On Wednesday, August 20th, the BronzeLens Film Festival returned to Atlanta for the 16th year. This year’s festival was from the 20th to the 24th of August and with screening at the Tara Theatre, which is located at Cheshire Bridge Road. Daily screenings, panels and workshops were held on a daily at the Tara Theatre.
This year’s opening night feature film was a biopic, “The Rhythm & Blues,” which tells the story of electric guitar phenom Eddie Taylor. Eddie, a self-taught guitarist, led the way in the creation of Blues music using the electric guitar, but never got the accolades that he deserved for the way that he influenced the music scene in the forties and fifties. The “Rhythm & The Blues” film is a story of passion, struggle, and the enduring power of music in an ever-changing world. The film stars Leon and was directed by Darryl Pitts.
On the evening of Saturday, AUGUST 23, the Inaugural BronzeLens Filmmakers Sneaker Ball was held at the “Atlanta City Hall Atrium.” DJ Salah and presenter Kiana Dancie kept the evening flowing. This event is an industry mixer that provides the environment that would allow filmmakers and entertainment industry people to socialize and exchange ideas. This event closed out with a packed dance floor with people line dancing, which was a surprise special feature event of the night.
Sunday the 24th was the final day of the festival. The morning part of the day had the Social Justice Sunday screenings. These are screenings that reflect the social journey of people and communities from around the world.
The Festival’s Awards Show, which is the culminating event of the festival, was held at the “Ray Charles Performing Arts Center” on Sunday evening. The event was well attended, with a hectic red carpet where filmmakers and celebrities were able to get their BronzeLens carpet photos taken. This is the moment where filmmakers were recognized and celebrated for their work and effort in bringing quality artistry to the big screen and beyond.
The Winner for the 2025 Film Festival were:
- Best Short: ADO
- Best of Festival: Color Book
- Best Actor: Will Catlett – Color Book
- Best Actress: Jenifer Lewis – ADO
- Best Dance Video: Cut Me Summa Dat Noise
- Best Documentary: Mount Mutombo
- Best Feature Film: Color Book
- Best Music Video: Freedom
- Best Short Documentary: Exodus
- Best Student Film: Jean & I
- Best Web Series: Hogtown/Ainsu va Manu
- Andrew Young Cinema and Social Justice Award: Following Harry
The BronzeLens Film Festival
BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Georgia, is a non-profit organization, founded in 2009, that is dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is two-fold: to promote Atlanta as a film mecca for people of color, and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. BronzeLens is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season.
2026 BronzeLens SuperStars Weekend dates have been announced. Those dates are March 6-8, 2026. The Annual BronzeLens Film Festival will probably take place in August 2026.
Last updated on September 19, 2025
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