Georgia Hollywood Review Fall/Holiday 2020

Georgia Hollywood Review Fall/Holiday 2020

Watch our exciting interviews with the stars at Georgia Hollywood Review TV on Roku or Amazon Fire or the Thea App.

Otis Sallid Director Choreographer Extraordinaire Talks Directing with Spike Lee, working with Mariah Carey, Broadway and more.

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Publisher/Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Miles K. Neiman

Managing Editor: Jennifer Thompson Proofreader: Sloane Neiman Magazine Designer: Brenda J. Oliver

Real heroes, real work: A legacy to live by.

We lost one of our greats this past September. A hero in real life and on the screen. This man not only embodied the definition of sacrifice, hard work, grace and leadership, but he did so in a way that will affect a generation of young black men and women for many years to come. Boys and girls. Men and women. Boseman was a symbol of what could be. Of what will be. Chadwick Boseman reminded us how art supersedes the power of any

Hollywood Review TV interview, one of his teachers from film school reflect- ed on Boseman’s ability to listen and absorb what was being said to him, in a very special way. It is no wonder that his inner circle kept his secret of his battle for his life, so tightly to the end. He was a man who did not demand respect, he earned it. Much like his beloved characters of Jackie Robinson and Black Panther.

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Sometimes life mirrors art. Sometimes art mirrors life. In the case of Chadwick Boseman, both are true. He was a man, an actor, a human, who we all will remember in this industry for years to come. A gentleman. A powerful man. An influential man. And his influence on the world, through his films, will remain a legacy. RIP Mr. Boseman. Wakanda forever.

other medium. How art’s influence and power is greater than politics, economics or the church. For through art, in this case film, the viewer can be transported through worlds, time, and a state of justice and regality that’s greater than anything we’ve even seen here on earth. Wakanda, after all, is a state of mind. Boseman’s silent power and grace in Black Panther mirrored his own. In a recent Georgia

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Georgia Hollywood Review TV Host: Nadia Bilchik

Miles Neiman

GHR Talks Live Host: Johnna Earl @georgiahollywoodreview on IG Videographer: Randy Harris Avé at The Walter Mitty Co. Contributing Writers: Carol Badaracco Padgett Connor Judson Garrett Echo Montgomery Garrett Tracey Hawkins Julie Herron Carson Jessica Holthaus Badour Ellen Howle Chris LeDoux Autumn Murray Michael J. Pallerino Mary Welch Social Media: FB @gaholllywoodreview IG @georgiahollywoodreview

about the cover Pictured: Otis Sallid Photography: Hannan Saleh Styling: Otis Sallid, 213 500-2616, www.otissallid.com

The Georgia Hollywood Review is published every other month by Georgia Hollywood Review, LLC. Reproductions in whole or in part, without expressed written permission of the publisher, are strictly prohibited. The Georgia Hollywood Review is not responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted. Copyright 2020. Send inquiries to 227 Sandy Springs Place, Suite D-288, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. For more information, contact admin@georgia hollywoodreview.com.

Watch our exciting interviews with the stars at Georgia Hollywood Review TV on Roku or Amazon Fire or the Thea App.

Otis Sallid Director Choreographer Extraordinaire Talks Directing with Spike Lee, working with Mariah Carey, Broadway and more.

Visit our webpage: www.GeorgiaHollywoodReview.com

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CONTENTS

10 documentary Saving the Rabbits of Ravensbrück 12 education Georgia Film Academy 14 organization A Steady Heartbeat: DEC

16 local actor Jayce Alexander 18 out on film The Cutting Edge 19 local indy filmmaker A New Name for Kindness: Ladon Whitmire 20 stuntman A Man for All Reasons 22 props Prop Star: Kelvin “Panda” Tyler 24 child actor Roll Call: Isabel Myers 26 cover story Scoping the Vibe: Creative Otis Sallid 28 music producer The Vision Makers: FAD 30 producer Power Duo: Asante and Jasmine K. White

32 insurance Locking It Down

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CONTRIBUTORS

Carol Badaracco Padgett is an Atlanta-based writer and copywriter.

Connor Judson

Echo Montgomery Garrett has written for more than 100 media

Tracey M. Hawkins has been a contributing

Garrett , 2017 Edward Readicker- Henderson Travel

editor and writer for

Photo by Kevin Garrett

Over the past 30 years she has written for the Atlanta Business Chronicle , Oz Magazine, National Real Estate Investor, Waste Age, Retail Traffic, and other B2B and B2C publications. She also worked as a copywriter crafting copy for Revlon, Georgia-Pacific, Stainmaster, and Publix. She loves to meet people, find their spark, and share their stories. Reach her at [email protected] .

