The Honest Hustle

CinemATL held its first industry night last night at the Royal. Was it a success? In sheer numbers it was and thanks to Dan Slemons's camera we've got the proof. And there was a palpable vibe that was so infectious I was jonesing all the way home. As I drove home, I thought about the talks I had with various directors, actors and writers. There was the oft repeated discussion about Atlanta's elevation to the next level. How do we get there? How do we sustain it? How do we attract the money? Well, here's my 14 point answer:

1. Let's not bullsh*t the money into thinking return on investment will rival Hollywood's in a matter of months.
2. Let's not bullsh*t people into thinking Atlanta is Hollywood-lite.
3. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves into thinking that Atlanta should pattern itself as a Little New York or a Little L.A.
4. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves and sell the lie that Atlanta is only a Black city.
5. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves into thinking that nobody wants stories about the real faces of Atlanta.
6. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves into thinking we need to mimic the stories of other cities.
7. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves about what works and what doesn't work.
8. Let's not bullsh*t about the pains of the past.
9. Let's not bullsh*t about the hardwork that lies ahead in our future.
10. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves or others into thinking we can do things we cannot.
11. Let's not bullsh*t ourselves or others into thinking there are things we can't do--things we won't do.
12. Let's not bullsh*t about how damn f*cking great this city is.
13. Let's not bullsh*t about being proud
14. Let's not bullsh*t.

The next few years are going to be critical. Listening to those who've been in the game for years, we've already blown our opportunity once before. Now that we've got a second chance at not only bringing work here to the Atl, but to make the Atl a power center, we have to be diligent and dedicated. Because if we drop the ball this time, I can almost guarantee you, the Atl isn't going to get a third go at taking the reins.