The District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) is pleased to recognize local filmmaker Dustin Harrison-Atlas as the June 2017 Filmmaker of the Month.
Harrison-Atlas’ directorial feature film debut, New Chefs on The Block, will screen at 2017 AFI DOCS Festival in Washington, DC on Friday, June 16 at the Landmark E Street Theater and again on Sunday, June 18 at the AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring, MD.
Tickets for the Friday screening are sold out, but tickets are still available for the Sunday screening. To get tickets for the Sunday screening check out the AFI DOCS’ tickets site.
New Chefs on the Block follows the multi-year journeys of two very different chefs as they pursue their dreams to establish their own restaurants, from brick-and-mortar to opening night. Veteran chefs Aaron Silverman (Rose’s Luxury) and Frank Linn (Frankly…Pizza!) star in this heartwarming, anxiety-driven feature. Also featured are restaurant notables Danny Meyer, Michel Richard, Mike Isabella, and Washington Post Food Critic Tim Carmin.
“My film is not about chefs, it’s about who and what it takes to open and sustain a restaurant,” comments Harrison-Atlas. “My intention was to capture the rise of the DC food scene.”
“I wanted New Chefs to be a family story that captures hard work paying off in light of insurmountable hurdles. he continues by saying “It’s an American dream film.”
For more information on the film and to see a trailer, please visit the New Chefs on the Block homepage here.
Harrison-Atlas is a DC resident and graduated from George Washington University with a degree in political communications (2004), then received a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the American University’s School of Communication (2010). After finishing his coursework, Harrison-Atlas began his professional media career at The Discovery Channel working in post-production and program development before embarking on a career as an independent filmmaker.
Currently, Harrison-Atlas operates a Washington, DC-based production company, The Crow’s Nest with business partner and District native Adrian Muys.
Harrison-Atlas also tells OCTFME that his creative inspiration comes from the District’s skyline: "My love for Washington is rejuvenated when I revisit the monuments," he says.
*** If you know of a filmmaker that would make a great future Filmmaker of the Month, you can send OCTFME your recommendations using this nomination form.
