1 February 2022

How is South Fulton Institute Helping South Fulton County?

Two years into the pandemic, most people are hungry for connection. This is part of what excites me about the work we are doing at South Fulton Institute. I believe that arts and environmental initiatives play critical roles in connecting people to the places where they live–to the cultural and natural ecosystems that are at the heart of what community is all about. Here at SFI, we are 100% invested in these ecosystems of South Fulton County. 

These initiatives also help prevent the exodus of creative talent that invariably happens because of a lack of opportunity. There’s a tail to such programs, too, as the work also offers residents and organizations a larger capacity to improve quality of life through other means, such as civic engagement, education, the building of local relationships, and economic activity that is woven into the emotional fabric of residents’ lives. Here at SFI, we are inspired by what’s already happening in South Fulton County and energized by the plans of the region.

Connection: it’s the heart of community. Recognized by AARP as a place with an age-friendly consciousness, Union City is also home to manufacturing and fulfillment centers that have generated as many as 12K jobs in the past five years, and city leaders are throwing weight into an exciting parks and recreation system that will expand the opportunities for residents to get outside and enjoy the beautiful landscape. Likewise, Palmetto is experiencing the effects of a 400M Microsoft data center and multiple distribution centers that are in the works–but what residents of the area know about this small city is its commitment to nature. As many as ten hiking trails crisscross the landscape, drawing outdoor enthusiasts from all over and from within the community itself, connecting the like-minded and locally minded as both venture outside. Part of the tri-cities area–joining Hapeville and East Point–College Park is bringing a new mixed-use development into its fold, Six West, slated to transform the community out of a food and retail desert and into a thriving municipality where residents will be able to stay close to home while serving their needs. Like Hapeville, Fairburn is leaning into the arts and culture scene, especially with public art in the form of murals–connecting people to civic engagement through the arts. Two MARTA stops from the airport, East Point has become a central part of Georgia’s film activity and a leader of intentionality around equity and inclusion and home to a vibrant LGBTQ community. Chattahoochee Hills is keeping it natural with 70% of its local land protected as forest, field, farm, and park–all of which keeps residents’ attention turned toward nature. And the City of South Fulton has recently released initial plans for a town center that will bring fine restaurants, retail, more grocery store options, recreational opportunities, and arts and culture programming that will foster the sense of togetherness inherent in intentional municipal planning. 

Socially connected communities, arts and culture programming, and environmental enterprises: this is what we at SFI are thinking about as we collect applications for our partnership program and continue extending our mission into South Fulton County schools, libraries, hospitals, correctional facilities, senior and community centers, and other arts and culture nonprofits. Here on the cusp of a third pandemic year, I’m grateful to have such meaningful work to start each day with. 

What is FILMER?

Since 2017, Filmer has been one of our most impactful and engaging programs. But what exactly is it? In the past, Filmer was a program that brought to life the untapped creative energy of emerging and established filmmakers by pairing them with artists from all over the country. 

The end products became the artists’ collateral, an essential part of a creative professional’s toolkit for success. Some of our emerging artist partners are just beginning to pull their work together as samples for applications while others have struggled putting to paper exactly what it is they create. A documentary, either about their person or process, gives them a chance to speak about their work and leaves behind a solid asset to use in their future. We’ve also found that the filmmakers were benefitting when paired with more established artists, now having access to a subject they otherwise may never have had. 

After a COVID hiatus, we brought Filmer back in 2021 and switched gears so that the whole project could be about both artists. With this shift in perspective, we handed over the creative freedom to the two artists–the one who was the subject of the film, and the one who was creating it. Our 2021 films represent this creative synergy between the artists and filmmakers and the end products are truly spectacular creations.

In front of filmmaker Kristian Melom’s camera, for example, artist Sharon Shapiro speaks about her work and why she has focused on the architecture and historical context of swimming pools. In another, filmmaker Ethan Payne follows experimental philosopher Jonathan Keats as he explores a new form of timekeeping for metro Atlanta. River Time is a fascinating take on the nature of time and how we measure it, and like a similar project in Alaska, Keats aims to build a municipal clock in Atlanta that will speed up and slow down with the changing pace of the Chattahoochee River. 

Playwright and screenwriter, Natalia Naman Temesgen, partnered with filmmaker Logan Lynette Burroughs to create a viewer’s experience of Temesgen’s writing process and her musings on the emergence and acceptance of black stories. Rachel Kessler and jazz singer Rene Marie teamed up for a fascinating eight-minute film–this one includes animation–shot in Virginia, in which Marie discusses how music saved her life as a child. 

We launched Filmer in 2017 and have since produced 45 moving and beautiful short documentaries about our artist partners and their work. One 2018 film in particular featured New York Times-bestselling author Jason Reynolds; it won "Best Short Doc" at the LA Diversity Film Festival, played on loop at the international terminal at San Francisco Airport, and showed at The Roxbury International Film Festival in June 2019.

Here at the beginning of 2022, we are doubling down on our guiding philosophy: that the films should be a strong working collaboration between the artist in front of the camera and the artist-filmmaker behind it. The goal is for each to develop a product that truly encapsulates their artistry, and to deliver a film that is not just a documentary but is an art piece unto itself.  

Filmer Premier and VIP Party

Join us at Wild Heaven Brewery to see the premier of 2021’s selection of 10 short films. Tickets are $20 for the Filmer premier and artist panel discussion, one beer included. For the premier and the VIP after-party, tickets are $70 and include two beers and appetizers, the Filmer premier, and the artist panel discussion.

EVENT DETAILS 

Thursday, February 24, 2022
Wild Heaven Brewery in West End 
1020 White Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
7:00 - 8:30 PM Premier and Artist Panel
8:30 - 9:30 PM VIP After Party

Partner Application Portal Open

Are you an artist, leader of a cultural organization, or an environmentalist who is either working in or on behalf of South Fulton County? Do you need resources and support to succeed? Sometimes the roadblock to success is getting in the door. We want to open the door. 

For the first time ever, our application to become an SFI Partner is open to any individual or organization working in or wishing to share their work with communities in South Fulton County. We are looking for those individual artists and environmentalists who need support in the development of new work and/or help finding resources, such as venues, mentors, or support with marketing, fundraising, or financial services. Organizations such as schools, libraries, or other nonprofits are also eligible to apply as long as South Fulton County is the region your organization serves. Our award-winning signature Filmer program is also part of the open application process. Filmer highlights the artist behind the camera and the one in front of it, too–in a gorgeous balance of synergy and innovation. Both filmmakers and all other artists of any discipline working in South Fulton County may apply. Click the links below to our application and its FAQ.

If you share our passion for connecting South Fulton County communities with free, high-quality programs centered around the humanity inherent in arts, culture, and environmental programming, we could use your help. SFI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.