Willson Center Presents Athens Premiere of "Somebodies"
The Willson Center, in partnership with the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, will host a screening of the locally produced 2006 film Somebodies at Ciné on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. This will be the Athens premiere of the film, which was purchased by the BET cable television network after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival but never received theatrical distribution. The screening is the Willson Center’s keynote event in the University of Georgia’s 2012 Spotlight on the Arts festival.
Somebodies was written and directed by Grady College alumnus Hadjii (ABJ ’98), who also starred in the film, and produced by Nate Kohn and Pam Kohn. Nate Kohn is Professor of Telecommunications in the Grady College and associate director of the George Foster Peabody Awards. The film, which was shot entirely in Athens with many local cast and crew members, is a dramatic comedy about Scotty, a young African-American man caught between the religious priorities of his family and the partying lifestyle of his college-age friends. An unexpected chance at love becomes an opportunity for Scotty to decide what his own path in life will be in this warm, irreverent comedy.
Hadjii and his co-star in the film, Kaira Akita, will be present to introduce the film and take part in an audience question-and-answer session after the screening. The two now live and work in Los Angeles. Following the screening, the Willson Center will host a reception with the two stars and other cast and crew members.
“We are thrilled that Hadjii’s Sundance film Somebodies will have its first Athens screening,” said Nate Kohn. “I urge everyone to come out for this Athens premiere screening of this Sundance Film Festival favorite.”
Tickets for the screening will be $9.75 general admission and $7.50 for students, seniors, and military personnel. They are available in advance at the Ciné box office or online
. Ciné is a cinema and arts venue managed by the Athens Film Arts Institute, a local nonprofit organization. It is located at 234 W. Hancock Ave. in downtown Athens.