Oscars to air Sunday, film buffs get ready for watch party at Atlanta’s Tara Theatre

ATLANTA — The biggest night in film is on its way and Atlanta film buffs are ready for it.

Christopher Escobar has been very busy with his restoration project at the historic Plaza Theatre in Northeast Atlanta.

But on Sunday night he’ll keep one eye on his cinema, the other on Hollywood.

“It’s the closest thing to sports that we have in movies. At a certain point, people are cheering for their favorites and hoping they’ll get recognized. It’s fun,” Escobar said.

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Sunday brings the 96th Academy Awards to the screen, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel this year.

Escobar says while none of the films nominated this year for best picture were shot in Georgia, and that the entire industry is still suffering a bit of a hangover after the strikes of 2023 that shut down productions, he sees a silver lining.

He told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen that he expects Georgia’s film industry to be the first to get back up to speed, and will be hitting its stride again by this summer.

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This spring will feature the 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival.

There are 150 independent films from all over the world will be screened at the Plaza and at Escobar’s Tara Theatre.

The Tara will also host an Oscars watch party, Escobar told Channel 2 Action News.

“It’s fascinating to watch live television in a cinema setting. Makes it like a giant living room. You can see things bigger and better than at home,” Escobar said.

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