Pablo Larraín's "Jackie" to Open Up Savannah Film Festival

Natalie Portman stars in "Jackie."

Pablo Larraín's highly-buzzed Jackie Kennedy Onassis biopic, "Jackie," is slated to open the 19th annual Savannah Film Festival on Saturday, October 20, 2016.

"Jackie" recently had its world premiere at TIFF, where it was bought by Fox Searchlight. The arthouse distributor is set to provide the film with a robust awards campaign, with Natalie Portman's lead performance sure to receive the most attention.

Vote for "The House at the Edge of the Galaxy" in the Krakow Film Festival trailer competition!

Last year, Gleb Osatinski's "The House at the Edge of the Galaxy" was one of my favorite films at the Atlanta Film Festival. As he continues his festival run (next month, he'll be in Sarasota), he is also expanding his horizons. The prestigious Krakow Film Festival is currently running a trailer contest. Out of the myriad entries, the film that receives the most votes will go on to be featured in the festival! It only takes two clicks!

Vote here!

Let's reward this talented and hardworking Atlanta Film Festival alumnus!

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore reunite in Georgia-filmed "Blended" trailer

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler spent much of last summer filming
"Blended" near Lake Lanier.

It was probably hard to keep track of all the high-profile productions filming throughout Metro Atlanta this past summer. "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" is released this week, but many Georgia-lensed films that were in production earlier this year won't hit cinemas until later into 2014. "The Good Lie," "Kill the Messenger," "Merry Friggin' Christmas," Million Dollar Arm" and "Solace" are just a few of the films that will showcase Georgia at the multiplex next year. Two films in particular, "Blended" and "Endless Love," make use of Georgia's largest lake, Lake Lanier.

Using rented houses, the Lake Lanier Islands Resort, the Mall of Georgia and other spots around Buford and Flowery Branch, "Blended" reunites frequent co-stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as a man and woman who—after a failed first date—wind up on a shared family vacation in Africa. The film also shot in South Africa, but don't be surprised if many of the scenes that take place there were still shot in Georgia and made to look otherwise. Frank Coraci directs with Terry Crews, Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kevin Nealon and Bella Thorne rounding out the cast.

Check out the trailer for "Blended" after the jump.

Atlanta-filmed comedy "A.C.O.D." to hit theaters October 4th

After filming in Atlanta last spring and premiering at Sundance this past winter, we've waited a while to hear what release fate awaited Stu Zicherman's "A.C.O.D.". The film stars Adam Scott and features a terrific supporting crew in Richard Jenkins, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Clark Duke.

As Carter (Scott) tries to build a truce between his long divorced parents (Jenkins and O'Hara), the stress that comes along with such a difficult task pushes him towards his childhood therapist, Dr. Judith (Lynch), who has written a book about 'adult children of divorce'—even using Carter as an anonymous reference.

In Atlanta, "A.C.O.D." filmed in Castleberry Hill, Midtown and Buckhead, while also shooting scenes in Decatur and at Lake Lanier. The film hits theaters on October 4th. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Savannah doubles as 1970s New York in new "CBGB" trailer

Alan Rickman and company star in "CBGB"

One of the more non-traditional Georgia productions of the last year is writer-director-producer Randall Miller's "CBGB." Based on the (in)famous club of the same name (short for Country, BlueGrass, and Blues), the film follows Alan Rickman as club-founder Hilly Kristal from CBGB's early days in 1973 through its rise as the central venue in the burgeoning punk movement. The film was shot in Savannah, with some necessary exteriors shot in New York City—where the club was located in The Bowery. A sprawling cast of up-and-comers play various real life figures of the punk scene, including Malin Akerman as Debbie Harry, Rupert Grint as Cheetah Chrome, Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop, Joel David Moore as Joey Ramone and Mickey Sumner as Patti Smith.

"CBGB" hits theaters on October 11th, but perhaps equally as important—the soundtrack is available October 8th. Check out the trailer after the jump.