Classics Award recipient, honed his craft as an advertising copywriter in Los Angeles. He is the author of two poetry books, Become The Fool and Life in Lyrics; a novel, Falling Up in The City of Angels; and a co- authored mind-body self-help book, The Longevity Game. His writing has appeared in Private Clubs Magazine, South Magazine, and Hook & Barrel.

outlets, including Delta Sky, Parade, ABC.com, AARP, The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, and Business Week . She’s the author of 20 books, including multi-award winning My Orange Duffel Bag: A Journey to Radical Change. Up next: a book called Unsung about growing up around Nashville’s Music Row with parents in the industry.

various print publications, such as The Thirty-A Review, American Contemporary Art, and Frontier Airlines magazines; as well as award-winning websites, galleries and novelists. She has served as a collegiate Professor of Art History, as well as a collections consultant, curator, and artists’ representative. traceymhawkins.com and skrybes.com

Julie Herron Carson , an Atlanta native, has over

Jessica Holthaus Badour From veteran communications

Chris LeDoux Alaskan born and bred, Chris earned bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and sociology, but his fascination with

Autumn Murray has written for various print and online publications including The

30 years of public relations and feature writing expertise. Her specialties include media relations, newsletters, website writing, and cause-related marketing, as well as feature writing for The Thirty-A Review magazine and Atlanta ShowGuide . Julie is a graduate of the University of Georgia and lives in northeast Atlanta with her husband and teenage son.

specialist to preeminent food safety professional, Jessica Holthaus Badour has built a successful and diversified career developing compelling means of sharing information while engaging the public on essential issues. She is currently working full- time for the Georgia Department of Agriculture while freelancing in her spare time. www.linkedin. com/in/jessicaholthausbadour

cinema and filmmaking instead led him to the world of visual effects. Chris’s impressive résumé includes compositing and VFX supervision on numerous films and TV shows, including 12 Years A Slave , Doctor Strange , The Greatest Showman , and Better Call Saul . Chris has also directed music videos and led visual effects teams for U2, Chris Cornell, New Kids on the Block, and Paramore. craftyapes.com

Plunge, Divine Lifestyle, and Simply Amazing Living . Authority Magazine and Thrive Global declared her a “Social Media Impact Hero” for her “Choose Love” campaign to promote acceptance and diversity. She is working on a book about her life and overcoming abuse while inspiring others to Choose Love in all situations. [email protected]

Michael J. Pallerino is an award- winning writer who has written for a number of national B2C and

Mary Welch is a veteran writer and editor who has worked for a number of publications, including the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Travelgirl Magazine,

B2B publications. When he is not lost in his writing, music and binge watching, Michael can be reached at [email protected].

Atlanta Woman, Business to Business, Car Business Today and biography.com . In her spare time she enjoys traveling with her son, Grady, and tries to fix up her 100-year-old home in Virginia-Highland. www.marywelchwriter.com

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DOCUMENTARY

Art Informs Humanity in Saving the Rabbits of Ravensbrück By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t

M y own great-uncle John helped liberate a women’s concentration camp during WWII and had asked that I tell others about the ‘women in the barracks’ and what he had seen ‘with his own two eyes’,” says producer and director Stacey Fitzgerald. “After doing some research, I realized that many of the women that my great-uncle had helped liberate likely started their journey at Ravensbrück.” Fitzgerald is an independent filmmaker in Atlanta, and she sat down with Georgia Hollywood Review to talk about the project currently in post- production. More than a critically important documentary on the events at Ravensbrück, the largest women’s-only concentration camp in the Third Reich, Saving the Rabbits of Ravensbrück will prove to be a powerful commentary on overcoming the differences that continue to divide humankind. The documentary focuses on the true story of 63 women prisoners, mostly high school and college students—former Girl Scouts, in fact—that survived the concentration camp from September 1941 to April 1945. The 63 were called “Rabbits” in reference to laboratory animals, and were maimed by Nazi soldiers in harrowing medical experiments. The Nazis were trying to recreate war wounds in the women’s legs, and infected those wounds with aggressive bacteria, wood chips, and glass in an effort to cause gas gangrene. They also experimented with damaging the leg’s nerves, muscles, and bones. Heroically, a number of the Rabbits’ fellow prisoners: Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish women from over 20 nations; united and risked their lives to help the Rabbits survive and find freedom. As a documentary on this dark period, as well as a testament to the human spirit, the film focuses on how the Rabbits and the other women in the camp overcame the brutality at Ravensbrück, as well as their own cultural, political, and religious differences to resist the Nazis. And amazingly, they accomplished their rescue operation armed only with courage, intellect, and compassion for one another. “Despite the determined efforts of German leaders to eliminate all evidence of their war crimes, the women of Ravensbrück ensured that the Rabbits lived to testify at the Nuremberg trials against their Nazi doctors,” Fitzgerald states. She credits Martha Hall Kelly (author of the New

to despair if it were not for the fact that those times also demonstrated that man can become in some sense superhuman—a hero. If he can become a monster, he can also become a saint, and this is as true today as it was then.” Georgia Hollywood Review asked Fitzgerald how the histori- cal account stacks up as a lesson today for women: particularly in the midst of the Me Too move- ment. She notes that just as women were crucial to the war effort in WWII, they were also instrumental to the resistance movement in all of the countries. “The women in France—who did not even have the right to vote—were the pioneers of the French resistance,” she notes.

Future resistance fighters, “Rabbit” Wanda Pòłtawska and her Girl Scout troop

“Partially in recognition of their contributions dur- ing the war, French women were given the right to vote after the liberation of Paris. But the advance of wom- en’s rights in Europe and abroad remained uneven… [and] women remained silent about the extensive sexual abuse many had endured during, and after, the war.”

