2016 Atlanta Film Festival: Opening and Closing Night Presentations Announced

The Atlanta Film Society has announced the Opening and Closing Night Presentations for the 40th annual Atlanta Film Festival happening April 1 through April 10, 2016.

The Opening Night Presentation will be the Atlanta-filmed The Fundamentals of Caring on April 1 at the Plaza Theatre. The film stars Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez, and Jennifer Ehle. It is directed by Rob Burnett, who is scheduled to be in attendance. The synopsis reads:

"Having suffered a tragedy, Ben's life is on hold. In need of work, he becomes a caregiver, where he is put through his paces by his first client, Trevor, a hilarious 18-year-old from England with muscular dystrophy. Instead of bowing to Trevor's irreverent tactics, Ben treats Trevor in a way no caregiver has ever done before: without kid gloves. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, the two bond through humor in a way only broken people can. They hit the open road on a trip that takes them through the majestic pines of the Pacific Northwest, the foothills of Idaho and Montana, and finally through the open plains of the American Southwest. Along the way, they find some other lost souls, including a 21-year-old runaway who is the sexiest girl Trevor has ever seen in person and not on TV."

The Closing Night Presentation will be Morris From America on April 9 at the Plaza Theatre. The film stars Craig Robinson and Carla Juri. It is directed by Chad Hartigan, who is scheduled to be in attendance. The synopsis reads:

"A heartwarming and crowd-pleasing coming-of-age comedy with a unique spin, “Morris from America” centers on Morris Gentry (Markees Christmas, in an incredible breakout performance), a 13-year-old who has just relocated with his single father, Curtis (Craig Robinson), to Heidelberg, Germany. Morris, who fancies himself the next Notorious B.I.G., is a complete fish-out-of-water—a budding hip-hop star in an EDM world. To complicate matters further, Morris quickly falls hard for his cool, rebellious, 15-year-old classmate Katrin. Morris sets out against all odds to take the hip-hop world by storm and win the girl of his dreams."

“We're honored and excited to present these highlights of our 40th anniversary Atlanta Film Festival program, said Executive Director Christopher Escobar. "This milestone year inspired us to focus on gala screenings and educational offerings as compelling and varied as the community we're dedicated to serving.”

In addition to the Opening and Closing Night Presenations, the Atlanta Film Society also revealed some of the mmarquee films and creative conferences set to appear during the 10-day Atlanta Film Festival. They include:

Confirmation - with scheduled appearance by actor Wendell Pierce
directed by directed by Rick Famuyima
USA, 2016, English
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 6:00 PM — Rialto Center for the Arts — FREE
Filmed in Atlanta, “Confirmation” takes a look behind the curtain of Washington politics, depicting the explosive 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings where Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment. The hearings brought the country to a standstill and became a pivotal moment in American culture forever changing how we perceive and experience workplace equality and gender politics. Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Greg Kinnear, Eric Stonestreet, and Jennifer Hudson star. Written by Susannah Grant.

Everybody Wants Some!! – with scheduled appearance by actors Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman and Blake Jenner
directed by Richard Linklater
USA, 2016, English, 116 minutes
Saturday, April 2, 2016, 7:00 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
A new ‘spiritual sequel’ to “Dazed and Confused” set in the world of 1980 college life, “Everybody Wants Some!!” is a comedy that follows a group of friends as they navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Get ready for the best weekend ever.

Love & Friendship directed by Whit Stillman Ireland/Netherlands/France/USA, 2016, English, 92 minutes Sunday, April 10, 2016, 12:50 PM — Plaza Theatre, Upstairs While waiting for social chatter about a personal indiscretion to pass, the beautiful widow Lady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws’ estate. While there, the intelligent, flirtatious, and amusingly egotistical Lady Vernon is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica—and herself too, naturally. She enlists the assistance of her old friend Alicia, but two particularly handsome suitors complicate her orchestrations. [Marquee]

Miles Ahead
directed by Don Cheadle
USA, 2015, English, 100 minutes
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:45 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
In the midst of a dazzling and prolific career at the forefront of modern jazz innovation, Miles Davis virtually disappears from public view for a period of five years in the late 1970s. Alone and holed up in his home, he is beset by chronic pain from a deteriorating hip, his musical voice stifled and numbed by drugs and pain medications, his mind haunted by unsettling ghosts from the past. A wily music reporter forces his way into Davis' house and the two men unwittingly embark on a wild and sometimes harrowing adventure to recover a stolen tape of the musician's latest compositions.

Presenting Princess Shaw
directed by Ido Haar
Israel, 2015, English, 80 minutes
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 5:00 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
A rousing documentary crowd-pleaser about a star-crossed singer-songwriter and her crafty secret admirer, “Presenting Princess Shaw” examines loneliness, anonymity and connectivity in the Internet age, where showbiz dreams remain but a mouse-click away for even the most hardscrabble striver.

Siren
directed by Gregg Bishop
USA, 2016, English, 86 minutes
Sunday, April 10, 2016, 7:30 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
A bachelor party becomes a savage fight for survival when the groomsmen unwittingly unleash a fabled predator upon the festivities. A feature adaptation of the segment "Amateur Night" from the horror anthology "V/H/S."

The Fits
directed by Anna Rose Holmer
USA, 2015, English, 72 minutes
Thursday, April 7, 2016, 9:15 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
Developed and produced through a micro-budget, micro-timeline initiative for first and second-time filmmakers, "The Fits" stars fresh face Royalty Hightower as Toni—an 11-year-old tomboy emboldened by a strong, confident group of young dancers. While the team navigates a sudden, unexplained outbreak of fainting spells, Toni navigates her innocent but furtive desire to fit in.

Viva
directed by Paddy Breathnach
Cuba/Ireland, 2015, Spanish, 100 minutes
Tuesday, April 5, 2016, 7:00 PM — Plaza Theatre, Main
Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. As father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, “Viva” becomes a love story as the men struggle to understand one another and reconcile as a family.

For tickets and to see the entire 2016 Atlanta Film Festival lineup, please visit www.atlantafilmfestival.com.