Atlanta Film Festival 2025 (Day 8) Creative Conference - The Craft of Acting

From the venue:

The Craft of Acting

This discussion will focus on the craft of acting with some of Georgia's best performers - we'll chat about how to become someone different from your own experiences, create authenticity in your character, prepare for difficult or complex scenes, and balance your creativity with the director or showrunners wants and needs. We'll also discuss navigating the business in these very slow times, dealing with rejection, best practices, and advice for up-and-coming actors.

Moderator: Tess Hammock

Tess is an Atlanta-based actress, TV personality, and host of Fox 5 Atlanta's Casting Call with Tess Hammock. Tess is also the owner of Mom's Attic Productions where she provides voice over, commercial acting, and production services.

Panelists:

Jacinte Blankenship

A primetime Emmy-nominee for “Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series” for her performance in INTERSECTION, a six episode dark comedy that revolves around a tight Atlanta community coping with the challenges posed by gentrification, which she also co-wrote and co-produced. Jacinte most recently appears in season two of NBC’s procedural FOUND and indie film SOUND OF HOPE: THE STORY OF POSSUM TROT. Her additional credits include WALDEN with Emile Hirsch, SWEET MAGNOLIAS, ATLANTA, TELL ME LIES, JUST MERCY with Michael B. Jordan, BLACK WIDOW, THE WALTONS, MERCY STREET for PBS, and ENVY for Lifetime.

Nelson Bonilla

Nelson Bonilla is a journeyman actor born and raised in Camden, New Jersey. Nelson booked his first studio production back in 2006 on a show called "Prison Break". He’s gone on to appear in feature films such as , “IDENTITY THIEF” with Jason Bateman, “LET’S BE COPS” WITH Daman Wayan’s Jr, and this year "The Pick Up" with Eddie Murphy will be released. Nelson is best known for his series recurring role as “NELSON” on the critically acclaimed show “OZARK” on NETFLIX where he and the cast earned a SAG Nomination for Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Drama Series in 2022.

Adam Boyer

Thirty years into this thing and I find myself at the midway point between Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin.

Denitra Isler

Denitra Isler is an actress and singer, known for her many varied roles including "The Resident" (as Nurse Ellen Hundley), "Just Mercy" (as Evelyn McMillian), "The Act" (as Shelly), and most recently playing Sheriff Ruby in The Bondsman.

Rocky Myers

A native of Bowers Beach, Delaware, Rocky did his undergraduate studies at Wesley College, where he graduated Summa cum Laude as a biology major and chemistry minor, while also being a two-time college football All-American and the National Player of the Year for Division III College Football. Rocky then attended Widener University School of Law and earned a law degree before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.