Atlanta, GA
Atlanta in running to take over hosting duties of acclaimed Sundance Festival in 2027 – WABE
Like some of the lucky filmmakers at Sundance, Atlanta may be in the running for a major win.
It’s been based in the resort town of Park City, Utah, since its inception in 1978, but growing financial and development concerns have led festival organizers to seek a new location. That announcement has been met with a slew of U.S. cities with strong cultural arts ties planning bids.
Now that includes Atlanta, according to Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza and Tara Theatres.
“We’re throwing our name in the hat,” he told WABE on Monday. “They’ve got some things we have to do, some information we have to provide … it’s all about what commitment we can make.”
The annual film festival is considered one of the most prestigious and highly-attended film festivals in the U.S.
Escobar says the city is in the preliminary steps of seeing whether or not Atlanta officials will be invited for a request for proposal, a decision that is set to be made on May 6. He believes that Atlanta is more than capable of the opportunity.
“Atlanta is the perfect place,” said Escobar, who is also executive director of the Atlanta Film Society, which produces the Atlanta Film Festival. “This is one of the top production hubs in the world, and even before that, it’s already a creative place as we see through our vibrant arts and culture community.”
He said the city’s diverse talent and culture is in alignment with Sundance’s mission of showcasing marginalized artists.
“There’s literally no single place in the planet to be doing that and supporting that, fostering new voices,” he added.
While Atlanta does have a strong infrastructure, including Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and many hotel and tourism resources, Escobar admits that Sundance would be the first for the city as far as a culture and arts festival of its size.
If selected, arrangements may serve as a challenge to city officials, who did not respond to a request for comment before this story was published.
Escobar notes that while events like the Atlanta Film Festival and Atlanta Jewish Film Festival are popular with filmgoers, they bring in a small percentage of the city’s overall population.
“There’s always a lot of uncertainty sometimes when something that big moves into town, especially in the context like ours when philanthropic and public dollars for arts and culture can already be incredibly limited,” said Escobar.
“But I’m trying to be more optimistic and glass half full about this and maybe it will change the paradigm.”
If selected, Atlanta would begin hosting the festival in 2027, with the potential opportunity of a lucrative long-term contract with Sundance.
Escobar says it’s no coincidence that the decision for Atlanta’s bid will be made just one day after the final screenings at this year’s Atlanta Film Festival.
“It’s one of those crazy star alignments … almost a great little reminder, sort of like a little sample case, of what’s possible,” he said. “In my biased opinion, in the interest of Sundance, we are not only ready for it. We are the best place for it.”
Named after Academy-Award-winning director Robert Redford’s film institute of the same name, the Sundance Film Festival has gained notoriety for showcasing some of the most critically acclaimed independent films. Previous Sundance winners include the 1994 comedy “Clerks,” the 2009 drama “Precious” and more recently Jordan Peele’s Academy Award-winning thriller, “Get Out.”
Atlanta, GA
Falcons release QB Kirk Cousins with post-June 1 designation
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have released veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins with a post-June 1 designation.
It was an anticipated move after general manager Ian Cunningham said during an appearance on 92.9 The Game while at the NFL Combine that Atlanta would part ways with the quarterback at the start of the league year “out of respect” for Cousins.
Cousins signed a four-year deal with Atlanta in March 2024 after six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was named to the Pro Bowl three times. Cousins began the 2023 season playing at a very high level, but an Achilles injury ended his year early. He was brought to Atlanta to provide stability to the quarterback position.
The 2024 season started off well for Cousins and the Falcons. He led the team to a signature comeback win in Philadelphia on “Monday Night Football” in Week 2. Then, on the night Matt Ryan was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor, Cousins threw for 509 yards in the team’s Week 5 overtime win vs. the Buccaneers and broke Ryan’s previous franchise record for most passing yards in a single game. However, following a five-game stretch late in the year during which he threw nine interceptions and only one touchdown pass, Cousins was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
In 2024, Cousins completed 66.9% of his passes thrown for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
His future in Atlanta was a topic of discussion during the 2025 offseason. Early on, Falcons leadership expressed that the organization was comfortable moving forward with Cousins as Penix’s backup, and that is how he began the season. Cousins ultimately started the final seven games for Atlanta, though, after Penix sustained a season-ending knee injury. He led the team on a four-game win streak to end the season.
Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions through eight games started and 10 games played in 2025.
