. This time, it’s no longer just faceless neighbors ignoring Laurie Strode’s pleas for help, but rather an entire town’s complete disdain for the suffering of others and their desire to ignore any hurt that isn’t their own. Much like in “Halloween” all those years ago, the first ones to suffer are children.

 Read my full review here.

At the Movies!

If you’re looking for a movie to see in theaters this week, here’s what you’ve got to look forward to!

Movies releasing this weekend:
 “Freakier Friday”
 “Weapons”
 “Sketch”
 “My Mother’s Wedding” (Tara)
 “Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation” (Tara)
 “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” (Plaza)
 “House of Abraham” (Plaza)
 “Ebony and Ivory” (Plaza)

Special Events:
 “The Hidden Fortress” in 4K @ The Tara (Friday-Thursday)
Cineprov: “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” @ The Tara (Saturday)
Nakato: “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” @ The Tara (Sunday-Tuesday)
Joystick + Dragon Con: “Galaxy Quest” 4K @ The Plaza (Friday)
 CatVideoFest 2025 @ The Plaza (Friday-Sunday)
 “Ikiru” 4K @ The Plaza (Saturday-Wednesday)
 “The Straight Story” in 35mm @ The Plaza (Saturday-Tuesday) 
 “The Philadelphia Story” @ Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Saturday-Sunday)
 “Grave of the Fireflies” (Sunday-Tuesday)

Crash Zoom: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and AI updates

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a podcast where we take a deep dive into film and entertainment industry news!

Join my cohost indie filmmaker Aaron Strand and me as we explore how things happening at the highest level trickle down and affect the independent artist. Each week, we’ll be releasing two short episodes, one on Wednesday and one on Friday, and diving deep on two news stories.

This week’s Wednesday episode is about the phenomenon that is “KPop Demon Hunters” on Netflix. This week’s Friday episode covers the United States’ new AI Action Plan and Showrunner AI.

 Check out the episodes here!

Lights, Camera, Action!

AI has been used to create an “enhanced” version of “The Wizard of Oz” that will play at the Las Vegas Sphere starting Aug. 28. I don’t know about you, but I’m not loving the sound of this – or the look of it, for that matter. I love this take on the matter from Sam Adams for Slate. When introducing classic art to new audiences, why do we feel like we must change the former rather than rely on the latter to rise to the occasion? “The Wizard of Oz” has enchanted audiences for almost a century. Why do we feel the need to “improve” what is already so triumphant? 

Steven Soderbergh made an appearance on the “Team Deakins” podcast this week, talking about everything from his debut feature “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” to shooting his own films under the alias Peter Andrews. Check out the interview here.

We’re about 25 years into the 21st century, so there’s a lot of retrospectives making the rounds. On a recent episode of “Pop Culture Happy Hour” from NPR, the hosts dive into what (so far) is the most definitive piece of Y2K culture. Is it Britney? Spice Girls? Click here to find out.

Today’s Scene was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

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