Atlanta's 100-Year-Old Rialto to host Inaugural Be Downtown Film Festival, July 22-23

Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts, the Atlanta Film Society and Central Atlanta Progress are pleased to announce the first ever Be Downtown Film Festival on July 22 and 23, 2016.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Rialto opening as a movie theater in 1916. Built as the largest cinema in the Southeastern United States, the Rialto closed its doors to the public in 1989 before being acquired by Georgia State University years later. In addition to the centennial anniversary, the Rialto is also celebrating 20 years as GSU’s signature Center for the Arts as well as the Atlanta Film Society celebrating 40 years since its founding in 1976. The Be Downtown Film Festival will pay homage to the Rialto’s roots with a two-day festival celebrating films from the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s.

The Local Lense: #GAfilm Updates 8/6 - Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, "The Walking Dead"

Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and more! Hosts Beth Keener and Greer Howard bring you the 411 on entertainment news in Georgia. Find out what's filming, who's here and what to watch!

This week, catch up on the details of "Mother's Day" from director Garry Marshall, which will star Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis (to film in Atlanta); "Coat of Many Colors," an NBC TV movie about Dolly Parton's early life (to film in Metro Atlanta), and "Miracles from Heaven," starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah (currently shooting in Atlanta).

Find out what roles Ethan Embry, Merritt Wever and Corey Hawkins will play in "The Walking Dead." NBC just announced a deal with Atlanta-based producer Will Packer to produce a new Atlanta-set and shot drama titled "Buckhead." Also, check out updates from locally produced TV programs like "The Carbonaro Effect" and "The Dinner Project."

The Local Lense: #GAfilm Updates 6/25 - Jennifer Garner, Daniel Radcliffe, Isla Fisher

Jennifer Garner, Queen Latifah, Daniel Radcliffe, Josh Brolin, Isla Fisher and more! Hosts Beth Keener and Greer Howard bring you the 411 on entertainment news in Georgia. Find out what's filming, who's here and what to watch!

This week, catch up on the details of "Miracles from Heaven" with Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah (to film in Georgia this summer); "Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" with Josh Brolin and Danny McBride (filming in Georgia); and "Young Americans" with Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan (filming in New Orleans and Atlanta this fall). Plus, catch some info on "The Magnificent Seven" with Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington, set to film in Louisiana.

Find out where Isla Fisher ("Keeping Up with the Joneses"), Andrew Lincoln ("The Walking Dead"),  and Kanye West and OutKast were spotted around town!

Check out TV updates from MTV's "Finding Cater," Lifetime's "Devious Maids," USA's "Complications" and SundanceTV's "Rectify." Stay tuned to the end to see set pictures from "Allegiant: Part 1" with Shailene Woodley, "Mena" with Tom Cruise, "The Founder" with Michael Keaton and "Captain America: Civil War" with Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie.

Review: "Fury" (***½)

Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Brad Pitt, Michael Peña & Jon Bernthal star in "Fury"

Very rarely do I enter a theatre completely blind to what it is I’m about to see. I’m too greedy, too curious and far too impatient for the kind of diamond-like discovery that comes with digging in the dark. That analogy may have fallen a bit flat, but the point I’m trying to make here is that this was my experience with “Fury;” I went into the theatre knowing only that it was a war movie and that Brad Pitt was in it. I hadn’t heard too much about the film, and I never really felt any pressure to see it. I hadn’t heard anything too great about it, though to be fair, I hadn’t heard that anyone despised it, either. The buzz surrounding “Fury” was essentially non-existent… for me, at least. The only reason I did see this movie was because it was a very, very rainy Sunday and, quite simply, I love the movies. Plus, I have less a tendency to watch period pieces in the comfort of my own home. Had I not seen “Lincoln” in theatres, I never would have watched that movie; and I’m glad I did see it, it’s a very good movie, but I have some sort of mental block against them. They’re not very easy for me. All that being said, “Fury” was a movie I thoroughly enjoyed.

An Instagram Reel of the 2014 Savannah Film Festival

Norman Reedus walked the red carpet at the opening night of the Savannah Film Festival. Photo: Cameron McAllister, ReelGA.com #savff #savannah #normanreedus #twd #thewalkingdead #redcarpet #reelga

A photo posted by Cameron McAllister (@reelga) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:16pm PDT

In the past, We've posted some photos directly on here from around town for various festivals. But since the @ReelGA Instagram account remains pretty active while we are fest-ing, I'll just share what the 2014 Savannah Film Festival looked like with those of you who may not be following us on the photo app.

We took a lot of pictures of stars on the red carpet, the historic spires and structures of downtown Savannah and of the bright lights of the Trustees and Lucas Theatre marquees. The cream of the crop made it to Instagram. Enjoy! Make sure you are following @ReelGA for more throughout the year (even though not everything is #GAfilm related).

Check out over a dozen photos after the jump!

Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton among honorees at 2014 Savannah Film Festival

The 2014 Savannah Film Festival honorees clockwise from top left:
Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton, Asa Butterfield

Out of all of Georgia's film festivals—and there are now more than ever—the Savannah Film Festival is the most star-studded. Every year, a bevy of Hollywood's biggest and brightest names come to Georgia's first city to showcase their work and be honored by the now 17-year-old film festival. Last year, Jeremy Irons, Alexander Payne, Natalie Dormer and Abigail Breslin were honorees. Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton and Asa Butterfield are this year's special award winners.

Is "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" the most star-studded Georgia production ever?

Will Ferrell on the set of "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" at
Woodruff Park in Atlanta. Photo: Skip Hammerman

Making use of Georgia's incredible settings and fiscal resources for nearly two months now, Adam McKay's sequel to comedy mega-hit "Anchorman" is still filming in Atlanta. "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" sees Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner all return to reprise their roles and welcomes new cast members like Kristen Wiig, James Marsden, Harrison Ford and Meagan Good.

One of the big stories out of this film isn't the main cast, but the slew of huge stars that have been roped in to shooting cameos for the film. Jim Carrey, Sasha Baron Cohen, Kirsten Dunst, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman, Amy Poehler, John C. Reilly, Vince Vaughn and Kanye West have all been spotted in Atlanta in recent weeks filming their scenes. Rumor has it that Will Smith will also appear. In their downtime, some of the celebrities have been spotted enjoying the city at spots like Ecco and the Park 75 Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel on 14th Street. Baron Cohen, Fey, Marsden, Neeson, Poehler, Reilly and Rudd were all spotted having a drink together at the Park 75 on Monday night. Most of these cameos have been filmed in Woodruff Park in Downtown Atlanta this past week, but recent shooting has taken place all over town as well as in and around Glynn County on the Georgia coast. Ferrell and company spent a few days filming at the St. Simons Island pier.

"Anchorman: The Legend Continues" promises to be one of the year's biggest hits and will hit cinema screens in December, shortly after another Georgia-lensed future blockbuster, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." Before "Anchorman" brought dozens of stars into town, "Catching Fire" might have been the most star-studded Georgia production to date. That film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrellson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin and Stanley Tucci. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is currently back in Atlanta completing reshoots.

Georgia's television boom also continues. Currently, "The Walking Dead" is shooting in Senoia, "Being Mary Jane" is shooting at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Atlanta and "Necessary Roughness" is filming in Atlanta (including shoots at Lenox Mall and the W Midtown).

After her recent arrest, Reese Witherspoon has resumed work on her film "The Good Lie" in Atlanta. The Philippe Falardeau film also stars Corey Stoll and Arnold Oceng. Shooting has taken place all over town, from Marietta Street to Cheshire Bridge Road and Woodland Avenue.

"A Friggin' Christmas Miracle" is also still filming in Atlanta. Robin Williams, Lauren Graham, Joel McHale, Oliver Platt and Candice Bergen star in the holiday themed comedy from director Tristram Shapeero. Some shooting has taken place in Stone Mountain.

Atlanta isn't the only Georgia city seeing stars, however. "Need for Speed" has been filming all over Macon in recent weeks, including many of the city's signature downtown avenues. The Scott Waugh film stars Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton, Imogen Poots, Ramon Rodriguez and Kid Cudi. Shooting will also take place in Rome next month.

So what productions will kick off next in the Empire State of the South? "Solace," starring Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Abbie Cornish and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as well as "Million Dollar Arm," starring Jon Hamm, Alan Arkin and Suraj Sharma. Both films are set to begin production later this month. Producer Mark Joseph has also been touring Georgia recently, scouting locations for a planned Ronald Reagan biopic. Georgia's lustrous film community is working hard to lure the production away from the original plans to shoot in North Carolina. Two films are set to film at Lake Lanier this summer—Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore will film their new romantic comedy, "Blended," for Warner Brothers and a remake of "Endless Love" is in the works for Universal Studios. More information on those two films to come.

Georgia indie "The Mansion" to screen twice at the Atlanta Film Festival

Writer-director Andrew Robertson's feature narrative debut is "The Mansion," a post-apocalyptic thriller in the same vein as "The Road." Zombies or no zombies, fans of "The Walking Dead" (and we all know that there are a lot of us) will eat this up. The film's first screening at the 7 Stages Theatre on Friday, March 22nd at 9:30 PM has had more tickets released after a quick sell-out and a second screening at the Plaza Theatre on Sunday, March 24th at 2:15 PM has been added to accommodate all the buzz.

While a rash of dystopian films and television shows has popped up lately, "The Mansion" definitely looks to have its finger on the pulse of the movement. It's a win-win– getting to support local cinema and getting to enjoy a stylish, well-crafted thriller at the same time. Gleb Osatinski's short film "The House at the Edge of the Galaxy" will play before "The Mansion" at both screenings.

Check out the nail-biter of a trailer after the jump.

