Atlanta Underground Film Festival draws fans to RoleCall Theater at Ponce City Market through Aug. 21

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta Now News at 10) — The Atlanta Underground Film Festival (AUFF) is showcasing the work of more than 100 films this weekend. This comes as the independent film industry is making a big comeback after taking a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inside the RoleCall Theater at Ponce City Market on Friday, moviegoers enjoyed the works of several independent filmmakers, with countless scenes playing out on a movie screen during the 19th annual festival.

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“Just being able to see all the creativity is really awesome, all these people coming together making these awesome film,” said Evan Swider, an indie film fan.

“As a filmmaker myself, I find it super important to support local filmmakers, independent film,” said his sister, Emma Swider.

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The indie film industry lost billions during the pandemic, but the tables are turning. “We’ve seen more film submissions this year than we did before the pandemic,” said AUFF Co-Founder Lauren Kitchens.

Filmmakers like Kent Smith are glad to showcase their hard work. “This is huge. This is what filmmakers do, and we learn a lot from it. The audience is really what it’s all about,” Smith said. His film “The Little Package” is about a couple that receives a lot more than expected. “One of the things I think about as a filmmaker that’s exciting is to see people coming out and having a good time,” he said.

AUFF organizers are glad to give the filmmakers a platform. “It’s so important in Atlanta to support the indie film scene, because there are so many people that are moving here, and the industry is just growing and growing,” said Kitchens.

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The festival continues through Sunday. For more information, click here.