As the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival comes to a close, here are a few films I checked out from the Narrative Feature and Documentary categories.
This year’s offerings at the festival were fantastic. From the creative conference to the special screenings of Tyler Perry’s OLD GRAY MARE and Shadow Force starring Kerry Washington, the festival had exclusive events not to be found anywhere.
Check today’s schedule for the final day of films and the list of encore screenings.
The Pastor’s Daughter (6 out of 10)
After the death of her father, Agnes (Moira Glennon) returns home to collect her inheritance. With a reputation for being irresponsible, her brother Joe (Jeffrey Charles Morgan) awaits her arrival so he can lay down ground rules and lay into her.
Their father was a pastor, an occupation that Joe picked up and used to lead Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Well-respected and beloved by locals, Agnes quickly becomes inundated with people she hasn’t seen in years offering her condolences. She’s not very welcoming and doesn’t carry a warm presence, but a peek into her past alluded to a life that wasn’t as squeaky clean as it was being portrayed.
The film struggled out of the blocks and limped until the finish. Overall, the pace was too slow, and as time progressed, things either got weird or boring. The not-so-holy-pastor trope was used here, and it didn’t work. The acting was fine, so kudos to Jeffrey Charles Morgan, but everything else seemed a bit off. There was a weird scene that showed the repairman Carlos (Eduardo José Paco Mateo) naked, which wasn’t necessary and was more of a distraction.
Joe’s wife, Victoria (Muretta Moss), aside from having a thing for other men, joins him in complaints about small tithes. They’re the holy couple that aren’t too holy, but the way the creators went about it didn’t work. Joe informs Agnes of the reworkings of the will, noting their father left everything to him (seemingly as punishment for leaving them when they needed her most). Even knowing her reason for leaving (hinting at abuse), Joe is unmoved but willing to throw her a lifeline: stay here and live a clean life, and I’ll pay you what you were supposed to receive.
At 89 minutes, this felt way too long. We see glimpses of a woman who often wonders what it would be like to feel whole, while her sibling and his wife continue a lightweight charade to keep money flowing (even creating a fundraiser).
The Lost Wolves of Yellowstone (8.5 out of 10)
The Lost Wolves of Yellowstone takes us back to 1995 to reintroduce the wolf to Yellowstone National Park. Leading the project was the dedicated, highly intelligent, and well-liked Mollie Beattie. She and her colleagues were tasked with bringing wolves back when they had been extinct for 50 years. But while the vote to bring them back was unanimous, concerned ranchers and common citizens shared concerns about the idea. The whole ordeal eventually became a political battle that ended up being one of Mollie’s greatest accomplishments.
The footage, once thought to be lost, gives a glimpse into the planning and logistics of rehabilitating an extinct animal and the unexpected challenges that came along with it. One of the biggest challenges with bringing in wolves from Canada was the possibility of them wandering back to Canada. A trek too far north would see the mission as a complete failure. Not north enough would leave the possibility of the wolves crossing paths with livestock and resentful locals.
Animal documentaries are always an easy win. This is an easy watch that will quickly have you pulling for the wolves and rolling your eyes at the political pushback.
NORITA (8 out of 10)
From the mid-1970s, Argentina’s armed forces and police detained, tortured, murdered, or forcibly “disappeared” an estimated 30,000 people. The mothers of the victims fought the military Junta, which brutally ruled the country from 1976-1983. That brings us to Norita Cortiñas.
She was a simple housewife. Through archival footage and first-person interviews, family and friends spoke impressively of Cortiñas, going from housewife to political figure. She was launched into the limelight in the late-70s during the military dictatorship because of her activism, which only came about after the kidnapping of her son Gustavo. Linking with other mothers of the “disappeared”, they formed the Madres of Plaza de Mayo in resistance to the authoritarian regime.
The most telling part about her influence starts with her activism as a woman. Counterculture and defiance is typically associated with the youth, and this was during a time when women were underrepresented (and let’s face it, undervalued). So here we have youth speaking out, but they go missing. This is how the emergence of women began: mothers searching for their missing children.
Even though Cortiñas sadly passed away last spring at the age of 94, her impact still lives on in Argentina. She spoke out against anyone she felt served injustice, no matter if it was the government or the church. Lots to see and learn in this documentary.
Your Tomorrow (8.5 out of 10)
Your Tomorrow details the meteoric rise and unfortunate upending of Ontario Place. The public space once served as the ultimate hub for families for generations until it was sold for redevelopment.
Told through beautiful cinematography and firsthand accounts, Ontario Place is a park that held a special place in the hearts of many locals. Artists, swimmers, and those who love the outdoors expressed many heartfelt emotions about the proposed changes to the area.
Supported with archival footage and recollections from townspeople, the film often jumps from present to past, describing the park in its heyday. The film acted as a time machine, jetsetting to a period that felt more relaxed and enjoyable. The soundtrack offered a heavy dose of nostalgia and paired perfectly with the onscreen relic.
Filled with concerned citizens and meaningful protests, their calls fell on deaf ears, and the inevitable occurred. The go-to site for a nice walk, bike ride, or an occasional concert was effectively sold to the highest bidder. This 96-minute documentary is a treasure to behold. The music was a nice touch to an already solid doc, but helped push the beauty of memories passed.