Atlanta Film Festival opens with ‘Terri,’ closes with ‘Africa United’

The 35th Atlanta Film Festival, coming up April 28-May 7, has announced its preliminary “teaser slate” of movies, including its opening and closing night films, the comedy Terri and the picaresque drama Africa United, respectively. According to the new press release:
Starring Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly (Cyrus, Chicago) and newcomer Jacob Wysocki in the title role, Terri follows a lovable overweight teenager and the vice principal who takes a personal interest in helping him embrace his outsider status in this acutely observed comedy. Closing the festival will be the acclaimed Africa United from Debs Gardner-Paterson, which follows the picaresque adventures of three Rwandan kids, who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles with joy, laughter, hope and generosity during their 3,000 miles trek to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
ATLFF proudly announces the partial Gala lineup, including John Gray’s White Irish Drinkers, the world premiere of Lisa Albright’s Coming Up Roses starring Bernadette Peters, Klim Shpenko’s Kto Ya?, Justin Chadwick’s The First Grader, the world premiere of Laura Newman’s We Are The Hartmans starring Richard Chamberlain, Celine Danhier’s documentary Blank City, and Joni Steele Kimberlin’s Get Real! Wise Women Speak, featuring Jane Fonda, Della Reese and Nikki Giovanni.