Atlanta Film Festival Rebrands Itself to Atlanta Film Society

The Atlanta Film Festival is changing its name to the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) in a new rebranding effort to highlight the organization's year-round events in addition to the 10-day Atlanta Film Festival held every spring.

The Atlanta Film Society was originally founded in 1976 as IMAGE, the Independent Media Artists of Georgia, Etc., and has gone through mutliple name changes throughout the decades. The organization provides year-round service to the filmmaking and film-loving community in Georgia and the South.

“This name change represents who we are right now and paves the way for where we want to go,” said ATLFS Executive Director Christopher Escobar. “The change from ‘Festival’ to ‘Society’ better depicts the work and effort showcased all year long through screenings, classes, events and special programs. It clarifies that we are only part of the greater Atlanta film community and reinforces our plan to serve this community in a bigger way.”

Besides the annual Atlanta Film Festival, the ATLFS operates various film programs including Airport Shorts, which screens select short films on 15 screens throughout Hartsfield-Jackson Airport’s new International Terminal; Eat, Drink & B-Indie, a monthly film-themed networking and educational mixer at Manuel’s Tavern; Film Festival Collective, an XFINITY Video On Demand channel that showcases short films from several prestigious film festivals across the country; the Filmmaker-in-Residence program, which supports accomplished Atlanta-based festival alumni in a three-year residency; and New Mavericks, a year-round screening and networking program spotlighting female filmmakers from Atlanta and beyond.

The Atlanta Film Society is also introducing the A/V Toolbank, a new equipment rentals program to provide audio/visual and presentation equipment for local groups and organizations looking to host screenings or events.

“The A/V Toolbank is a crucial facet of ATLFS,” Escobar continued. “We’ve been working with organizations like WonderRoot, GSU Student Film Festival and The Goat Farm Arts Center and aided events like Elevate, Flux Projects and Art on the Beltline while piloting this program. This announcement allows us to formalize the resource and make it more widely available.”

As you can see, the Atlanta Film Society is much more than just a festival.