Photo courtesy of Muzeum Martyrologii Pod Zegarem

Fitzgerald with Ravensbrück survivor Michèle Moet-Agniel Photo by Chelsea Hudson

Director Stacey Fitzgerald

Photo courtesy of Remember Ravensbruck LLC

York Times bestseller Lilac Girls ) for unearthing the forgotten story during a visit to the former home of Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist. Ferriday had helped the Rabbits after the war by bringing them to the United States, where they received medical treatment and the chance to join a PR campaign designed to pressure the West German government to pay reparations to the Rabbits. More than a documentary to preserve the historic story, Fitzgerald notes that one of the film’s greatest contributions may be to encourage current generations and the ones to follow. She believes that ‘Rabbit’ Wanda Półtawska summed up the legacy of Ravensbrück best in these words: “My generation survived the shock of finding out that man can become inhumane, and this discovery might have led

It would be the daughters, the granddaughters, and the great-granddaughters of that “greatest” generation who would, 75 years later, find a way to break the silence, Fitzgerald stresses. “We are the beneficiaries not only of the hard work and sacrifice of the pioneers of the women’s movement, but of the insight and experience gained by the women who fought and worked and lived through WWII. Their courage and resistance was the legacy that they left for all of us. They have now passed the baton, and like them, we still have real and vital work to do.”

Donors may contribute funds to the f ilm’s post-production at www. rememberravensbruck.com. @rememberravensbruck

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EDUCATION Georgia Film Academy Plays its Most Important Supporting Role to Date By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t

The multi-billion-dollar Georgia film industry is reopening with the help of a Georgia Film Academy-produced COVID Compliance Course— designed for anyone who works on a film set in the Peach State

T he Georgia Film Academy (GFA) was created in 2015 to train Georgians to work in the film, television, and entertainment arts industries. One of the academy’s shining strengths has been its flexible programming that gives Georgians real-world experience in and around the art of filmmaking—experience that students can attain in a relatively short period of time and at a cost that’s affordable for many. In 2016 the academy, in a collaboration with the University System of Georgia and its Technical College System, launched a pilot program with nearly 200 students from three universities in the state, and it quickly took off. “Today, GFA has expanded to thousands of students of all ages enrolled in campuses and training facilities within 22 institutions throughout the state,” says GFA Executive Director Jeffrey Stepakoff. “The program can be used as part of a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, incorporated into a new nexus degree, or to simply get the GFA certification and go right to work.” An especially sought-after component of the GFA’s offerings is its emphasis on helping students obtain important apprenticeships and jobs. “Each student who completes the first two courses has the opportunity to be placed in an on-set production internship, which enables him or her to make connections to secure jobs in the state’s film industry,” Stepakoff describes. GFA students have directly trained on union- covered productions such as Antman , Thor , Spiderman , The Walking Dead , Insatiable , Ozark , and more than 100 other feature films and TV productions in Georgia.

In 2020, the GFA’s focus on get- ting students ready to join the film industry is matched with an-

other critical objective: to help the industry reopen and resume production during the coronavirus pandemic. To that end, the academy’s veteran film instructors have pro- duced a virtual COVID Compliance Course (CCC) that teaches safe production practices and sanitation measures to help the state get back on track with film production. The free course is open for all film and television work- ers, casts, and crew working in the Georgia film industry. “It’s a tool that will help reopen our state’s $10-billion film industry safely ,” Stepakoff emphasizes. In that vein, he notes, “The CCC training program will address industry concerns with policies and procedures that ensure Georgia leads the nation in how to safely reopen and operate the film industry,” adding, “This is another way we can ensure a bright future for our students.” The two-part course can be presented entirely online for employees and on-site for producers, showrunners, and key personnel. Comprised of instructional videos, part one addresses basic safety and sanitation procedures for working on-set, while part two is made up of a series of shorter, craft-specific videos. Graduates receive certificates of completion from GFA and a handbook of recommended protocols and procedures. The timely CCC training is based on information from top resources in the film industry, such as the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the International

Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the Teamsters’ “Safe Way Forward” program. It also details preventative practices approved by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH). In addition, the GFA developed the course in careful consultation with a variety of seasoned industry professionals, such as Mike Tyson, rigging gaffer; Whit Norris, location sound mixer; Kevin Amick, Local 479 safety officer; Jeane Champion, a craft service professional; Deaundru Metzger, hair stylist; Mandy McCowan, production supervisor; Jolly Dale, line producer; John Latenser, location manager; Jessica Baker, art department coordinator; and Clyde Bryan, first assistant camera. Along with the important task of helping the Georgia film industry reopen and operate safely, GFA leadership is looking ahead to its next industry-supporting role that revolves around its primary focus: Georgia students. As Stepakoff notes, “The GFA is rolling out new professional graduate programs for Georgia filmmakers and content creators, starting with a UGA-GFA-Pinewood Atlanta Studios MFA program this fall.”

www.georgiaf ilmacademy.online | @georgiaf ilmacademy

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ORGANIZATION

A Steady Heartbeat The DeKalb Entertainment Commission (DEC) is an unwavering advocate and resource for Georgia’s creative industry, at its side and pushing forward By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t

