Atlanta Film Festival 50th, Scattrbrain Supergroup & Aja Arnold | The ATL Arts Collective

✦ Aja Arnold ✦ Atlanta Film Festival turns 50 ✦ Lillian Blades Exhibition ✦ Scattrbrain ✦ Art News ✦ Venus ✦ Best Bets ✦ Welcome to The ATL Arts Collective, powered by ArtsATL. This is your new home for stories from Atlanta’s arts scene, with reporting from ArtsATL writers, conversations with artists, and voices from across the creative community. Each week, Kim Drobes will be joined by a rotating co-host: someone you may already know, or someone you’re about to be very glad you met. And today...Aja Arnold!   courtesy of Aja Arnold ✦ Aja Arnold, founder of the Atlanta-based magazine and production company Mainline, and a nationally published journalist with writings in Scalawag Magazine, Vice, Intercept, Creative Loafing, and more. She is also the co-producer of Standard Selects: The Movie and its companion digital series. Aja brings us the story of Scattrbrain (see below) and shares details on her collaboration with Standard Electric Recorders Co.    Aja recommends checking out: Standard Selects Scalawag Magazine UMAW Gutwrench Journal (Aja's first published story:  Orange & Ivory: A Tremendous Night of Democratic Carnage)       courtesy of the Atlanta Film Festival ✦ The 50th Anniversary of the Atlanta Film Festival Fifty years ago, a group of Atlantans started a film festival with no major backing and no guarantee it would last. But it didn’t just survive; it continues to grow, powered by people who believe this city has stories worth telling. This story was based on an interview by film reporter Steve Murray, and you can read Steve’s full story on the Atlanta Film Festival at ArtsATL.org.   Photo by Kevin Storer ✦ Lillian Blades' "Sanctuary" at the Emma Darnell Museum Lillian Blades is a powerhouse in the Atlanta art scene, known for vibrant, maximalist pieces that weave together her Bahamian roots and West African ancestry. But her latest exhibition, Sanctuary, at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, offers something more than just finished masterpieces; it offers a rare look at an artist in the middle of a transformation. Dr. Kevin Storer, a scholar and critic who recently reviewed the show for ArtsATL stops by.       Scattrbrain performing at their first headlining show at Drunken Unicorn on March 19, 2026. Photo credit: Christian M Photography (@christian_m_photography on IG) ✦ Scattrbrain: The New Atlanta Rap-Meets-Alt-Rock Supergroup   Guest co-host Aja Arnold brings us the story of Scattrbrain, the new Atlanta-based rap-meets-alt-rock project. While Scattrbrain is a new project, the players involved are not. Among them are longtime rapper and East Atlanta native GRIP and members of the bands Grouplove and Mallbangs. Their new album, Scattrbrain & the Unwavering Self-Doubt will be released on June 19.     photo credit Natrice Miller   ✦ ATL Arts News Brief: Dashboard, Atlanta Art Week & EarthGang   ArtsATL senior editor Isadora Pennington joins the show for a News Brief featuring stories that affect our arts ecosystem. Today, she has news about Lauren Jackson Harris being announced as the next Executive Director of Dashboard,  Atlanta Art Week's postponement, and EarthGang, an Atlanta-based Grammy-nominated MC duo, and their new comic book series, Wheel of Fate.     Photo by Casey Gardner Ford   ✦ "Venus" Marks a Dark Romance Premiere at Actor’s Express Venus, a new play from the creator of HBO’s The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, just opened at Actor’s Express. It’s a dark romance full of twists and turns, and ArtsATL Editor at Large Benji Carr has the story.     Photo by Joan Marcus (0307)r   ✦ ArtsATL Weekend Best Bets with Shane Harrison ArtsATL’s executive editor Shane Harrison stops by with his picks for this week's Best Bets. Today, his mix includes lots of music. From Opera, to roots, to the retro genre-bending stylings of Raye.    Special thanks to today’s sponsors: The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The ArtsXchange The Dekalb History Center   Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective. Let's lift the artists shaping Atlanta together. Show up, spread the word, and be part of the community. And if you’re able, consider donating to the ATL Arts Collective. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps this show going strong for years to come.    Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois' Hit the Deck from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records.  The ATL Arts Collective is part of the Wordplay Collective podcast family. Check out our sister show, In Pieces with R Land, for conversations with artist R. Land.  Thank you for listening!   00:00 Introduction & Meet Guest Co-Host Aja Arnold 01:31 Show Preview & Cultural Segment Lineup 02:32 Celebrating 50 Years of the Atlanta Film Festival 07:05 Inside Standard Selects Movie and Digital Series Collaboration 13:16 Art Review: Lillian Blades’ Sanctuary Exhibition at Emma Darnell 23:52 Music Spotlight: Scattrbrain Rap and Alt-Rock Supergroup 32:59 Mainline Music Fest News & Atlanta DIY Community Notes 34:45 Arts Ecosystem News Brief: Dashboard, EarthGang Comic & Atlanta Art Week 39:00 Theater Review: Venus Play Premiere at Actor’s Express 44:15 Local Weekend Event Picks: ArtsATL Best Bets with Shane Harrison 48:18 Closing Remarks, Studio Credits & Next Week Preview