by Tenaya Cleveland

One of many good things about the Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) folks is that they are always up to something.  Even though it feels like the 2012 Festival was just a couple of weeks ago (it was three months, really), submissions for next year’s festival are already being accepted.  In fact, the early Bird Deadline is July 6^th, in office.  Also, they host a plethora of workshops and screenings throughout the year.  This makes me feel a little better about taking three months to follow up on the first half of my article covering the fest – ‘cause, you know, it’s perfect timing, really.  A season… more wisdom gleaned… and you people want to know about the Early Bird deadline, don’t you??  This is what I tell myself.

Luckily, much made an impression on me from ATLFF 2012, so it’s easy for me to recall many of the moments from days 6-9. If you haven’t already, I suggest reading my previous article.  The following picks up where that one left off, in the middle of the fest.  As a quick reminder, I was also in the middle of moving to a new apartment…

DAY 6 (Wednesday)

I spent the day packing and geared up for an Evening of Awesome, the highlight of which was HBO’s premiere of GAME OF THRONES at the Rialto theater downtown.  Beforehand, I took pictures with models dressed up as warriors and princesses and other wonderful things that I am not sure how to describe.  They gave us free popcorn and a choice of soda or water, then ushered us inside.  I ran into someone I knew, who happened to be taking pictures of the event for HBO.  She invited me to sit with her in the VIP section.  I was entitled to sit in the VIP section anyway, seeing as I’d been graciously given a VIP bracelet by one of the event’s organizers.  Still, it was nice to have someone save a seat for me.  The screening was sublime.  As the opening credits rolled, I felt giddy like a kid.  GAME OF THRONES (or GOT, as the kids call it) is so cinematic that it really should only ever be watched on a large screen, and the sound, so good!

After the screening, they gave us key chains (limited edition!) and I headed around the corner to the VIP party.  It was a small crowd, and I made a couple of new friends there, running into the fabulous Doobious.com photography crew and enjoying the open bar and fried snacks.  Then, it was home to get a decent night’s sleep.

DAY 7 (Thursday)

Ok, so there were awesome film-related workshops happening during the day M-F, and were I in a utopian world, where I could warp time to my liking, I might have attended at least half of them.  It’s difficult to know what one would really do in that circumstance, isn’t it?  In reality, the only workshop I managed to get to was the COLLABORATIVE FEATURE WRITING workshop.  Even that I found challenging.  I was, however, determined to go – no matter how determined my taxi driver was to NOT get me there!  Although I arrived late, I was pleasantly surprised to find a good number of great seats open – including a seat next to Victoria Warren, DP for AMATEUR NIGHT (part of V/H/S).  I was also pleasantly surprised to see that my uber-talented colleagues, David Bruckner and Nicholas Tecosky (writing partners and scribes of V/H/S) were on the panel, along with a handful of other wonderful screenwriters.  The most influential nugget of platinum goodness that I took away from the event was this: arguing with one’s writing partner is not necessarily a bad thing.  It shows that both parties are passionate.  As long as both are willing to listen and to hash it out ‘til both are at least content, then this is where a lot of the best things happen.  Hmmm… so, kinda like any close relationship, huh?

After the event, I had to wait a little while for a friend to get off of work and join me for the evening’s festivities, so I hung out, said hello to my colleagues, met a couple of new friends, and exchanged some cards.  As will likely happen in any field – maybe especially in the entertainment field – I met a strange person.  In the beginning of our conversation, this person claimed to be looking for collaborators on the creation of his film.  Later in the conversation, he said the film was complete.  Later that night, I found an email from him letting me know about how great his film was.  What I find odd about these kinds of people is their bizarre need to be dishonest.  I would have been perfectly fine with staying in contact with him, if he’d been straight-forward.  Once I realized he’d been dishonest, however, I no longer wanted to know what he was doing… like, ever.

My friend arrived and we jaunted on over to The Goat Farm for an evening of live music, experimental films and video art exhibits.  What fun!  The live music was a mixed bag, and considering how hungry I was, it took a bit longer that I would’ve liked for the food trucks to get their food ready.  Over all though, it was a fun time.  I ran into many of the friends and acquaintances I’d seen from throughout the fest, and even a couple of unexpected familiar faces. I finally got to see Dan Bush/Lovett’s GHOST OF OLD HIGHWAYS, a musical short film that was so stylistically awesome that I didn’t mind the gore.  Watching GHOST OF OLD HIGHWAYS was the pinnacle of an evening that I’m inspired to describe as a feast for the senses.  Well, that, and the spiced rice crispy treats – delicioso!