Photos courtesy DeKalb Entertainment Commission

T he Decatur-based DeKalb Entertainment Commission (DEC) delivers a constant cadence as the primary force attracting and expand- ing businesses that support the film, music, and digital entertainment industry in metro DeKalb County. Notable DeKalb businesses include 11 film studios, with four particularly large industry powerhouses among them: Blackhall Studios, Third Rail Studios, Eagle Rock Studios-Stone Mountain, and NuGround Studios. To provide an accurate picture of film industry growth in DeKalb since the commission’s inception in 2017, the number of productions in the county was 54 in 2015 and rocketed to successfully approving 189 film permitting applications and working with 138 productions by 2019. In the larger picture for the state of Georgia, prior to COVID-19 the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition of the Georgia Chamber reports that some 399 film and TV productions shot in Georgia spurred the local and state economy with the spending of nearly $3 billion overall, supporting 92,000 motion picture and TV production businesses, and delivering $5.2 billion in total wages. Pre-pandemic, for its part DeKalb County was playing host to 26 major productions. As DEC Director Shelbia Jackson notes, “If we based our first few months of 2020 on the production volume that would have happened if COVID-19 didn’t occur, we were projected for a phenomenal year.” But by March 13, 2020, all production halted as the country stood still.

For DeKalb County, that standstill included locally shot productions like Green Leaf, MacGyver, Doom Patrol, Black Lightning , and others. However, since the state’s reopening on June 1, “we have seen an uptake of permitting applications and productions come through the office,” Jackson says. And she fully expects that DeKalb will see still more as fall approaches. Before, during, and through it all, the DEC has not missed a beat in its mission of fostering and supporting local businesses and entertainment ventures. Its primary initiatives have included a broad focus on getting back to business after the pandemic, changing its popular in-person educational events to a series of Virtual Entertainment Expos for the industry, and planning for its yearly Student Film Festival in 2021. “DEC has taken this shutdown and now slow reopening as an opportunity to be a resource to the creative community,” Jackson emphasizes. “We are not letting COVID-19 stop us from providing local content to the industry.” True to her word, whereas the DEC had hosted just one yearly physical entertainment expo pre-pandemic, Jackson and her team split the event into monthly virtual master classes and panels hosted on Zoom and Facebook Live during the lockdown. The virtual event topics included a look at the gig economy during COVID-19, a master class with film producer Samad Davis, and a panel discussion on the state’s return to film production. “Our decision to go virtual was a perfect shift for our organization,” Jackson notes. “Not only has it been

successful, but we have reached more individuals… than we did in our two years of hosting it in-person.” As of Aug. 13, Jackson says the virtual expos had reached 6,162 people in the industry. Another example of the DEC’s commitment to serving the industry through the COVID-19 crisis was its summertime work with C4 Atlanta, a non-profit that offers business development courses for the creative industry and its artists. Hand-in-hand, the DEC and C4 launched a survey to find out how the industry was coping with the crisis and what its plans were for the future. The commission also created a well-received “CO- VID-19 Resource Guide” to provide accurate, reliable re- sources and aid for the industry. To put the guide together, Jackson says her team reviewed similar guidelines from around the world, from countries such as South Africa, the UK, and Belgium. Looking to the future, she says the DEC will continue to maintain strong working relationships with partners like the Georgia Film Office (GFO), which is in regular contact with production companies and industry executives who describe the hiatus as “short- term,” reporting that they plan to return to Georgia post-COVID. “So we remain optimistic,” Jackson states, sharing that, as of June 1, DeKalb opened for business with two small commercial productions and an independent project underway. Clearly, the DEC’s steadfast beat goes on.

dekalbentertainment.com | @dekalbentertain

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LOCAL ACTOR

Jayce Alexander By Je s s i ca Ho l thaus Badour

J ayce Alexander’s career isn’t long or storied… yet. But that’s only because he’s just getting started. At age 11, the local Atlantan landed his first big gig in 2019 as main character “Omar” on the PBS hit children’s show Odd Squad . “It all started with my mom [Naomi]; she thought I would be good at it, so I tried it out and liked it,” he says. “She submitted me to a few agents and – within my first year, without any acting experience—I booked Odd Squad .” The third season of Odd Squad kicked off in February and is currently airing new episodes featuring Alexander through this year. Since its launch in 2014, the show (tar-

ing, which was a lot of fun; we visited aquariums and animal safaris. I love the entire cast.” Alexander’s outlook on his career is equally as positive. While he admits he’s missed out on some things for auditions and filming, he loves booking new gigs and working with new people. “My family is all supportive, especially my mom—in case I haven’t said it yet, I love her,” he says. “She helps me so much, especially with emotional scenes or understanding words I might not know.”

