While audience members lined up to see some acclaimed films at the 40th annual Athens International Film and Video Festival, one sentiment echoed throughout the Athena theater lobby.
“It’s free and there are a lot of great films,” said Keelan O’Sullivan, a freshman studying film, as did numerous other festival-going students as they entered and left the theater throughout the day.
Among the highlights showcased during the weekend’s festivities was the final Science on Screen screening of the semester: Chasing Ice, featuring a conversation from Linda Lilienfeld, director of the organization Let’s Talk About Water and Ryan Fogt, director of the Scalia Lab on campus.
The biggest news to come out of the festival was the surprise during the Movie for Kids section Saturday morning when the Athena surprised festival director Ruth Bradley by revealing that Theater 3 had been officially renamed The Ruth Bradley Theater in order to commemorate her commitment to the theater.
“I hope people enjoy it and go to see as many of the great films this week as they can,” said Rani Crowe, a second-year masters student, whose short film Beautiful Eyes was featured in the festival Sunday afternoon. “Ruth brings a lot of amazing films to Athens for the festival.”
As filmmakers enter and continue to come into town, many of them said the town’s lively energy attracted them to the festival.
“It’s great to be among these local and upcoming artists in such a great community as this,” said Pearl Gluck, professor in the School of Film whose short film Where is Joel Baum? — starring Lynn Cohen (The Hunger Games) — was featured in the “Family in Crisis” segment Sunday.
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