DAY 8 (2^nd Friday)

The day was devoted to moving.  At night, I made it over to the Plaza theater for WonderRoot’s Filmmaker’s Night, a compilation of short films sponsored by WonderRoot, an Atlanta-based non-profit arts organization (WonderRoot.org).  Not only did I get to see a bunch of interesting short films, I ran into creative masterminds Darrell C. Hazelrig and Beau Brown, filmmakers whose brilliant film THE WIND UP BOY was a part of the event.  In tow were actor Tom Thon and actress/model Christie Vozniak.  Mr. Thon is the human star of THE WIND UP BOY, and he plays wonderfully opposite the title character – an eerily life-like puppet.  Ms. Vozniak adorably donned a sleek, “New Puppet Order” stamped little black dress.   The event also included another screening of Puja Chaudhari’s haunting A HARD DAY’S PAY (which I originally thought was about a father and son, then thought that Puja had told me was about a grandfather and grandson and later found out that it was, as originally thought, a father and son.  Got that?).

It was a special treat to get to sit with the crew.  Afterwards we grabbed a drink next door and talked about the fabulous world of Atlanta filmmaking.  Shameless plug: a few days before, Mr. Hazelrig and Mr. Brown had cast me to do the voice over for their next film, MAIDEN TO MONSTER, a story about Medusa and Perseus told from Medusa’s view – and done with puppets!  The film premiered at the Center for Puppetry Arts as a part of their annual XPT (Xperimental Puppetry Theater) show, and an updated cut is on its way to make the festival rounds.

DAY 9 (2^nd Saturday)

I was hoping to have all of my moving taken care of.  It wasn’t.  It took all day.  I did, however, make it to the Closing Night Party at Guillotine Post, where I met the makers of TRASH DANCE and STREET DOGS OF SOUTH CENTRAL; two documentaries that I heard were very moving for different reasons.  Vincent Ueber, one of the writers of STREET DOGS, gave me a copy of his film to take home.  I still haven’t watched it.  Truth is, I have a super soft spot for stray animals.  In fact, I once brought home a dog I found in South Central… and I’m afraid of how the film might affect me emotionally.  Maybe Queen Latifah’s narration will help somehow.  She’s someone I’d like to work with.  I digress.

So, anyway, there was a spread of make-your-own sloppy joes w/ side fixins of baked beans, coleslaw and rice.  I don’t eat sloppy joes, but I thoroughly enjoyed the rest.  I ran into Josh Wilcox, Hannah Fierman and Remy Swales and met up with Darrell, Christie, Puja and a few other new acquaintances, including actor Ron Ogden.  When the party closed down around midnight, a bunch of us headed over to The Highland for a nightcap.  The excitement of the evening was given a boost, when a car caught on fire on the other side of the parking lot!  A bunch of us rushed over to see the hot mess, and I saw filmmaker Chance White in the crowd.  It was a fiery filmmaker frenzy!  Yay, alliterations!

DAY 10 (2^nd Sunday)

The whole day was devoted to encore screenings of the winners and other favorites from the festival.  All screenings happened at the Midtown Art Cinema.  I did not make any of the screenings, as I was exhausted and still finishing cleaning old my old apartment.  I think it’s pretty cool that they had them, though.  I also think it’s cool that a big company like Xfinity sponsored the day.  I’m not generally a fan of a lot of the practices of big corporations.  I am, however a fan of the times when they do cool things like support the arts.

All said, my first experience of the ATLFF was one rich with yummy goodness.  It greatly deepened my connection to the local entertainment world, and broadened my exposure to current independent filmmakers from across the country as well.

Will Atlanta be the next Sundance?  No.  It will always be Atlanta.  Will the ATLFF continue to grow in its exposure and respect from the entertainment community as a whole?  I’d bet on it.  Personally, I have a new favorite film festival to look forward to in years to come.  Heck, I don’t even need to purchase new snow clothes to attend!

For more information on ATLFF, including all kinds of good reasons for submitting early for 2013, visit: www.atlantafilmfestival.com

To keep tabs on the short film, MAIDEN TO MONSTER, “Like” the Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/MaidenToMonster

Tenaya Cleveland is a California native who landed in Atlanta in the Fall of 2011.  She acts, makes films and coaches people who have an interest in following their deeper calling.  She can be seen this month on the television shows DROP DEAD DIVA and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS.  More details on these and future appearances can be found at www.TenayaCleveland.com.

by Tenaya Cleveland

Attending the Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) gives a person a host of bragging rights. First off, it’s an “academy qualifying” film festival.  This means you can watch Oscar- caliber films, sometimes before anyone else does.  Secondly, screening Oscar-caliber films means that Oscar-caliber filmmakers and actors will be in tow – and film festivals are one of the easiest places to rub elbows with actors and filmmakers.  This brings to mind the time I was at the Cannes Film Festival and just happened to be invited to sit at a table where a group of folks were gathered for drinks.  Turns out it was Quentin Tarantino’s table, populated with the likes of Rosario Dawson and various Grindhouse cast and crew.  You might be thinking, “Hey, we’re talking about Atlanta here, not the almost-mythical Cannes” – which brings up a good point.   I mean, when we talk about Cannes, and other almost-mythical film festivals (including Sundance and SXSW), why isn’t the ATLFF among them?  Is it that the name is too straightforward?  Or that it isn’t on the poetic French Riviera, or nestled between snow-covered mountains?

