The documentary short film series Filmer is returning to the Atlanta area on Feb. 26 for its seventh year.
The film series is presented by South Fulton Arts, and will feature five documentary shorts that shine a spotlight on Atlanta’s art community. This year’s event is called Filmer 7, according to a press release. The Feb. 26 screening will take place at the Plaza Theatre, with a repeat screening on March 6 at the Academy Theatre.
Each documentary features a local creative as its subject. The film series first started back in 2017, but has since evolved into a hyper local project.
“We started focusing solely on local artists, whereas before it was artists from anywhere,” said South Fulton Arts Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons in the release. “We are very much focused on artists who either live in South Fulton County or work in South Fulton County.”
South Fulton Arts serves as a matchmaker of sorts for the filmmakers and artists involved in the Filmer series. Bauer-Lyons said Filmer looks for artists that are open to having their work documented and filmmakers who are capable of handing a portrait documentary.
“I really do look at their portfolio to make sure that they understand what it means to do a portrait documentary, because it’s different from just doing small feature films or short feature films,” Bauer-Lyons said.
By portrait documentary, Bauer-Lyons means a documentary focusing on a specific piece of the artist’s story, chosen by the artists themselves.
“It really is about focusing on the portion of that artist’s story that they would like to feature, and then making sure that there’s an art to that as well,” she said.
The five documentaries that will be screening at this year’s Filmer are as follows:
- “Kiara, Portrait of a Printmaker (KPOP)” by Will Feagins, on Kiara Gilbert
- “Nzzy’s Ark” by Ethan Payne, on Nzzy Nekay
- “Say Yes to Destiny” by Jonathan Banks, on Alice Lovelace
- “Beyond the Script” by Dr. Arshley Emile, on the Academy Theatre
- “KARLA” by Elisee Junior St. Preux, on Karla Harris
According to Bauer-Lyons, the filmmakers and artists have about a year to complete their movies. In 2026, Filmer plans to make eight films total instead of five, with half of the films premiering in February and the other half premiering in the late summer. Tickets to Filmer are free, although donations are accepted.
“Sometimes Atlanta, and specifically the South, doesn’t always get all the attention and the kudos that they should be getting for the art that is happening here,” Bauer-Lyons said. “There’s a lot of great art happening here, and so I hope that we can continue to produce these films so that artists get their due from the Atlanta area.”