On Friday, January 17th, the UGA MFA FTVDM hosted Ebony Blanding to discuss independent filmmaking in Atlanta, Georgia.
Co-founder of the art film house “House of June” and Trilith’s 2024 Emerging-Creative-Residency filmmaker, Blanding is a writer-director from Atlanta whose work seeks to tell stories about Black girls and women coming-of-age on their own terms. She draws from her southern roots to create original interpretations of gothic tales, Black folklore and afro-futurism within grounded and supernatural settings. Blanding has presented films at institutions like Spelman College, Emory University, and John H. Hopkins University. Her work has screened at Atlanta Film Society, Capetown International Film Festival, SXSW, among others.
Current MFA students as well as alumni joined together for a guided Q&A to hear Blanding’s experience and journey as a filmmaker. The discussion focused on approaches for finding your creative partners, navigating unexpected career paths, and honing in on your creative drive as a filmmaker working in Georgia.
Blanding emphasized to students the importance of building a body of work that centers the stories they each want to tell, connecting with other creatives over similar interests, and to never stop “making your own stuff,” even while chasing opportunities.
As a Georgia-based filmmaker, Blanding explained to students, who are planning their own post-grad careers, that the local industry is a “good place to experiment” with unique challenges and opportunities. The more “you pour into community [and] indie spaces,” Blanding shared, the more good it pours back into your own portfolio.