In celebration of May the 4th and the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival welcomed a surprise appearance by Ewan McGregor at a special screening of the film at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA on Saturday evening. Â
McGregor, who portrays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film, participated in a 30-minute Q&A following the screening and then presented ATLFF community partners from Wax & Wane, Rocco Shapiro and Sean Valdivieso, with autographed collectible Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsabers.Â
The 48th Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference wrapped on Sunday, May 5, 2024 after 11 days of screenings, special events and educational workshops. This year’s lineup of 142 selected works featured diverse filmmakers who continue to uplift voices and stories from around the world, representing 118 countries with more than 24% of films with ties to Georgia filmmakers. Among the highlights of the festival were: Opening Night presentation of The Idea of You with Director Michael Showalter, DP Jim Frohna and Production Designer Amy Williams; Bill Duke’s attendance to accept the Ossie Davis Award for Innovation in Filmmaking; the Closing Night presentation of Sing Sing with Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean 'Dino' Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez and so much more!