M3 Youth Film Festival Moves to Georgia State for Nov. 13
The event shifts from Atlantic Station to the Creative Media Industries Institute, but organizers say student films will not be screened this year.
By Oliver Bennett ·
The Mobile Movie Makers Youth Film Festival will hold 11 panels and workshops at Georgia State University on Nov. 13, but no student films will be projected on the big screen.
The event was originally set for Oct. 17 at Microsoft’s Campus in Atlantic Station. An Instagram post from the organizers noted that unforeseen circumstances left the group without a venue. Georgia State University agreed to host the event at the last minute at its Creative Media Industries Institute.
Founder Sahar Simmons explained the change in an email. She said, “Unfortunately, due to unexpected last-minute venue and infrastructure changes, we will not be screening films this year.” The group plans to meet with students individually to honor their work either this summer or at the next festival.
Simmons said the team is focusing on curating an experience that helps students learn and connect. The festival runs from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and covers topics including gaming, set design, songwriting, music business, and acting. Each participant builds a custom schedule based on interests selected during the application process.
Simmons added, “They had an opportunity to fill out an application and select their top choices, music, television, film, technology, and AI. From that point on, we go ahead and curate the rest of their schedules.”
Founded in 2018, the organization encourages middle and high schoolers to make films using smartphones. Simmons, who works in film and television, stated she wants to move students from consuming content to creating it. She noted, “Almost every young person understands a phone. They may not understand everything that a device can unlock creatively, but we want to move them from scrolling and consuming to creating, directing, writing, producing, and thinking strategically about content.”
The group is also expanding through the M3 Youth Film Crew. This program allows high schoolers to cover real events with mobile devices. Last year, students traveled to Houston, Texas, to cover the 2025 National Battle of the Bands.
