On Sunday night, we celebrated 15 years of the Oscar-nominated film, and David O. Russell was honored with ATLFF’s 2025 Originator Award. The Originator Award honors filmmakers known for creating new ways of seeing and experiencing art. Originators are often imitated, never duplicated, and always responsible for setting new industry standards. It was first presented in 2018 to True-Crime Director, Joe Berlinger, acclaimed Director Spike Lee, in 2019, and most recently to George R.R. Martin in 2023.
David O. Russell is a film writer, director, and producer, known for movies of comedic, dramatic, sometimes tragic characters whose love of life can surpass dark circumstances in very specific worlds, often comically and emotionally. He has been nominated for five Academy Awards, with his most notable films including The Fighter (2010), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and American Hustle (2013). Russell is currently prepping for the production of Madden, which will film in Atlanta.
For Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), boxing is a family affair. His tough-as-nails mother is his manager. His half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), once a promising boxer himself, is his very unreliable trainer. Despite Micky’s hard work, he is losing, and when the latest fight nearly kills him, he follows his girlfriend’s advice and splits from the family. Then Micky becomes a contender for the world title, and he — and his family — earns a shot at redemption. Based on a true story, The Fighter also stars Melissa Leo and Amy Adams.
The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming that is provided year-round by its parent organization, the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS). Now in its fifth decade, ATLFF is one of only a handful of film festivals worldwide that is Academy Award-qualifying in all three categories (live-action short, animation short, and documentary short subject).
Photo credit: (Cherish Hall/Atlanta Film Festival)