For 39 years, the Atlanta Film Festival has showcased narrative features, documentaries and shorts made independent of the Hollywood studio mainstream. But star wattage never hurts when it comes to building excitement for the indie film extravaganza.
So for this year’s edition, March 20-29, the festival has reeled in one of the indie movement’s biggest names, James Franco.
“I Am Michael,” starring Franco as a gay journalist-activist who goes straight on his way to becoming a pastor, has snagged the prestigious opening night slot. And the festival has announced that the Oscar-nominated actor (for “127 Hours”) will appear at the 7:30 p.m. March 20 screening at the Plaza Theatre.
Best known as the star of “Pineapple Express” and “The Interview,” the uber-prolific Franco is a large presence on the indie scene. So much so that Sundance Film Festival director of programming Trevor Groth joked to Entertainment Weekly about the ubiquitous actor’s January appearance there behind “I Am Michael,” “The fact that he was in about 73 films that were submitted — statistically, he had a pretty good shot.”
The drama, with Zachary Quinto as the male love interest of Franco’s based-on-real-life character, and Emma Roberts as his female one, played to somewhat mixed notices there.
Variety’s review called it “a remarkably even-handed account of outspoken gay-rights journalist Michael Glatze’s 180-degree identity reversal … Justin Kelly’s hot-potato directorial debut won’t be seen by many beyond the arthouse and festival circuit, but it will nevertheless rile viewers and provoke discussion on all sides, simply because it cuts to the heart of the self-doubt, fear and prejudice associated with modern homosexuality.”
The Hollywood Reporter said the film “has an intriguing, real-life premise and a marketable cast” but called the release “workmanlike.”
Presenting more than 150 features and shorts over 10 days, the Atlanta Film Festival also has announced its closing night feature: “Sunshine Superman,” about Carl Boenish, considered the father of BASE jumping (parachuting from a skyscraper or a cliff). The documentary’s director, Marah Strauch, will attend the 7 p.m. March 28 showing at the Plaza.
As a bonus capper, the festival also has announced a free preview of the season five debut episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” at 7:30 p.m. March 29 at the Fox Theatre (RSVP required).
Other highlights include Noah Baumbach’s marriage comedy “While We’re Young,” starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts; and the Brian Wilson bio-pic “Love & Mercy,” with both John Cusack and Paul Dano playing the Beach Boy. Films of local interest include “Dante’s Down the Hatch,” about the closing of the Buckhead restaurant after more than four decades, and “Old South,” about what happens when a University of Georgia fraternity known to fly a Confederate flag moves into a historically black Athens neighborhood.
For descriptions of all the Atlanta Film Festival titles, see artsculture.blog.ajc.com. Tickets and more info: www.atlantafilmfestival.com.
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