Arts Agenda: Independent films, fests and special screenings

Each week, ArtsATL delivers a critic’s short list of the shows, exhibitions, concerts and events we recommend for the coming weeks within one discipline in the kaleidoscope of Atlanta arts and culture. Every week, we’ll present a different art form.

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July 15

The 1959 King Vidor film Solomon and Sheba launches a new film series honoring legendary independent producer Edward “Eddie” Small — a visionary born in Savannah, whose seven-decade career spanned vaudeville, silent film and the golden age of Hollywood. The film, starring Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida, was produced by Small and will be screened at 7 p.m. on July 15 at the Tara Theatre.

July 16

A prison guard gets transferred to a new prison in Corsica, where a young male inmate helps her get her bearings and offers her protection but expects help in return. The third film by Stéphane Demoustier, Borgo is a gripping thriller inspired by true events. It will screen at Alliance Française Atlanta’s Peachtree Center (233 Peachtree St. NE Suite #100) at 7 p.m. on July 16. They’ll also present the French film A l’Abordage (All Hands on Deck) on August 20.

July 17

Out on Film’s new monthly movie club screening series at Lore Atlanta presents Sean Baker’s 2015 Los Angeles-set sex worker dramedy Tangerine, starring Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor and James Ransone. Doors open at 7 p.m. on July 17, and the film screens at 7:30 p.m.

July 19

Off The Wall @ 725 Ponce presents the Atlanta premiere of animator Jodie Mack’s The Grand Bizarre (2018), a multimedia travelogue about textiles, at 9 p.m. July 18 and July 19. The film is comprised of tens of thousands of individually shot frames of psychedelic textiles, maps, alphabets, shipping containers and electronics and will be projected on the facade of an eight-story building on the Beltline, making it the largest outdoor screen in the South. This is part of a series curated by Gregory Zinman that will run on the third weekend of each month through November. See what’s coming up at Off the Wall’s new website.

July 20

Trap Movie elevates the movie experience with a live DJ, reclining chairs, a full bar and kitchen and servers. Next up is I Know What You Did Last Summer, screening at Silverspot Cinema at The Battery Atlanta from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 20.

July 23

Join Lavender Lens and The Bakery Atlanta for an evening screening of Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines at 6:30 p.m. July 23 at The Supermarket (638 North Highland Ave. NE). The film is by Atlanta’s Yarrow Koning, who will talk about the film following the screening. Next up in the series is a screening of Rose Troche’s Go Fish on August 20.

July 26

A troubled divorcee grappling with depression must confront his inner demons and navigate complex relationships to find meaning in life and break free from emotional chains in To Be Free: The Lion’s Den from Atlanta-based director Jade Angela Moore. The movie premieres at 7:30 p.m. on July 26 at the Tara.

July 30

Clara’s Fruit is a short documentary by director Morgan Mathews that sheds light on the life and legacy of Sister Clara Muhammad, an unsung hero in American education who established the first network of Muslim private schools in the 1930s. In the film, members of the Atlanta community, including her great-grandson, Principal Khalil, provide reflections on Sister Clara’s vision and how her legacy lives on 90 years later. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion, artistic performances and space for honoring community, reflection and legacy in action. See it at 6:30 p.m. on July 30 at the Plaza Theatre.

July 31

The Short Film Festival at Black Writers Weekend 2025 showcases a dozen short films and trailers that celebrate the depth of the Black experience. They’ll have screenings, Q&As with filmmakers and panels exploring the connection between storytelling, culture and cinema. It’s happening from noon until 5 p.m. on July 31 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library.

August 1-2

Atlanta Pride is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, and they’re partnering with Out on Film for Reel Resistance: How the Lonesome Cowboys Raid Sparked the Southern Queer Rights Movement. This two-day event starts with a screening of the provocative 1968 Andy Warhol film Lonesome Cowboys, which sparked an Atlanta police raid on the Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema in August 1969. The screening at Agnes Scott College at 7 p.m. Friday, August 1, will be followed by the firsthand experience of local activist Abby Drue, who was there the night of the raid. On Saturday, August 2, there will be a community summit focused on the decades of activism, art and community building in Georgia that followed that moment.

August 9

The Black Martial Arts Cinema Double Feature returns to the Plaza Theatre (1049 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE) withYear of the Rat, directed by Cyrus Alexander and starring underground rapper Noveliss. Following Year of the Rat is a special screening of Black Dynamite, starring Michael Jai White, who will be in attendance for a Q&A and meet-and-greet session with fans. The screenings begin at 6 p.m. on August 9.

August 11

The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History’s Pages to Popcorn series presents Their Eyes Were Watching God, the 2005 film based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston and starring Halle Berry. It’s happening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. August 11. The series continues September 8 with For Colored Girls, the 2010 film based on Ntozake Shange’s 1975 poem.