The cast and crew of the locally-made feature “Color Book” took to the 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival for the local April 24 premiere of the “Love Letter to Atlanta” focused on a father and son.
At a sold-out screening, Atlanta-based director David Fortune explained his approach to creating his debut feature film. The story follows a devoted father, Lucky (Will Catlett), who is learning how to raise his son Mason (Jeremiah Alexander Daniels) with Down Syndrome as a single parent after his wife’s passing. The pair take a lengthy and complicated journey to get to an Atlanta Braves baseball game, traveling on foot and through public transit.
“Color Book” premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. It has since won awards at the Boulder International Film Festival, Oxford Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival and an NAACP Image Award.
Fortune funded the indie feature with a $1 million grant from the AT&T Untold Stories Award. With the necessary funds, the director wanted to tell a raw and real Atlanta story.
“I want this film to feel like a character experience where you just connect with two people and spend time with them on their journey,” Fortune said.
He opted to tell the quiet, emotional story of a father and son in black and white. Shot by cinematographer Nikolaus Summerer, “Color Book” has a photojournalistic feel to the visuals. Fortune said it was a choice based on story, not style.
“I want you to feel like you’re watching a photo album,” Fortune said.
That’s also why Fortune took a looser, less scripted approach to shooting. He told actors to lean on the feelings of moments like teaching your son how to do homework instead of focusing on the words.
It’s an approach that resonated with the “Color Book” cast and crew. Joseph Callender, who plays a MARTA police officer in the film, called it “a beautiful portrait of who we are as people.”
Njema Williams played Meech, Lucky’s friend in the film. Williams read for the lead but didn’t get the part – he still thought it was an important and “real” project to be a part of.
“This is really important because it was a love letter not only to Atlanta but to a black father,’ Williams said. “A lot of times, we don’t get to see Black fathers presented in a beautiful light.”
“Color Book” is a bonafide Atlanta film. The characters traverse MARTA, the city’s public transit system, and aim for the local baseball game. Executive producer Two Lewis said it is “so Atlanta.”
Lewis grew up in Atlanta, in the same area as David Fortune. The local connection encouraged him to work with the debut director. He also wanted to focus on underrepresented stories through his production company, Take Two Entertainment.
“We wanted it to feel like it’s our love letter to Atlanta,” Lewis said.
The executive producer said the beauty of the train rides and MARTA system are a standout in the film.
“You know, it just makes me want to cry sometimes, seeing how beautiful our city is,” Lewis said. “But a lot of people don’t see it because they come and go into the hustle and bustle.”
A line of attendees stretched out of the Plaza Theatre doors for the sold-out April 24 screening. The film festival added an encore screening on May 4 to let more people see it, making it one of the most popular films of the 11-day festival. But it’s not the end for “Color Book.”
Next up, Fortune wants to get the film a wide release. He’s also working on another Atlanta-based film.
“To fully release the movie, and have people come to the theater and sit down and embrace the film in its true form, to me that’s great,” Fortune said.
Really looking forward to seeing it!😃
It’s heartwarming to see films like “Color Book” showcasing such poignant stories of family and resilience. The journey Lucky and Mason take truly captures the essence of Atlanta. David Fortune’s dedication to telling authentic narratives shines through.