"Identity Thief" trailer

Seth Gordon's latest film is "Identity Thief," starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and Amanda Peet. You might remember shooting taking place in Atlanta back in the spring. It looks like Georgia is being passed off as both Colorado and Florida in the film, although Atlanta's skyline is easy to spot and fans of "The Walking Dead" should recognize the familiar highways of Hampton.

"Identity Thief" opens nationwide on February 8th, 2013.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" officially begins production in Georgia

Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Jennifer Lawrence will all reprise
roles in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Production on "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" began today in Atlanta. Shooting will take place first at the Georgia World Congress Center. The working title for the film is "The Idiom," but I imagine that cover has been completely blown by now. Filming will take place all over Metro Atlanta before moving production to Hawaii. If you have any pictures or updates from the set, email them to us at reelga@gmail.com.

Recently announced cast-members include Jeffrey Wright as Beetee, Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair, Alan Ritchson as Gloss and Stephanie Leigh Schlund as Cashmere.

"Catching Fire" is just another addition to the list of projects currently filming across Georgia. Shawn Levy's "The Internship" is in Atlanta shooting with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. "Scary Movie 5" also just began filming in Atlanta with Ashley Tisdale, Lindsay Lohan, Heather Locklear, Charlie Sheen and Molly Shannon. "The Walking Dead" is currently shooting in Grantville. First time director Rudiger Von Spies just began filming "Enchanted Amore" in Savannah with stars Rusty Joiner and Nadine Vinzens.

04/11 Star spotting: Meg Ryan, Kevin Bacon, Justin Timberlake, Gabrielle Union

"Trouble with the Curve" is still filming throughout Georgia, with production taking place in Jasper tomorrow and Friday. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, Amy Adams, John Goodman and Matthew Lillard. Shooting has previously taken place in Athens, Atlanta, Conyers, Dawsonville, Dunwoody and Macon. Matthew Lillard recently spent a day at the Atlanta Film Festival during a break.

"The Walking Dead" will start filming season three in Senoia at the end of May. Set construction is underway at Raleigh Studios, where most filming will take place. Downtown Senoia will also be featured in the show. Lifetime show "Drop Dead Diva" has also recently been filming in Senoia.

"A.C.O.D." (aka "Adult Children of Divorce") has been filming all over Atlanta recently, including locations at Castleberry Hill, Decatur and Piedmont Park. Stars Amy Poehler, Adam Scott and Jessica Alba have been out enjoying Atlanta during breaks from filming.

Also enjoying Atlanta during filming breaks is Kevin Bacon, who is still filming an untitled Kevin Williamson pilot all over metro Atlanta. Appropriately enough, he recently stopped by BaconFest.

"42," the upcoming Jackie Robinson biopic, will start filming in Atlanta and Macon soon, as well as Birmingham and Chattanooga. The film stars Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni and Jon Bernthal. Casting for extras is currently underway. Nicole Beharie recently spoke a little bit about the project when she attended the Atlanta Film Festival.

Meg Ryan and John Mellancamp are in town for the premiere of his play "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" at the Alliance Theatre at Woodruff Arts Center. Mellancamp collaborated with T Bone Burnett and Stephen King on the musical. Ryan has been enjoying several of Midtown's finest restaurants during her stay.

"Think Like a Man" had a red carpet premiere at Atlantic Station last Wednesday evening. Film stars Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey and Michael Ealy were in attendance.

J.J. Abrams television pilot "Revolution" is currently filming at the Georgia Capitol building in Atlanta.

Georgia-filmed "American Reunion" opened in theaters last weekend, while another Atlanta production hits screens this week. "Three Stooges" opens Friday. Next month, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" will open nationwide. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an Atlanta red carpet premiere for the film.

Giveaway: Win a free "The Walking Dead" poster!

Poster is 24 x 36 inches.

We have two brand new "The Walking Dead" posters to give away. How do you get one? There are three ways. You can like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or retweet us. If you want to triple your chances, do all three! Next Sunday evening, December 18th, we will draw two names and contact the winners.

11/15 Star spotting: Billy Crystal, Denzel Washington, Marisa Tomei

Billy Crystal, Marisa Tomei and Bette Midler have been seen all over Atlanta for a few weeks now, filming family comedy, "Parental Guidance." Filming has taken place at Piedmont Park, Perimeter Mall and Cobb Energy Centre as well as various sites throughout Atlanta, Dunwoody and Johns Creek. Tomei in particular has been seen shopping and dining around town when not shooting.

Denzel Washington is currently filming Robert Zemeckis' new project "Flight" throughout Buckhead and Sandy Springs. John Goodman has also been spotted around town, while we have yet to hear anything about co-stars Don Cheadle and Melissa Leo.

Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill and Vince Vaughn have been filming "The Watch" on location in Marietta and Smyrna for several weeks and just moved the set to Midtown.

"The Walking Dead" is currently in production of season two and has been filming near Senoia and Hampton lately.

Spotted any celebrities around the state? Email us at reelga@gmail.com with the details and we'll post it here.