From Athens to Park City: Athens Film Festival Award Winner Joins the Sundance 2026 Lineup

We are thrilled to celebrate Albin Pepe, a 2023 UGA MFA alumnus and 2024 Athens Film Festival award winner, as he heads to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Albin served as an editor on the feature film Jane Elliott Against the World, which has officially been selected for the Sundance program. You can learn more about the film's journey at MUBI.

A Legacy of Film Excellence in Athens

Albin previously earned the Award for Best Georgia Film at our inaugural festival for his short, Chessboxer—a project he wrote, directed, and edited during his time in the UGA MFA program.

The film was brought to life alongside cinematographer Kelsey Schmitt, also a UGA MFA alumna. Kelsey is an Atlanta-based director and photographer who currently serves as a lecturer in the UGA Grady College EMST program. We were also honored to have Kelsey serve as a member of our 2025 ATHFF Jury, continuing her deep involvement with our creative community.