All-star cast featured in Georgia-filmed "Prisoners" trailer

"Prisoners," directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and written by Aaron Guzikowski ("Contraband"), is the latest Georgia-lensed production to release a trailer. The thriller hits theaters in late September, straddling the line between the Labor Day box office graveyard and the Fall Oscar-bait season. While this release date could suggest studio confidence in awards buzz potential, they could also just be releasing the film at a time when adult thrillers typically do best. Either way, a cast like this is going to turn a lot of heads. Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano all star in the film.

You might remember filming taking place in Conyers all winter, with some scenes being shot in Atlanta and Tucker. The cast and crew were in town from mid-January through late March. The film's stars were frequently spotted out on the town in Atlanta when filming wasn't taking place.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" teaser trailer

After "Identity Thief" debuted to huge numbers, despite a critical mauling, "42" marks the next Georgia film release this year to strike gold at the box office. Georgia productions are on a roll, to say the least, and the biggest player in the game doesn't even come out until November. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is the most ambitious Georgia production to date, in terms of budget, spectacle and the expectations of an already massive built-in fan base.

The teaser trailer premiered at the MTV Movie Awards last night, showcasing the first real footage of the film so far. Much like the first film in the franchise, we aren't given any footage of the actual games– a frustrating, but effective suspense tactic. We can spot returning stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Willow Shields, as well as newcomer to the cast– Philip Seymour Hoffman. Francis Lawrence's sequel hits cinema screens on November 22nd.

Check out the trailer after the jump!

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.

"La Source" to screen at Atlanta Film Festival

Last September, "La Source" struck a cord with me at the Rome International Film Festival. The impressive documentary, centered around Haitian janitor Josue Lajeunesse and his fight to make water accessible for the people of his hometown, has experienced a remarkable reception at festivals across the country. Continuing on its journey, filmmakers Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder bring "La Source" back to Georgia next month for the Atlanta Film Festival. 

Read my review and get your tickets to see "La Source" at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, March 16th at 11:45 AM. Check out the poster (above) and trailer (after the jump)– both of which quote yours truly!

"The Internship" trailer

Shot in Atlanta late last summer, "The Internship" stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as a couple of salesmen turned interns at Google. Georgia Tech doubles as Google's San Francisco Bay Area campus. Vaughn co-wrote the screenplay with Jared Stern. Rose Byrne, John Goodman and Max Minghella round out the cast in director Shawn Levy's latest.

"The Internship" opens nationwide on June 7th.

Jeff Nichols' "Mud" to open Atlanta Film Festival

The Atlanta Film Festival has been slowly releasing a few titles at a time, but won't officially announce the lineup until later this week. On March 15th, Jeff Nichols' "Mud" will kick off the festival. One of the film's actors, Ray McKinnon, will be on hand during opening night festivities. I suspect that McKinnon might also be at the festival to promote "Rectify," his new Sundance Channel original series. "Rectify" was shot in Griffin and centers around an exonerated Georgia death row inmate.

Fresh off the success of 2011's "Take Shelter," writer-director Nichols looks to have another hit on his hands with "Mud." After its premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, "Mud" rose to the top of the critical anticipation lists for 2013. The film stars Matthew McConaughey in the eponymous role as a fugitive who meets two teenagers that help him evade local authorities as he searches for his love in rural Arkansas. Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and Joe Don Baker round out the impressive cast. The film screened in Sundance last month and will be released theatrically on April 26th.

Look for more coverage of the 2013 ATLFF soon and check out the trailer for "Mud" after the jump.

Georgia produced "Identity Thief" opens nationwide tomorrow

I have yet to see Seth Gordon's "Identity Thief," so I can't promise you that it is any good. However, it was filmed in Georgia last spring and features funny people Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and Amanda Peet, as well as Georgia's own T.I.. The film promises to be a pretty substantial box office hit, despite less-than-stellar reviews. Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Jon Favreau, Robert Patrick, Genesis Rodriguez and Eric Stonestreet round out the cast. "Identity Thief" was filmed in Atlanta and Hampton last April.