Jayce Alexander

geted to kids aged 5 to 8) captures young children’s minds with a new set of kid-agents each season. With an emphasis on problem solving, teamwork, and perseverance, the agents work together using math and sci- ence to investigate and solve various weird and unusual cases around the world. Alexander had to leave Georgia behind for most of last year, with the show’s primary filming done in Canada, along with New York, Pittsburgh, and Australia. “First things first, I caught the flu! The doctor told me I couldn’t fly until I was better. I overcame the illness and we made

Alexander and the Odd Squad crew

I get to bring a happy mood to a more serious moment, and I like to make people smile.

it and lived in Canada for seven months,” Alexander explains. “During filming, days weren’t that long but everyone’s still tired by the end of it. Each day, we worked on different scenes and different pieces of the episodes.” Playing Omar on the Odd Squad Mobile Unit isn’t a stretch for the young thespian. The character is upbeat and fun, remaining calm during stressful situations as the team investigates each case. “It was easy to play Omar; as I prepared to get into character, I would just be myself!” he laughs. “I think this show is popular for many reasons—there’s special gadgets, kids working together and having fun, and new characters each season keeps everyone interested. The best part is getting to convey a message at the end of every episode. I get to bring a happy mood to a more serious moment, and I like to make people smile.” His featured episode, The Void , has already been released. His favorite part of filming was getting roller skates (which, he admits, took a little practice), and befriending the other three main actors on the show. “My castmates and I became great friends,” Alexan- der says. “We started hanging out when we weren’t film-

His acting career includes several Internet commercials, Inlighten Films , and Twick or Tweak (both released in 2019), with the latter filmed in Atlanta. “I’m really happy to see there are more opportunities in Georgia,” he says. “I’m excited to try out for projects like Stranger Things or a Tyler Perry film. As time goes on, I’m booking more things out of Georgia and am pushing to book here in the state. I want to prove there are great actors here in Atlanta and we can compete with anyone from anywhere.”

His advice to other young actors: “Even if you don’t book the audition or you don’t get picked for the part, always keep trying. Keep going,” he says. “There’s someone out there looking for you.” Check local listings for times or stream Odd Squad on pbskids.org or the PBS Kids Video App. Follow Alexander on Instagram: @_jaycealexander or contact Amanda Abelita with Abelita-Burns PR: www.abelitaburnspr.com.

Looking ahead, he plans to continue improving his craft. In addition to film and television roles, he is also interested in doing voiceover and hopes his vocals might be selected for a video game or cartoon character. But when it comes to finding the next big thing, Alexander says patience is key. “Sometimes you hear back, sometimes you don’t,” he says. “You might get a call back, but then it’ll come down to what they’re looking for.”

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OUT ON FILM

The Cutting Edge How the Out on Film festival continues to showcase the best in Atlanta’s LGBT film talent By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no

represents. Farmer says people flock to the festival because of its continually strong programming and the intense and methodic planning that goes into each season. “Much of what we show is accessible to anyone,” Farmer says. “We also have placed an emphasis on visiting filmmakers—both veterans in the industry and new voices. Audience members love being able to interact with film- makers and performers after screenings. For the LGBTQ community, we offer a safe, welcoming haven for audi- ences to see themselves on screen, and do so with others like them.” That type of atmosphere and karma is intoxicating. Over the years, complemented by the many collaborations it has forged, Out on Film has been a must-attend event both as an arts organization and as an LGBTQ gathering. “Our festival is a lot of fun and our programming is

Jim Farmer interviewing director Ondi Timoner and star of Map- plethorpe McKinley Belcher III

robust and creative. We may look a little different this year, but we hope to have the same communal feel.” Showcasing some 125 films annually, the festival has carved out a niche as the “place to be” for LGBTQ moviemaking, both locally and around the world. Take last year’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire , which after winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival made its

Jim Farmer

S everal years ago, on the last night of the Out on Film festival, organizers showcased a documentary called Bridegroom . The film told the story of a young man who loses his partner in an accident, and because they were not married, the couple had very little rights. While some festivals tend to shy away from documentaries or films that are not considered automatic moneymakers, the Out on Film team was convinced that Bridegroom was the kind of story that needed to be told. Not only did the movie sell out, it inspired one of the most remarkable Q&A sessions the festival has ever had. It is the kind of moment that Jim Farmer says speaks to the enduring promise the festival, now in its 33rd year, offers Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. “People came up to us and said they saw themselves on screen for the first time in that film,” says Farmer, who worked as marketing director at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta and as a freelance publicist before taking over as festival director in 2008. “Those are some of the individual moments that stand out.”

Started in 1987, Out on Film was created by visionary figures like the late Rebecca Ransom, a civil rights and AIDS activist, and pioneer in the Atlanta theater community. At the time, the festival was just a scattering of screenings, before Image Film and Video (later the Atlanta Film Society) turned it into a full- fledged event. In 2008, a new team, led by Farmer, assumed control and re-branded it over time into an 11-day film festival, which today stands as one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals in the country. Before 2020 turned everything upside down, Out on Film was named an Oscar® qualifying film festival, meaning the film that wins its “Best Drama Short” award will be eligible for next year’s “Best Live Action Short” Academy Award. “I don’t think anyone would have ever thought we would grow so much,” Farmer says. “Surviving as an Atlanta arts organization is not easy and surviving and flourishing in a competitive LGBTQ market such as this takes work and thick skin.” If you are looking as to why Out on Film is such a draw, you can start with the very essence of what the event

US festival debut at Out on Film. The universally praised movie ended up winning Out on Film’s prestigious “Audience Award” for “Best Narrative Feature”. The festival also places a premium on local fare and two years ago for opening night screened When the Beat Drops , a movie that featured a mostly Atlanta cast. And what about this year’s festival? “There is a lot of nail-biting,” Farmer admits. “But we are keeping the original dates of Sept. 24-Oct.4. We also hope to do some live events and drive-in screenings. But I think we’ll be a mostly online event. While there are drawbacks to that approach, there are also opportunities.” In keeping with the festival’s aura, keeping an eye on the positive is the approach that continues to work best.

