After many hours in the air, I safely arrived in America — more specifically, Atlanta. I’m excited to see how the other side of the world approaches a film festival.
The Atlanta Film Festival (April 23- May 3, 2026) is celebrating its 50th year, making it a milestone event and a great atmosphere to be part of. There is a genuinely positive energy among the filmmakers, all supporting each other’s work. The festival is not only about showcasing new films and providing a platform for storytelling, but also hosts a multi-day creative conference — a whirlwind program where directors, producers, cinematographers and other creatives come together to share ideas and learn from one another through Q&A panels featuring both emerging and established voices.
I joined the festival a few days into the event, eager to experience Atlanta’s culture and discover whatever stories these filmmakers had to offer.
"Babystar" (Joscha Bongard, 2025), an international entry from Germany, focuses on influencer culture. It follows a family of influencers whose child was literally born on-screen for their followers to witness. Their entire existence revolves around being online — sharing outings, promoting products, even brushing their teeth together for public consumption. When they are offline, they seem unable to interact naturally, adopting strange rituals that imitate genuine connection. It felt very much in the style of Yorgos Lanthimos. As plans emerge to bring another baby into the family, daughter Luca begins acting out in search of attention and significance, pushing the story toward its climax. The film is beautifully shot and, while it teeters on the edge of unsettling darkness, it would not surprise me if parts of it are already close to reality. It examines how online interactions are labelled as “reality”, while suggesting these influencers no longer know how to exist in the real world.
Day 2 was dedicated to the creative conference, where I attended a full day of panels.
The first panel explored sharing film outside traditional cinema spaces. Made up of passionate entrepreneurs — some experienced, others just starting out — the discussion focused on people creating DIY film clubs and events around Atlanta. It was inspiring to hear how these initiatives aim not only to screen films, but also to encourage conversation, foster community, and support the cultural spaces they inhabit while creating safe environments for education.
The second panel looked back at successful films presented at ATLFF 2025, where they are now, and how their creators are navigating distribution. It was a fantastic discussion, with panellists speaking honestly about both the highs and lows of the festival circuit, as well as the challenges filmmakers face in getting their work in front of wider audiences.
The third panel focused on vertical journalism. While it was not directly film-related in the way I had expected, it explored the rapid rise of short-form video as a tool for sharing news and events through social media — not only bad news, but stories that help strengthen communities and connections as well.
Back to the cinema that night, "Party USA" (Jared Sprouse, 2026) is a bold black comedy examining working-class life in the southern regions of United States and the potentially disastrous consequences of avoiding honesty about grief. Selfish choices, pathological lying, and continuously digging oneself deeper into trouble — it is all there. I was extremely impressed by the quality across every aspect of the film: production, cinematography, editing and writing. I laughed, gasped and winced throughout. After the screening, a Q&A with the cast and crew offered fascinating insight into the creative process. The performances felt authentic because the actors knew when to “get out of the way” and allow the truth of each character to emerge.
Day 3 was a screening of "Mudville" (Adam Pinney, USA, 2026). I wanted to connect with this film more, particularly knowing it was made on a very small budget as a family project. Unfortunately, while the cinematography was beautiful, the editing felt slow and the story somewhat muddled. The film follows Ray, a professional baseball player who has lost his way through alcoholism and is searching for a second chance while raising his children amid deep depression. The difficulty was that it was never made entirely clear that the story was not set in “our world”, and some contextual grounding was needed before the narrative shifted in unexpected directions. The second half largely sidelined the main character and did not match the strength of the first. At times the soundtrack mix became overpowering, pulling me out of the experience, and several shots lingered too long as the film moved toward its conclusion at a very slow pace.
On Day 4, I watched "Berehezade" (Danae Reynaud, Mexico, France, 2026). I had no understanding of the title going in and, honestly, I think a name change could help the film commercially. The story follows Bere, a comedian who is kidnapped after a performance because she is believed to come from a wealthy background. However, things quickly unravel for the inexperienced kidnappers as they attempt to secure money to help their seriously ill friend. This Mexican character-driven drama builds empathy for everyone involved. Both the humour and the more serious emotional moments are well written and effectively shot, leaving you wanting to root for both sides of the conflict.
Day 5 featured the closing film of ATLFF — a preview screening of "I Love Boosters" (2026). If you enter expecting a simple story about shoplifting as a means of survival, you will be very surprised. I knew little about director Boots Riley before the screening, but came away both entertained and educated. The cast delivered outstanding performances in a highly stylised production that was playful yet deeply purposeful. Nothing in the film’s design felt accidental: the colour palette, the dialogue delivery, the use of miniatures — every detail appeared carefully considered. There were moments where I felt some of the more philosophical dialogue was unnecessary; I was already fully immersed in that colourful, stylised world and wanted to continue exploring it visually. Eventually, however, the deeper themes became clear, particularly around humanity’s need for connection and the abuse of power through capitalism — subjects Boots Riley has explored in previous work. I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s eccentric sensibility.
My experience at the Atlanta Film Festival highlighted not only the diversity of contemporary independent filmmaking, but also the strength of the global creative community that surrounds it. Across screenings, panels and conversations, the festival created a space where filmmakers could share ideas, support one another and engage openly with both audiences and industry peers. While not every film fully resonated with me, each screening offered insight into the risks and ambitions involved in independent cinema. Combined with the creative conference and its focus on community, distribution and emerging media, the festival reinforced how vital these events remain for fostering connection, education and creative exchange within the international film industry.