Georgia indie "euphonia" to premiere at SXSW

There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the new Georgia indie film "euphonia." A purposefully lowercase title... a tagline of "listen." that also serves as an official synopsis... a mysterious and quick-cut trailer full of wild sounds... a 55-minute runtime that sits just inside the line of 'feature' classification. I have only now heard anything about the film– and I still don't know much– but it is premiering as part of the Visions program at Austin's SXSW Film Festival in March.

Written and directed by Danny Madden and starring Madden's younger brother Will along with a few other friends, "euphonia" was made on an astounding $700 budget. Shot it in and around Peachtree City and Atlanta, I have a hunch this will pop up at the Atlanta Film Festival as well (but we'll know for sure soon enough).

Check out the very exciting trailer after the jump.

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival kicks off tomorrow!

Tomorrow night, the 13th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival kicks off at the Cobb Energy Centre. The opening night gala begins at 5:00 PM with an open bar and food from landmark Atlanta restaurants like Alma Cocina, South City Kitchen, Woodfire Grill and more. "Hava Nagila (The Movie)" serves as the opening night film and promises to be a very lively start to the festival. Come sing along with us! The film starts at 7:30 PM. Don't have your ticket yet? What are you waiting for? Get them now at www.ajff.org!

Film synopsis and trailer after the jump.

Atlanta-filmed "No Soliciting" showing at the Plaza Theatre

"No Soliciting" is a new comedy from writer-director-actor Will Dove. Filmed in Atlanta in 2012, the movie earned a one-week run at the famed Plaza Theatre last week. Due to a great turnout, the run has been extended another week. Make sure you check the film out and support the local independent cinema scene. 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.

"42" Trailer

Chadwick Boseman stars in "42"

Another day, another trailer of a Georgia production. "42" is the story of American baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Brian Helgeland, the Oscar-winning writer of "L.A. Confidential" and "Mystic River" is the writer/director of the film which stars Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, Nicole Beharie, Harrison Ford, Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk and Christopher Meloni. You might rememeber the film shooting in Macon for nearly three weeks earlier in the year. Production also took place in Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga.

The trailer for the film has just been released and our first glimpse is a striking one (pun sort of intended). It hits theaters next April. Check out the trailer after the jump!

"Trouble With the Curve" trailer

Amy Adams and Clint Eastwood star in "Trouble With the Curve"

One of the most Georgia-centric productions in recent memory, "Trouble With the Curve," is set to be released next month and the trailer has just hit the web. Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman, the film centers around an aging baseball scout (Eastwood) and his daughter (Adams).

Eastwood's filmmaking protégé, Robert Lorenz, is directing the legend this time around. Judging from the trailer, the film looks to be in keeping with Eastwood's visual aesthetic with a bit more lively of a story than his recent efforts. The film could easily become an Oscar contender, especially in the acting categories. You might remember filming updates throughout the spring, when the production moved all over the state. Shooting took place in Atlanta, Decatur, Dawsonville, Dunwoody, Jasper and Macon.

I can't wait for this film. Check out the trailer after the jump!

"Step Off" on Starz this month

LaRon Austin's "Step Off" will be screening on the Starz In Black channel all throughout April. The Atlanta indie feature follows a struggling music producer as he enters an underground beat battle. You'll catch some familiar faces from Atlanta's film and music scene. Find out when it will air after the jump.

"GROW!" Athens screening

There is a good chance many of you have already seen or heard of this documentary film by Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson, as "GROW!" has already played at the DocuFest Atlanta, the Macon Film Festival, the Rome International Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival. A true Georgia production, "GROW!" has also screened at several festivals around the world and racked up many awards in the process (including some from Atlanta, Macon and Rome).

"GROW!" will be screening at CINE in Athens on April 4th, a week from today. The filmmakers will be in attendance and this event will serve as the premiere for a new, longer edit of the film. Previously screening at 50 minutes, the filmmakers have upped the film's runtime to a full hour in preparation for future screenings and a DVD release. Seating is limited, so get your ticket today!

I will be posting a review of "GROW!" soon.

Check out the official trailer and synopsis after the jump.