www.outonf ilm.org | Twitter @OutonFilm (678) 237-7206 | 120 Holcomb Ferry Road, Roswell, GA 30076

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LOCAL INDY FILMMAKER

A New Name for Kindness Ladon Whitmire — an ATL writer, director, executive producer, entrepreneur, and newfound Instagram Live host of Ladon’s World — represents By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t T alent. Passion. Experience. Heart. Ladon Whitmire is the whole package in a 5’4” frame. The Atlanta-based film in- dustry professional studied at Harvard and Oglethorpe University, worked as a fashion and film industry entrepre- Running the gamut of personalities, whether famous or aspiring to be and easy to interview or not, Whitmire draws out something special in each guest. “I love talking to people and I want to help people,” she emphasizes. Ladon Whitmire

One guest she crossed virtual paths with was a young woman looking for her next production assistant (PA) position. Through Whitmire’s friends in the film industry, such as producer- actor David Ornston (with a recent film project starring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Tommy Lee Jones), she was able to share helpful information and resources with the young PA. Another, Atlanta teen Peyton Basnight, an actress studying at Chubbuck Technique instructor Jonna Johnson’s local studio, COACHED by Jonna, wrote a movie that came to Whitmire’s attention. And so Basnight, too, became one of Whitmire’s guests. “If I find people who really want to strive and who only did one movie or picked up a camera themselves to make one, I want to have them on the show,” she states. While it’s easy to imagine the questions Whitmire would ask the seasoned stars and below-the-line professionals she talks to, it’s dif- ficult to figure out how she builds her energetic rapport with talent that’s just starting out. With young Basnight, for instance, Whitmire learned through online research that her guest had a serious love of Pop-Tarts. And from there, the conversation took off with its own fun flow. Down-to-earth and ever accessible, it’s worth noting that Whitmire cares for animals as well as people. As a philanthropist, she aids various U.S. zoos and recently sponsored a white rhino in San Diego. As Ladon’s World continues to grow organically and gain inevitable attention, Whitmire feels her excitement and gratitude mounting, noting that “little by little, people and opportunities come to me.” And with each, she works to create something magic, inviting them in and lending her rapt attention. At the end of the day, “It’s about a world of kindness,” Whitmire muses.

neur in LA, NYC, and Chicago, and is now at home and at work in the Peach State—ranked No. 1 by Business Facilities Magazine as the top U.S. state for film production, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Some of Whitmire’s past work includes executive producing film South of Hope Street, starring William Baldwin and Judd Nelson, written and directed by her friend, Jane Spencer, and shot in Switzerland. Other accomplishments include consulting the wardrobe department on movie sets for films Rock Paper Dead with Tatum O’Neal and Michael Madsen, and The Poison Rose with Morgan Freeman and John Travolta. Most recently, she has written and directed two of her own feature films that premiered in Atlanta this year and last, Alexander and Waste . Like any enterprising creative, Whitmire has had to remain steady at her craft and learn to adapt during these challenging times. So, she started up an Instagram Live interview show, Ladon’s World , in conjunction with her production company, TSLW Productions in Atlanta. And while that move may seem similar to what others in the industry are doing right now, watching Whitmire and her guests go Live on Instagram proves otherwise. Whitmire, long behind the camera, is comfortably and quirkily finding her place in front, where she exudes a connection with her guests that’s irresistible to watch. This August marked just two months since her show began; racking up several thousand followers in the blink of an eye, and the numbers are growing exponentially each day. “This is cold-calling. I don’t know these people sometimes,” Whitmire shares. Yet she conducts highly intentional research into each person that helps uncover some rather unconventional moments. “I like to learn what my subjects have gone through to get to where they

are now. You have to take those nuggets—and express them. As a woman, I have a very creative mind.” Certain guests onWhitmire’s show are well established in the film world, like producer Steven Adams, a personal friend of Whitmire’s who has worked with director Spike Lee. Others are unknown makeup artists and people just starting out, like a three-year-old SAG actress living in LA. Another little girl from South Carolina, an Instagram find named Sadrean Brenn, is a budding singer who is accompanied by her banjo-playing father.

@tslw_productions | @ladon_whitmire

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STUNTMAN

A Man for All Reasons Alessandro Folchitto, military and tactical coordinator for film By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t

A lessandro Folchitto sounds like a character in a film. He’s 6’4”, was born and raised in Rome, Italy, where he once played professional basketball, and is a retired captain of the Italian Special Forces (where only 2,000 people have completed training since 1942). But that’s his story in real life, before he ever stepped onto a film set. And long before he was waiting for production to resume, post-quarantine, on his two current projects, MGM’s Samaritan with Sylvester Stallone; and Netflix’s Red Notice with Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds, both filming in Atlanta. In these action thrillers, Folchitto serves as military and tactical coordinator, making sure the guns, munitions, explosions, stunts, and all things related are true to life, save for some “movie magic”. Add to that, he has personal stunt roles in both of these films. How did Folchitto go from leading a life that sounds like something from a movie to actually working in film in real life? With a little help from his mother, who had relocated from Rome, Italy to Atlanta. She met the owner of a special effects (FX) company, Bob Vazquez of East Coast Films, one evening in a restaurant in Peachtree City, GA, and when she heard him talking about his life she struck up a conversation. Vazquez just happened to be ex- U.S. Army Special Forces, Green Beret. “So I came to the United States in 2011, sponsored by Bobby Vazquez, local 479 in Georgia at the time,” Folchitto says. “And I worked in three movies for him.” A year after Folchitto’s arrival in the U.S., tragically, both his mother and Vazquez passed away within two months of one another. “I no longer had family here, no connections in the business, and I had to figure out what to do,” he says. So, he went to an audition for a stunt role in the sci-fi action film Insurgent , of the Divergent series starring Shailene Woodley. As he waited in a crowd of people, he was spotted by Duffy Gaver, a stunt man, actor, and trainer to Hollywood’s elite. As he and Gaver talked, they realized that