Atlanta, GA
Metro Atlanta gas prices surge ahead of spring break, leaving drivers stunned
Drivers across metro Atlanta are seeing higher prices at the pump, and as spring break approaches, many families say the spike is hitting their budgets hard. While some people are reconsidering travel plans, others said they are still planning to get out of town.
At a RaceTrac gas station near Clairmont Road and Dresden Drive in Chamblee, drivers told us they noticed the increase almost immediately.
Just last week, many drivers said they were paying around $2.80 a gallon. Now, prices at some stations are climbing well over $3 a gallon.
At this RaceTrac, regular gas was listed at $3.59 a gallon while diesel was even higher at $5.19. Last week, those prices were $3.29 for regular-and $4.69 for diesel.
Some drivers said the increase is already creating financial stress.
“Not that many people can afford that price.”
Morgan Howard explained.
The metro Atlanta mom of two who commutes to work said she closely tracks fuel prices because of how much she drives.
“I pay attention to gas because I work over here but I live in Villa Rica or like Douglasville and the prices even went over there up. Ridiculous. It is sad.”
According to the AAA, the average price for gas in Atlanta is now about $3.28 a gallon, which is up roughly 44 cents from last week. Meanwhile, analysts with GasBuddy project prices could increase another 20 to 50 cents in the coming week.
Howard said her biggest concern isn’t just her own budget.
“I don’t think about myself. I think about others that are struggling. I think about others that are making minimum wage and can’t not afford.”
Higher gas prices can ripple through nearly every part of daily life from commuting to grocery costs.
Truck driver Logan Gabbard said the increase has already forced him to cancel travel plans he had for later this month.
“I was going to make plans at the end of March but since gas prices have went up as much as they have I can’t go through with those plans now just because usually it would take me 50 to 70 dollars to go where I usually go but now it is going to cost me so much that I am not going to be able to go.”
Another group feeling the impact is ride-share drivers who say rising fuel costs are forcing them to work longer hours.
“Because I was putting the mid range at $3.02 and now is almost at $4 and this is making us work more. Yes this is impacting us, now we need to work more and more hour’s in order to get better gains to be able to afford bills and payments, like rent, services and food is getting more expensive as well, for the people who work doing rideshares like Uber, Lyft and Taxi,” Ian Marin said.
“We have a taxi line near this gas station and a lot of drivers made the decision to retire from doing this profession because gains are not enough, people have fear to be out in the streets, but the price for food, bills, and rent keep going up making this situation really really complicated, “Marin explained.
Despite the higher prices, not everyone is putting the brakes on travel.
With the spring break season arriving, some college students said they are still planning to hit the road.
Analysts said part of the price swing is tied to tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which can make global oil markets unstable and push oil prices higher.
International tensions are not the only factor.
AAA said gas prices often increase during busy travel seasons like spring break, when more people are hitting the road.
The drivers we talked to said that means they will be keeping a closer eye on their budgets in the weeks ahead and watching every mile and every dollar a little more closely.
Atlanta, GA
NBA cancels Hawks’ plans to celebrate Atlanta strip club
Magic City Night in Atlanta is off.
The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks’ plans for a celebration of the city’s Magic City adult entertainment club, saying Monday that it was responding to concerns from many across the league.
The event was supposed to happen next Monday during a game against the Orlando Magic.
Atlanta announced the plan last month, calling it a tribute to an “iconic cultural institution” with food — including the club’s lemon pepper wings, a version of which is named for former Hawks guard Lou Williams — along with music and exclusive merchandise.
“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks said Monday. “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”
Some elements of the plans for the night will remain, the Hawks said, including a halftime performance from rapper T.I. — and there are plans for lemon pepper wings to be sold.
But some plans for merchandise have been scrapped, as has a live recording of a podcast that was to feature Hawks primary owner Jami Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney.
Plans for the celebration were met with mixed reactions — some for, some against. One NBA player, Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs, spoke out about the idea of promoting a strip club and urged the parties involved to reconsider.
And the league evidently heard the same message from others.
READ MORE: Terry Rozier will not receive salary while on leave from NBA, AP reports
“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees.
“I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
The Hawks have ties to the club. Gertz was a producer for a five-part docuseries that explored the club’s history, its place in Black and hip-hop culture and what it means to the city.
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’” Gertz, who is also a filmmaker and actor, said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
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