Atlanta is Black Hollywood: Peachtree Village International Film Festival features AA film makers

From Cannes to Sundance, film festivals are notorious for the star-studded crowds they attract and the cutting edge, avante garde movies they screen. They’re electric, dazzling and people scurry around feverishly to meet and greet and put a plug in for their favorite movie picks it’s PR heaven.  Aspiring filmmakers and producers clamor about to put their projects in the movie marketplace and into the hands of studio executives who will put wings on the project and  get it to the viewing public.  Fortunately, the Peachtree International Film Festival in Atlanta at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Aug. 19 – 22 is the ideal solution to the film festival dilemma for gazers.  Rolling out spoke with Len Gibson, the PVIFF organizer for insight on what to expect at this year’s film festival. –roz edward

RO: What is the Peachtree Village International Film Festival about?

Len Gibson: We showcase films from around the globe.  But I think what makes us a little different than a lot of festivals is that we truly take a lot of time and effort to put together solid panels and workshops. … You know, having a good time is cool but at the end of the day … you need to leave with some knowledge. So, we put the right people in the right places on our panels and in our workshops to really ensure that people leave with that substance. 

Why are film festivals important in the industry?

Where else can you spend $40 or $50 for a submission fee and you’re able to put 300 people in the room to see your film?  In a lot of cases you would have to pay $3000 to $5000 or $10,000 in some cases just to book a theater, just to get the word out and you may not get that money back.

What kind of celebrity support do you have?

We’re able to do that and we’re able to get people like Michael Elliott who wrote Just Wright, again Quinton Aaron, and locally Roger Bobb, Terri Vaughn, and hip-hop artist Young Joc. And we get a lot of last minute things like we just got Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell the other day.  And we just got a call, we got Darrin Henson coming back again.

Will there be any special awards at the PVIFF?

We’re giving Quentin Aaron of The Blind Side a Breakthrough Performance Award. … This year we’re giving a Spotlight Award to ‘The Game.’   We are recognizing people that are often overlooked but [are] very deserving.  

Visit  PVIFF.com for submission guidelines and festival schedules