17th annual BronzeLens Film Festival empowers Black filmmakers, spotlights Patrick Kelly documentary

The 17th annual BronzeLens Film Festival celebrated its final weekend at Tara Atlanta, continuing its mission to uplift Black creatives and prove that stories told through a Black and Brown lens belong on the biggest screens.

The festival served as a springboard for talent, offering industry networking and resources such as screenwriters' workshops. It also holds a rare distinction in Georgia as an Academy Award-qualifying festival for its shorts category, giving winners an avenue to submit to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences without the traditional theatrical release requirements.

"Filmmakers call us the filmmaker's film festival because we are intentional about spending time with the filmmaker," festival founder Kathleen Bertrand said.

This year's festival opened with "Love, Patrick," a documentary paying tribute to the life, trials and triumphs of trailblazing fashion designer Patrick Kelly.

"To first select us and then make it the opening film of the festival, we were all beside ourselves," Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ryon Horne said.

Kelly first made a name for himself designing dresses in a Buckhead boutique before moving to Paris, eventually dressing icons such as Bette Davis, Grace Jones, Madonna, Cicely Tyson and Princess Diana. However, just as he achieved international acclaim, Kelly died from AIDS-related complications at age 35.

"It's like getting to the promised land but not being able to get in," filmmaker Tyson Alan Horne said. He wanted the audience to experience a journey of discovery and learning through Kelly's story.

The documentary also highlighted the ongoing need for representation in creative industries. Ryon Horne pointed to the double standard Black artists often navigate.

"For most fashion designers who are white, they are just considered fashion designers," Horne said. "People like Sergio Hudson and Patrick Kelly, they're always going to be considered Black fashion designers."

That disparity underscored why platforms such as BronzeLens remain vital. Executive producer Ray Cornelius of Peach Soul Productions recalled first discovering stars such as Issa Rae at BronzeLens years before she reached mainstream stardom.

For the team behind "Love, Patrick," the documentary served as both historical preservation and modern inspiration.

"This is an opportunity to, in a sense, bring him back to life and reintroduce him to a new audience," Cornelius said. "What I want people to take away from this film is Patrick's message that nothing is impossible."

The festival wrapped up Sunday at Tara Atlanta with an awards ceremony hosted by CBS News Atlanta anchor Sharon Lawson.