Local filmmaker Remington (“Remy”) Swales of Stray Dog Pictures (A.D. for the short film TERMINUS) hopes that someday soon the local festival will be considered among the elite, and I can see it happening.  Already hailed by many as the “New Hollywood” or the “Hollywood of the South,” Atlanta is a burgeoning market for film and television, and boasts a wonderful theater community as well.  This may not be news to locals, but having just moved here from Los Angeles a few months ago, I’d have to agree with the sentiment voiced by Swales; sometimes Atlanta doesn’t get the street cred it deserves from the rest of the film/entertainment community.

Tenaya Cleveland (middle) with actress April Billingsley and filmmaker Raymond Carr at the Atlanta Film Festival 2012

I asked local filmmaker and friend, Raymond Carr (Director of OLD MAN CABBAGE and Art Director of the “Amateur Night” segment of V/H/S) what he wanted people to know about ATLFF.  Mr. Carr expressed a great passion for the local “DIY” (do it yourself) filmmaking community, and pointed out that local filmmakers make films not only to make great art, but also to celebrate Atlanta.  He added, “The films I make couldn’t be made anywhere else.”

This brings me to my next reason to attend ATLFF before it gets any bigger: it’s local, down-to-earth flair.  When festival director Chris Escobar says that the festival feels “like inviting 25,000 of our closest friends over to watch movies with us in our town,” you can see that he means it. The jovial Mr. Escobar, who announced at opening night that he and his wife are expecting their first child, also acts like a proud father when talking about the festival of which he obviously loves being at the helm.  This is what makes ATLFF unique, and may be what separates it from the almost-mythical festivals; it is so real, so rich with local culture.  Personally, I think this is a good thing.   Meanwhile, Escobar and a long list of volunteers, board of directors and sponsors – such as Xfinity, Turner Broadcasting, Fiat, A&E, BBC America, W Hotels, Eurochannel and dozens more – are helping make sure that the ATLFF not only stays on the map but continues to grow. This year alone they had over 2200 submissions and are screening over 225 films!

Ah, films… movies… flicks… the cinema!  In my first 4 days of attending various screenings and events at ATLFF I’ve only watched 15 pieces (of probably over 100  screened).  One of the reasons for this is that I happen to be in the middle of moving – more details of which I’ll likely reference in a future article (you know, since we artists tend to be so transient).  Here is an overview of the films and filmmakers I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with since the festival began last Friday:

The evening was rounded out with friends at the Creative Loafing party, where more tasty morsels were served up, this time by Epting Events.  At the food table, I met filmmaker Sabrina Lee, whose film NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT had screened earlier in the evening.  We bonded when one of the gals from catering asked if we wanted pudding instead of gumbo.  After, I joined a group of fellow film-lovers for a drink at JCT Kitchen.  It was a fun night.

DAY 3 (Sunday): Remember David Zeiger, the filmmaker I met on Friday?  Well, I showed up for the premiere of his dramatic feature, SWEET OLD WORLD, and he greeted me with a big hug!  He then introduced me to the break-out star of the film, Jacques Colimon, and invited me to go with the group to Manuel’s after the screening.  It was a treat to experience Mr. Zeiger’s foray into narrative feature filmmaking (after a number of successes as a documentary filmmaker) – and the young star of the film, Jacques Colimon, is a gem.  I predict that both of these humble and talented artists will continue on to much more success.

Playing with SWEET OLD WORLD was the lovely, “whimsical and bittersweet” short film, THE PRINCE’S PERFECT PARTY from director Chance White.  Chance was on hand after the screening for Q&A, and I asked him about a choice he made at the end of the film that had surprised me.  More on this later.