Since then, Folchitto’s momentum in the film industry hasn’t slowed. His work as a military and tactical coordinator led to the position of stunt coordinator as well. At times he’s been a stuntman and an actor with lines, which can be a difficult combination to achieve. “I’m lucky that I’m 6’4”, big, athletic, and with a bold Italian accent,” Folchitto says. “That helps me because most of the time the stunt coordinator is going to have me be the killer, the bodyguard, the henchman. I’m a good example for that.” Difficult stunts, too, will often go to the Italian Special Forces ex-captain and alum. “Sometimes these guys might need an assassin to show up in a room that’s totally dark, no light, with their face totally covered to where there’s no way to see correctly,” Folchitto says, “and you need to be able to pull the gun from your jacket, load the gun, put the munitions inside the gun, shoot in somebody’s direction, and pull back. That’s not easy to do when you’re blinded.” Examples of Folchitto’s jaw-dropping abilities are plentiful in his IMDb profile to date, which includes roles in Avengers: Infinity War, The Suicide Squad, Game Night, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ant- Man and the Wasp , and Pitch Perfect 3 , where he served as a stunt double for John Lithgow. Today, Folchitto is even more immersed in the film industry. He is represented by Lauren Muller at RCM Talent. And he owns Action ATL, a company that provides stunt and tactical training for actors and stunt-actors, as well as government military consulting, research, and development. In addition, world-renowned Italian firearms manufacturer Beretta sought him out to represent their firearms and secure product placement in film productions. It’s also worth noting that the United States government awarded him for a military operation he performed in Afghanistan back in 2010, before he rose to prominence in movie work. Undoubtedly, Folchitto’s position in the film industry will only continue on its rapid-fire rise. And the list of reasons why is, clearly, mind-blowing.

Alessandro Folchitto

Folchitto and Will Smith

they shared a friend in the special forces in Israel. “That connection made it possible for him to check on my background right there,” Folchitto says. “And 10 minutes

later, Duffy brought me up to the film’s director and said to him, ‘When I leave in five days, Alessandro will be in charge of my work.’ And so I was the war and military coordinator for Insurgent and Allegiant , back to back.”

@alessandro_folchitto | @rcmlife | actionatl.com

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PROPS

Prop Star Kelvin “Panda” Tyler of ATLier Props has what it takes—and pays it forward By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t

M y aunt’s friend’s friend was my first connec- tion,” Kelvin “Panda” Tyler, a Florida-based Full Sail University film graduate and new Atlanta business owner states. “And it got me nowhere.” Panda, as he’s called, is somewhere now though—in fact, in July 2020 he opened ATLier Props LLC, the first Black-owned prop house in the United States. And he has a vision to make his busi- ness a vehicle that will help other minorities and women get their foot in the door of the Georgia film industry. “I’m super honored to be the first,” Panda says of his role. “It’s a gamechanger.” And while the Richmond, VA native’s big heart extends to fellow industry creatives he hasn’t even met yet, he also has a very personal reason for using ATLier Props to help people make connections. That reason’s name is Ashley. “I met my good friend Ashley on the first day of college,” Panda recalls. “She walked straight up to me and said, ‘We’re friends now,’ and from there we hung out, went to the movies, were always around each other… we had a great time.” Ashley was studying at Full Sail to be a set designer, working toward her dream of “creating the best set at the Oscars,” Panda says. But like so many young people with no industry contacts or connections, Ashley found herself returning home after graduation despite working hard to break into the industry. “And there, she was murdered,” Panda states. “Someone who had a drive to change the industry and who could win over anybody with her talent and smile, and she didn’t get to.” So the opening of the prop house, one of his dreams, also became a way to honor Ashley and her dreams. This fact gives Panda’s newfound role as an industry business owner even more depth. Along with running ATLier Props, Panda spends a good deal of time on set himself. He’s an assistant director (AD) and photographer, and he finds that there’s a symbiotic relationship between his role at the prop house and his behind-the-scenes film career. “An AD is involved in everything about a film from start to finish—art meetings, costume finish… everything,” he says, “so I can tell when these professionals need the prop house, and I can see what they need.” If Panda sees they need vintage couches on a film project, for instance, he makes sure ATLier Props offers them.

Giving isn’t necessarily a

monetary thing. It’s contingent to a situation. It can be simply giving an opportunity to someone who doesn’t have it.

