Faculty and MFA Film students participate in inaugural Athens Film Festival

The film industry is thriving in Athens, Georgia, as evidenced by the 2022 opening of the new Athena Studios; growing momentum of the UGA MFA in Film, Television and Digital Media program; and now the inaugural Athens Film Festival.

Several UGA faculty and MFA Film students will screen films and lead discussions during the festival which takes place at downtown venues in Athens Aug. 15-17.  

The UGA MFA in Film, Television, and Digital Media is joint degree program of Grady College and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

MFA Film alumni screen thesis films

For Alex Thomas (MFA ‘23), coming back to Athens to premiere his MFA thesis film, “The School Mistress,” is a full-circle moment.

“I think it’s so cool,” Thomas said of the invitation to participate. “I think the most impactful time I had during the MFA Film program was the year that we spent in Athens, and I feel really connected to the Athens community.”

Thomas believes this film festival is one more example of how Athens is growing into a filmmakers hub.

“Athens has a very dedicated arts community that has not yet had its moment in the spotlight,” Thomas continued. “I think it’s tremendous they are finally building this community and getting their moment to showcase it.”

The start of a film festival in Athens means a lot to Clare Methe (MFA ‘22), an alumna of the MFA Film program and an Athens, Georgia, native.

“I am happy that I have local friends who can come see my film on a big screen, especially at Ciné,” Methe said. “I love that theater. I worked there and my brother works there now, so that’s pretty special.”

Methe will screen her thesis film, “Our Beloved,” at Ciné at 2:15 p.m. on Aug. 16. “Our Beloved” follows the story of a surviving twin’s first birthday after losing his brother in a car accident.

The film Thomas adapted and directed, “The School Mistress,” is based on an Anton Chekhov book, but is told through the lens of a southern storyteller. The story is about a woman who must choose between a teaching job from which she gets a lot of personal satisfaction, or a more financially stable life marrying a man she does not love. The film will be screened at the Morton Theater on Aug. 17 at 7:45 p.m.

Thomas is excited to screen his historical drama in the historic Morton Theater, but also to be one of the featured films in the Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts series. Thomas, who earned his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina and spent time working in Los Angeles before starting the MFA Film program, wants to make an impact as a southern storyteller.

“I was really looking for something that would help me establish myself in Georgia, having grown up in Georgia,” Thomas said. “It’s really important for me to keep my roots in the southeast. I really just love southern stories and southern storytelling, and I think that there’s not enough of it in films today.”

Heidi Choi and Baker Waite, who are current MFA Film students and served as co-producers of “The School Mistress,” will join Thomas on a Q&A panel following the film.  

Faculty member screens feature length film

Lauren Musgrove, assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at Grady College, will open the Athens Film Festival with the Athens screening of her first feature film, “Ugly Sweater,” at 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 15.

“Ugly Sweater” tells the story of Ruby, a young girl struggling through the transition between high school and college as she internally processes big changes. In the film, Ruby learns how to navigate her ambition and her anxiety about her dreams and her relationships with those closest to her, including her first love and her family.

“I have always been fascinated by memories, dreams, and the inner corners of truth in our minds,” Musgrove said of the coming-of-age storyline. “It’s about this symbolism that an ugly sweater brings together all of your feelings and your past. It’s about all these things that sometimes feel really ugly but, also feels comforting when you’re like, ‘no, that’s who I am.’”

Musgrove is an eight-time Southeast Emmy Award-winning director and she received the “Indie Spirit” Special Recognition Award when the film premiered at the Boston International Film Festival last April.

Culture of film in Athens

In addition to cheering on several MFA Film students and alumni, Marty Lang, director of the MFA Film program, will also lead a panel discussion on crowdsourcing and crowdfunding for independent films at 1 p.m. on Aug. 16. Lang has taught courses on the subject and has just published a book on the topic, “The Self-Sustaining Filmmaker:  Creating Crowdsourced, Crowdfunding and Community-Supported Independent Film.”

Lang knows the importance of creating a culture of film in a community.

“It’s really important for film departments to be connected to local film festivals,” Lang said. “Not only as a means to get student work to screen, but it’s a good thing because if there is a good relationship between the indie film-related organizations in an area, it helps everybody,” Lang said.

“The fact that we have Athena Studios is a tell-tale sign there will be a broader interest,” Lang continued about the growing film industry in Athens. “And, the fact that there is a graduate level film program here matters. Really, there’s energy here.”

Lang continued: “I hope that Athens becomes the place where beginning filmmakers come to start their careers. Everything about the state is the polar opposite of Los Angeles. The pace is more manageable. The people are so much nicer. It’s a good environment for creatives, and that has helped to give momentum to what’s happening here.”

Listing of UGA faculty and student screenings at the Athens Film Festival:

Thursday, August 15

7:15 p.m. at Ciné — Screening of “Ugly Sweater,” directed, co-written and produced by Lauren Musgrove

Friday, August 16

1 p.m. at Ciné — Panel on “The Power of the Audience: Crowdfunding and Crowdsourcing in Independent Film,” led by Marty Lang and Aaron Strand

2:15 p.m. at Ciné — Screenings of thesis films in the Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts 1 series:

“Chessboxer” — Albin Pepe, director (MFA ’23) — nominated for Best Short film

“Nocturnal Roar” — Robert Landau, director, MFA student

“Our Beloved” — Clare Methe, director (MFA ’22)

“Stay” — Eli Saliba, director (MFA ’22)

Saturday, August 17

2:30 p.m. at Ciné — “Chessboxer” — Albin Pepe, director (MFA ’23) — second showing in Jury Nominated Shorts, nominated for Best Short film

7:45 p.m. at the Morton Theater — Screening of thesis film in the Reel Peaches Georgia Shorts 3 series.

“The School Mistress” — Alex Thomas, director (MFA ’23), followed by a Q&A with Thomas and Heidi Choi and Baker Waite

Author: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu