It’s been almost nine months since Hailey Gates’ “Atropia” won the top prize at Sundance Film Festival, and Los Angeles audiences finally have a chance to see it.
The film will have its LA premiere as a centerpiece of Proof Film Festival, an annual event organized by American Cinematheque to proof-of-concepts from emerging filmmakers. Aligning with the festival’s mission, Proof will screen both the Gates’ 2019 short film that provided the basis for “Atropia” (“Shako Mako”) and “Atropia” itself back-to-back. Gates and star Alia Shawkat will participate in a Q&A between the two screenings.
“Atropia” follows an actress working in Atropia, a U.S. military base used for training for Iraqi military conflict. Starring alongside Shawkat are Callum Turner, Chloë Sevigny and Tim Heidecker. “Atropia” won the top prize at 2025’s Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. The film still does not have a release date, but it is set to be distributed by Vertical Entertainment in December.
The movie joins a centerpiece programming lineup that includes Film Financing Today, an event co-presented with TheWrap that assembles leaders, financiers and companies from the cinematic industry to discuss how films can get made and funded in an ever-changing landscape. Representatives from companies such as Film Mode Entertainment, Pressman Films and Unapologetic Projects will be present for the event.
Also in the lineup is Next Steps: From A Short to a Feature, a panel dedicated to spotlighting filmmakers who have successfully transitioned their own short films into full-length movies. Jim Cummings, Caroline Lindy and Michael Vlamis will be present for the event.
Proof 2025 has selected a jury of producers, filmmakers, executives and more for the festival. This jury includes Miranda Sarah Einy, Rachel Goldfinger, Sarah Marie Flores, Remy Solomon, Brett Robinson, Liz Sargent, Riley Chapman, Sara Koch, Kesila Childers, Aisling Scott Lynch, Reiko Napier Moreno and Yuky Shen.
Finally, Proof has announced eight entires for its annual Pitch Deck Show & Tell showcase, which allows rising filmmakers to present their pitches for features and short films in a quick five-minute format. These pitches are then evaluated by a panel of experts who provide feedback in real time. The chosen pitches can be seen below.
Proof Film Festival will run at The Culver Theater in Culver City from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9.
Proof 2025 Pitch Deck Show & Tell
“Bee” (Amy Omar, Pinar Binay), Written by Melis Aker: “Bee” tells the tale of a reclusive 10-year-old girl in Istanbul who suspects her neighbor’s role in her father’s disappearance, setting her on a path of revenge, friendship, and self-discovery.
“Cult Like Activity” (Sam Schaefer): Two twenty-somethings, adrift after the dissolution of their cult, decide their only option is to start their own.
“It Revolves Around Tycho” (Zoe Milenkovic, Elias Kyriakidis): Prague, 1601: The year leading up to Tycho Brahe’s mysterious death, as seen through the eyes of apprentice Johannes Kepler.
“Lucky Lenny” (Jack Campise): A gay wannabe actor’s big break spirals into a bittersweet road trip when his estranged daughter suddenly reappears.
“Paper Tiger” (Don Ahmad): A Pakistani-American drug dealer scrambles to save his sister’s wedding while colliding with family, friends, and foes.
“Skylight” (Adia Ivey): A daughter learns her grandmother’s stories of aliens, spirits, and cults may hold unsettling truths.
“The Re-Education of Jane Brown” (MK McGehee): A young doctor imprisoned in a nightmarish facility for women who’ve had abortions must escape before she’s stripped of her identity.
“When I Taste Blood” (Caydon LiRocchi, Jahziel Chu, Anoop Chaganty): “Dog Day Afternoon” with vampires: two eternal lovers trapped in a blood bank as a heist spirals into a hostage nightmare.
