By Rebecca Daniel, Senior Editor
As a lifelong Atlanta resident, it was so exciting to be at the Plaza on Friday for opening night of the Atlanta Film Festival. Despite my love for film, this is surprisingly my first trip to the festival. I know, what have I been doing with my life? Well, Friday night I started living it.
As I got to the Plaza, I could feel the energy building. A big crowd emerged to see the opening night debut film “Dave Made a Maze.” A crowd so big that an encore screening had to be scheduled to accommodate the number of guests present. We all wanted to know if Dave really did make that maze. After we made our way to our seats, the Executive Director of the Atlanta Film Society, Chris Escobar, greeted the audience and thanked everyone who made the Festival a possibility. After that, it was movie time!
The film was met with laughter and applause from an energetic audience. It combines live action, puppetry, and animation showcasing impressive creativity. If you are an artist, you’re sure to appreciate this film. After the film, some of the cast and crew held a Q and A for the audience (check it out here)!
Anybody up for a party? Following the screening, Moonshine Post Production treated everyone to an after party at Paris on Ponce. This was a great time to meet others with similar interests in the film industry and discuss our excitement about the events in the coming week. Did I mention the pralines? There was an entire praline station that did not disappoint. In fact, it was dinner and I can’t complain about that. There was other food, but who could get past those delicious southern treats?
Opening Night was a huge success. I had a great time and look forward to seeing more that the Festival has to offer.
