Avant Garden I: A Succesful Beginning

Since I've become an active member of the Atlanta Film Community, I've gotten to know a lot of folks and become friends with them. Over the last few years, I can pretty safely say that if I go to any event or organization, there's a chance there's going to be at least one friendly face that can help ease me into the crowd. But, that took attending a lot of separate events and running around over a few years.

(Okay, this blog is already starting out a little more dry than I'd like. Which it isn't. Really. Look at the people laughing in photo number 2. See. Not dry. Down below that. Local filmmaker and proud new father Pat Clark is giving us the thumbs up. NOT DRY!)

For people who are new to Atlanta, new to filmmaking, for arts professionals who are consistently working and for those who are just patrons of the arts, running to multiple events every month doesn't make sense. (And in Atlanta traffic, is probably bucking for a stress related heartattack) And there are times when you want to network with little emphasis on the work. Then are the folks who sometimes wonder if an event is even for them.

Why not have one place where you can meet and hang with folks? Why not have one event that attempts to encompass all that Atlanta has to offer, but do it in a more social environment that's open to everyone and anyone.

That's the philosophy behind Avant Garden. Not simply to have an event that has some educational component, but to create an event that can bring together a critical mass of organizations and people. To create something that's interactive and not just a passive experience. To have an event that allows people to just come out and have a few casual drinks with other like minded individuals. And to have FUN. Huge emphasis on fun.

To those ends, I can say Avant Garden I this past Thursday was a success.

People got to drink--$2 PBR, nuff said--and mingle. Our Improv teacher Josh Warren brought some of his acting buddies and folks who drifted in the classroom got to do some improv with them. There was our blog confessional that allowed people to unburden a cinematic sin or two. And curator Stuart Horodner of The Contemporary, our partners in this new venture, was able to give gallery tours of The Contemporary's space. (If you haven't, come out and see their current exhibition which is part of Atlanta Celebrate's Photography and see 35 years of Contemporary history)

We're already gearing up for the Avant Garden II on November 20 and we're hoping to see you there. If not then, then for the next one. And if not that one, then the next one after that. And if not that one...