McDonough Storytellers Film Festival

PANELS, WORKSHOPS and INTENSIVES at a glance!!

PANELS FRIDAY JUNE 5:
9:30-10:45
MENTAL& PHYSICAL HEALTH FOR THE ARTIST-in front and behind the camera/pen.
Joesph Wayne, Frank Oakley IIII

11:00-12:15
BOOK THAT ROLE-advice on how to read those breakdowns, read between the lines and create a great audition. Set etiquette., E. Roger Mitchell, Cindy Hogan, Frank Oakley III

12:30-1:30
MEET THE PRODUCTION STAFF-working on union and non-union sets, how to break in, set protocol, production.
Ed Coughlin, Roger Berard, Lawreen Yakkel, Jose Acosta, Shawn Bulloch, Jonathan Walls, Jonathan Harris, Vincent Guisetti

1:45-2:45 pm
Putting it all together-the symbiotic relationship between music and film-SECRETS TO SYNC SUCCESS, an overview.
Led by sync experts Remedy da Franchise, Brianna Shelko, C-Biz Official, Mark Kueffner, Justin Mercavich, Anthony Arasi and Mathew Steele.

3:00-4:00
THE IMPORTANCE OF POST-Editing, post sound, festivals, distribution, budget.
Kim O'Neill, Mark Kueffner, Lawreen Yakkel, Brittany Fleming, Jose Acosta, Jonathan Harris, Vincent Guisetti

4:15-5:30
THE BUSINESS OF SHOW AND STATE OF THE INDUSTRY-Raising money, tax incentives and the state of the industry.
Ed Coughlin, Jon Baime, Malcolm Williams, Loren Goldfarb

HANDS ON WORKSHOPS FRIDAY JUNE 5:

9:30-10:30 am
Social Media. Vertical Storytelling and the Future of Independent Film, an Interactive Panel Discussion and Hands-on -Workshop that shows filmmakers and storytellers how to strategically use social media at all stages of production, how to create compelling visual short form narratives, analyze platform algorithms and more!!
Presented by members of Reimagine ATL.

10:45-12:15
GETTING STARTED IN FILM-finding your authentic voice through storytelling and your community
Advice on how to find your artistic point of view and connect with fellow creatives and your community to tell not only your but their story through films, documentaries and other media.
Brittany Fleming, James Cressman

12:30-2:00
GAMING, EDUCATION, and FILM Led by celebrated Industry leader extraordinaire Malcom Williams

2:15-3:30
Hone your craft!- HANDS ON WRITING WORKSHOP WITH PROMPTS. Jon Baime

3:45-5:00
LET'S TALK VOICE OVER and break in! Industry insights and golden nuggets.
Robert Gunton

SMALL GROUP INTENSIVES ( $20 add on per intensive) FRIDAY JUNE 5

10:00 am-12:00 pm
PITCH YOUR FILM PROJECT to a panel of industry experts and producers!
Loren Goldfarb, Jon Baime, Jonathan Walls, Kim O'Neill, Lawreen Yakkel, Ed Coughlin

12:45pm-2:45pm
ACTING INTENSIVE -ACCESSING YOUR EMOTIONS AS AN ACTOR
We all have emotions, as do the characters we breathe life into. Presenting a real character/human with real emotions, as an actor, can be challenging, strenuous, and scary. Especially because the emotions an actor needs to access MUST be truthful. Work with renowned acting coach Cindy Hogan to learn how to access the emotional state that fits your circumstance in any given scene.

3:15 pm-5:15 pm
LAND THAT SYNC PLACEMENT! An intimate in-depth session with sync industry leaders Remedy da Franchise, Justin Mercavich, C-biz Official, Brianna Shelko Mathew Steele, Mark Kueffner, Anthony Arasi
Includes a Q and A session and an opportunity to pitch your music and get raw feedback and advice.

ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP:
12:00 PM - 1:30PM

THE SECRET SAUCE TO GREAT STORYTELLING - Hear from authors, publishers, and professional screenwriters and discover their take on what makes great storytelling and take away key insights on setting your story apart. Hosted upstairs at Story on the Square

Michael Lucker, Alessandra Bautze, Julian Gunder, Bobby Nash, Echo Montgomery Garrett, Katherine Daniel

SATURDAY JUNE 6

Story On the Square: OFFICIALLY SELECTED Films, Shorts, Ads, Music Videos, Documentaries and more 9:00 am- 9:00 pm

Queen Bee Coffee Co- HONORABLE MENTIONS and OFFICIALLY SELECTED Films, Shorts, Ads, Music Videos, Documentaries and more 9:00 am- 9:00 pm

Macon Street Tacos: LIVE SCREEN PLAY READINGS, BOOK and POSTER PRESENTATIONS, AUDIO BOOKS by CANDLELIGHT 11:00 am-6:00 pm

AWARD CEREMONY 9:30 pm-11 pm

TICKETS:
https://storyonthesquare.com/event/2026-06-05/mcdonough-storytellers-film-festival
OR
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990188548523?aff=oddtdtcreator

Calling all storytellers!

The inaugural McDonough Storytellers Film Festival will be held on June 5th and 6th, 2026 in multiple locations in the gorgeous historic McDonough town square, approximately 30 miles South of Atlanta, GA. Created to celebrate the art of storytelling through numerous mediums, ranging from traditional categories like feature film, screenplay, and shorts to more unique categories like advertising, audio drama, movie poster, book cover, novel, and music video, We are also accepting gaming cut scenes, cinematics and trailers, as long as they fit into the chosen category.

We are also especially interested in stories that celebrate a positive aspect of humanity, stories told by women, stories created by first time film makers over 40, and stories told through music by celebrating best original score and song. These will all be honored with special prizes at the discretion of the judges and screening committee.

We are looking for the most compelling and talented storytellers to showcase their craft and celebrate their talents. What is your story?

The two day McDonough Storytellers Film Festival will include a jam packed agenda of industry panels, seminars and workshops led by industry leaders, networking galas and hand curated screenings at our venues in the McDonough Square with lots of local businesses participating in the 2 day festivities. The festival will be anchored out of the beautifully renovated 1910 historic masonic lodge which is now home of McDonough's Indie bookstore "Story on the Square" The other downtown festival venues offer a more intimate space that include both indoor and outdoor seating to accommodate a variety of screenings, panels, performances and workshops.

Come and celebrate the art of storytelling and explore the historic square with all it's charming shops, restaurants and picturesque spaces during the Storytellers Film Festival.

There is ample free parking in and around the McDonough downtown square.