I bowed out of the opportunity to join the Zeiger party after the screening, as I had already promised a friend that I’d watch Craig Zobel’s COMPLIANCE, a film lauded at Sundance earlier this year.  Unfortunately, there was a delay due to some technical issues and the film began nearly 2 hours after it’s scheduled start time.  This thinned what would likely have been a sold-out audience down to about ½ of the theater, and set up the remaining audience members for an uncomfortable start to an uncomfortable film. Still, I think most of the audience members who stuck it out were happy they did.  Happy might not be the right word; the film, based on real events, is so viscerally challenging and mind-wrenching that someone would likely have to be a little twisted to leave the theater feeling happy.  However, it is a good – and important – film that explores the ability that one person has to coerce another into doing something that they know isn’t right.  Mr. Zobel – a North Georgia native – was on hand to answer questions afterward.  I was honored to have the opportunity to thank Zobel in person, and told him I’d like to do a more in-depth feature on him in the future.

The cast and crew of V/H/S at the Atlanta Film Festival 2012

DAY 4 (Monday): After a long day of moving, I got as gussied up as I could manage and headed back over to the Landmark for the red carpet screening of V/H/S (which plays again Sun 4/1 at 9:15pm).  I was grateful to have NGL photographer, Lou Raimondi, by my side for the event.  Of the whole festival, this was the one film where I knew the most cast and crew, and I was very excited to see all of their hard work on screen.  Not much of a horror fan, I spent about ½ of the film with my eyes closed and ears plugged (and I still found myself leery of what might be looking in through the open blinds later that night).   The film is a combined effort of various genre experts. The first featured piece, David Bruckner’s “Amateur Night,” starred the gifted Hannah Fierman and Drew Sawyer, and was impeccably acted and executed.  In fact, having blocked out most of the more graphic parts of it, I could easily have enjoyed a feature-length version just of that story.  Okay, most of the cast and crew are people I know, and maybe I have a slight bias. However, I can honestly say that it was a relief to leave the theater and be able to genuinely compliment the folks who worked on it.  I was duly impressed.

After the film, the cool cats and dames made their way upstairs to the official “happy hour” location of the festival – The Independent – for drinks and darts.  There I ran into Chance White, the director of THE PRINCE’S PERFECT PARTY, who it turns out had been further contemplating the question I’d asked him at the Q&A on Sunday (which I can’t tell you or it would give away the ending).  This provided him with the opportunity to give me a more thought-out answer, and the opportunity for me to further compliment his art. We exchanged cards for future communication.

DAY 5 (Tuesday): I had every intention of getting back to the festival during the day today for some workshops (in particular, I wanted to attend the one on director/actor collaboration).  However, I had to tape an audition at home and needed to catch up on some things (including this article!).  So, it is a day of rest… sort of.

I’ll be back out tomorrow through Saturday, to see more premieres and meet more awesome, creative humans.  I’m particularly excited about attending a music-themed event at The Goat Farm on Thursday night, featuring live music and music videos. Of special interest: the short film/music video, GHOST OF OLD HIGHWAYS, directed by local legend, Dan Bush.

To view the full ATLFF 2012 schedule, purchase tickets and get more information visit:

www.atlantafilmfestival.com.  Favorites from the festival, including DRAMA SHORTS 2, WITHOUT A NET and V/H/S will re-screen on Sunday, April 1st, along with winners selected from the films in competition.

Check out the photos from the Red Carpet:

all photos by Lou Raimondi

[Show as slideshow]

Tenaya Cleveland is a California native who landed in Atlanta in the Fall of 2011. She acts, makes films, and coaches people who have an interest in following their deeper calling.  She can be found at www.facebook.com/TenayaCleveland

Tenaya Cleveland

After years of acting in theater, television and small independent films, Hawaiian-born actress and filmmaker Tenaya Cleveland first gained international attention for her recurring role on HBO’s acclaimed “Six Feet Under,” followed by being cast as a lead role and attached as a producer on the indie feature film “Hollywood and Vine.”

Shortly thereafter, she landed the lead in the short film, “A Matter of Diplomacy,” which took her to the Cannes International Film Festival.  Cleveland worked behind the scenes on Josh Tickell’s multi-award winning documentary, “Fuel,” and wrote and directed the short film, “No Words,” which appeared in numerous film festivals across the U.S.

Cleveland has worked twice with close friend and up-and-coming director Ambika Leigh, playing the lead role in her short film, “Watching” and a supporting role in her award-winning short, “Switchboard.”  Last Summer, she toured the U.S. playing a triple-character role in the live comedy, “The Moderns.”

A newcomer to the Southeast region, Tenaya is currently in the main cast of the feature film, “The 12 Lives of Sissy Carlyle” from Atlanta-based director/producer Fran Burst and writer/director George Carlos.  She is also writing her first feature-length screenplay, a musical film for which she has written most of the music.

When Tenaya is not on set, she is a freelance writer and coaches other actors and filmmakers on being successful and fulfilled in Hollywood.  For more, visit: www.facebook.com/TenayaCleveland