The film organization ATLFilmParty has received a $25,000 grant from the dating app Hinge.
ATLFilmParty started in 2021 as a small event where people gathered to watch short films and vote on their favorites, aiming to create a film community accessible to everyone. Now, the organization hosts events throughout the year where it showcases films taken from submissions, inviting local filmmakers to gain exposure and connect with those in the industry and movie lovers alike.
The grant is called Hinge’s One More Hour grant and is meant for ATLFilmParty to use to expand and make their resources more accessible to Gen Zers in Atlanta, according to a press release. Founder and Executive Director Brooke Sonenreich said she wants ATLFilmParty to use the grant to throw more events and hopefully connect with more Gen Z creatives.
“There’s a very specific loneliness to coming of age during the pandemic,” Sonenreich said. “I feel like there’s not a lot of free things that people can do, where they’re outside of their house and they’re getting that opportunity to connect with other people.”
ATLFilmParty is an organization that throws those free events, usually a few times a year, inviting one and all to experience and talk about local cinema.
“ATLFilmParty offers up an experience where it’s not just sitting in a movie theater and watching a screen, and then not having time to connect,” Sonenreich said. “Not only are they eligible to submit and showcase their own films, but they can go upstairs and they can connect with people across generations, or in their own generation.”
Using the money from the grant, Sonenreich said she would love to expand the event to more venues. Currently, the event is usually held at Switchyards Downtown Club. She also said she would like to put a focus on accessibility, whether that be using an ASL interpreter or having professional closed captions done for each film.
“Obviously, this grant is for Gen Z, but I want it to be [for] a range of different abilities within that demographic, and in other demographics,” Sonenreich said.
Hinge created the One More Hour initiative to aid organizations in helping Gen Z to find more opportunities for in-person connection. According to the press release, Hinge reviewed more than 200 applications and chose the recipients of the grant money with the help of a Gen Z advisory council. Forty different groups receive funding from a total of $1 million.
Sonenreich said she was excited that ATLFilmParty was chosen, but it wasn’t necessarily surprising to her.
“We already have so many Gen Zers in our demographic, from filmmakers to people that attend,” she said. “Hopefully, it will just spread the word that this event is free. It’s free to submit, it’s free to attend and a really good time – a really great place to just connect with your friends and potential friends.”