Kelvin Tyler

On set he also sees firsthand when people need intangible things, like support and encouragement. “Giving isn’t necessarily a monetary thing. It’s contingent to a situation,” he states. “It can be simply giving an opportunity to someone who doesn’t have it.” And he admits, “Somebody gave me those kinds of caring moments and now I have my shop.” Two people in particular that he credits for help- ing him in his career are Hollywood ADs Larry Katz and Anna Moulaison. “They were inspirations to me. Both of them saw something in me as an AD that I didn’t see myself,” he notes. Another huge influence was his grand- mother, a social worker. “She fought through so much growing up in rural Virginia and then moving to the big city of Richmond,” he says. “She faced racial disparity and came out on top with a smile and as a better woman.” Much the same, Panda and several colleagues are working to create mentorship programs for creatives in the community—writers, people in the art department, other assistant directors—and women who might find the opportunity that his friend Ashley never did. The coronavirus pandemic and the slow reopening of the film industry, while a hurdle, hasn’t dampened

Panda’s enthusiasm and vision for his business and its mission. Working together, he and his team follow strin- gent safety protocols at ATLier Props, including regular deep cleanings for the prop house, mandating masks for all employees and customers, providing virtual shopping for buyers, and limiting exposure as much as possible. For Panda personally, he’s gearing up for his first TV show post-COVID, an Amazon series that he describes as his next big challenge. He serves as AD on the series, and he’s using this opportunity, too, to open up possibilities for other creatives. “I’m hiring three minorities, fellow film grads—two women and one man—to be my colleagues on the show,” he shares. “I want to give them experience that they can take with them into their careers.”

@atlierprops | www.atlierprops.com

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CHILD ACTOR

Roll Call Mixing it up with Mixed-ish ’s Isabel Myers By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no

in the CBS series Reckless and ABC Family’s supernatural teen drama Ravenswood , to name a few. Her big break came after she was originally booked for one episode of ABC’s Mixed-ish and then was signed on as a re-occurring guest star in 13 episodes. For the Mixed-ish audition, her mom taped it on her phone in the basement of their home; an upgrade from the audition tape they did in the bathroom for the movie Twilight: Breaking Dawn . “We upgraded our audition tape, but there was no callback,” Myers recalls. “I just got really lucky.”

and crew, the nerves went away. Everyone is so kind and professional. The best part about everything was that I got to meet new friends. My favorite memories are the classroom scenes with Ms. Collins (played by Caitlin Kimball). She would often improv some of her lines and have all of us exploding with laughter.” As a teenager making her way in the fast-paced world of Hollywood, the Atlanta native—who speaks fluent Korean, by the way—has some pretty big items in her bucket list queue. Along with learning Chinese, Japanese, and Greek, Myers says her ultimate goal would be to go to South Korea to pursue an entertainment career. She also would love to be in a Marvel film. Even at such a young age, it feels like Isabel Myers has been around for a while. And in an industry that boasts its shares of ups and downs, having the support of a strong family structure is critical. “The support of my family is very important because they lift me up and believe in me when I get discouraged.” Playing the role model for a younger generation of area actors who watch her rise and believe that anything is possible, Myers’s advice is the kind you would want to hear from someone who knows at a young age what the Hollywood game is like. “Just forget about it. Audition and then throw it away. Don’t get consumed with wondering whether you will book this job or that job, just audition and forget about it. “The best advice I can give comes from Lee Jihoon of the group teen pop group Seventeen: ‘When my little steps pile up, they will form a firm path one day.’ Every small step is important and will bring you closer to what you ultimately want to do in life. Just don’t give up.” SNAPSHOT ON ISABEL MYERS Represented by: JPervis Talent Agency (Atlanta) and CESD (Los Angeles) Managed by: Untitled Entertainment (Los Angeles) Publicist: Amanda Abelita, Abelita-Burns PR First role: The TV movie Finding Normal Favorite TV shows: “While You Were Sleeping,” “He Is Psychometric,” “The Office” Favorite movies: Parasite , Little Women , The Hobbit Favorite music: Anything from Seventeen Hobbies/interests: Dancing, traveling

Isabel Myers

On set with ABC’s “Mixed-ish” co-stars

As any actor will tell you, there is always a little luck involved when you go through the audition rounds. But for the Mixed-ish part, the producers fell in love with the way she presented the character, so landing a larger role throws the luck factor out the window. It also enabled her to jump

I sabel Myers’s first co-stars were Micky Mouse and Donald Duck. During a stint at Walt Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon, Myers was tabbed to interact with actors dressed as the iconic cartoon characters. She was 3. Ever since those early days of rolling around the sand in Orlando, FL, Myers has methodically climbed the rung of the Hollywood’s acting ladder, working her way through a number of modeling gigs and TV commercials, and auditioning for myriad film and TV roles. Now 15, as she continues to add to her acting portfolio the roles continue to mount. A spot in Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings TV series. A role in the TV movie An American Girl Story: Melody 1963–Love Has to Win . Spots Photo by Olesja Mueller

into the mix with a franchised series (the show is a spinoff of ABC’s widely successful Black-ish ) and work with a seasoned cast of actors. The biggest change was that Myers had to move out to Los Angeles for a while. “It was hard to leave my family and my cat, Gorby, behind because I missed them. I was nervous at first, but after getting to know the cast

PR Contact: Amanda Abelita, [email protected]

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