The Athens Film Project

The Athens Film Project presents the first three of its very short films – just 5-7 minutes each – at Ciné’s Lab at 5pm on Wednesday, July 17. A project of the Athens Historical Society that began during the early days of the pandemic, the Film Project’s goal is to create films on Athens history for local 11th grade U.S. History classes. 

The first films to be completed are  “Emancipation” by Grady College graduate film student Emani Saucier and “the Knox Institute,” Athen’s famous Freedmen’s Bureau School, by local resident Jesse Freeman. History PhD student Bryant Barnes wrote the treatment for "Emancipation." Georgia Film Academy instructor Phil Bergquist is putting the finishing touches on Industrial Athens I, also written by Barnes, which chronicles the history of the textile industry in Athens through the Civil War. Films on the history of Athens industry after the war, the founding of Athens and Indian Removal, Reconstruction, and the Cold War are in the pipeline. Future topics include slavery, the Civil War, and the New Deal.

The launch event will screen the three short films after which a panel of Film Project members and filmmakers will take questions about the films and the process. Food and beverages will be available. The event is open to the public though seating is limited.