Georgia Entertainment and Universal Production Services, with Discover Dunwoody, will present Indie Spotlight on Sept. 23, 2026, at The Jewel Box inside Assembly Studios, bringing together independent filmmakers, industry professionals and partners for an evening focused on Georgia’s growing creative community.
Indie Spotlight began as a Georgia Entertainment interview series spotlighting independent filmmakers across the state. The Sept. 23 event brings that work off the page, celebrating the creativity, resourcefulness and impact of local filmmakers who are contributing to the state’s growing film ecosystem.
“Georgia’s independent filmmakers are doing some of the most inventive work in the state, often with limited resources and outsized results,” said Randy Davidson, CEO and founder of Georgia Entertainment. “Indie Spotlight gives them a room of their own and connects them with the partners and professionals shaping the industry here.”
The interview series has profiled a wide range of Georgia-connected independent work. Coverage has featured “Two Ships,” an Oscar-qualifying, hand-drawn animated short from McKinley and Mackenzie Benson, and “Withdrawal,” Aaron Strand’s micro-budget feature shot in Athens that won 12 festival awards after a sold-out Atlanta Film Festival premiere. The series has also spotlighted “Beyond Unstoppable,” the final film from late Georgia producer Craig Miller, shot across DeKalb County with MARTA as a production partner.
More recent features include “The Tropic Sun and His Eyes,” a Tribeca-honored Haitian film that made its Atlanta premiere at Morehouse College in June. The work reflects the range Indie Spotlight covers, from animation to narrative features rooted in the state’s communities.
Programming, including featured filmmakers and panelists, to be announced soon.
“We welcome independent filmmakers at Assembly and have hosted a variety of Indie projects including two features,” said Dan Biersdorf, vice president of Assembly Studios operations for Universal Production Services. “Our goal is to collaborate with all filmmakers to make their project a reality.”
“Assembly Studios has become one of Georgia’s most important creative assets,” said Ray Ezelle, president and CEO of Discover Dunwoody. “Bringing filmmakers together inside this incredible campus reflects exactly the kind of collaboration we want to encourage, connecting creative talent with world-class production resources while showcasing everything our community has to offer. It’s also a real economic driver; this kind of production activity fuels tourism and supports our local hotels, restaurants and businesses.”
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