Get an insider’s view into a movement as it’s unfolding, in this story of environmental activism and grassroots resistance.
Deeply immersed in protest action, "A City in the Forest" follows Atlanta locals as they fight for the environment and against the implementation of ‘Cop City’—the largest police training center in the United States. Utilizing a combination of police body cam video, TV news footage, TikTok clips, and filmed phone video recordings, the film showcases the power of collective organizing in an urgent land struggle. -JDOM
Director bio:
Lev Omelchenko is an Emmy Award Winning film director and cinematographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an Ukrainian-born Brooklyn-raised immigrant. Utilizing both documentary and narrative forms, Lev’s work focuses on telling stories of joyful militancy in the American South.
Nolan Huber is an Emmy Award winning Director, Cinematographer, and Video Journalist who focuses on stories of resistance and liberation movements—particularly in the US South. He is a Ph.D. Candidate who has spent the last five years studying Narrative Paradigm Theory and asking questions about how we can use film, psychology, and social science to disrupt oppression and tell paradigm-shifting stories.
Film Sponsored by:
- Year2026
- Runtime99 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber
- ScreenwriterLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber, Ike Rofé, Emily Yue
- ProducerIke Rofé, Lev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber, Jaime Chew, Annie Woods
- CinematographerLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber
- EditorEmily Yue
Get an insider’s view into a movement as it’s unfolding, in this story of environmental activism and grassroots resistance.
Deeply immersed in protest action, "A City in the Forest" follows Atlanta locals as they fight for the environment and against the implementation of ‘Cop City’—the largest police training center in the United States. Utilizing a combination of police body cam video, TV news footage, TikTok clips, and filmed phone video recordings, the film showcases the power of collective organizing in an urgent land struggle. -JDOM
Director bio:
Lev Omelchenko is an Emmy Award Winning film director and cinematographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an Ukrainian-born Brooklyn-raised immigrant. Utilizing both documentary and narrative forms, Lev’s work focuses on telling stories of joyful militancy in the American South.
Nolan Huber is an Emmy Award winning Director, Cinematographer, and Video Journalist who focuses on stories of resistance and liberation movements—particularly in the US South. He is a Ph.D. Candidate who has spent the last five years studying Narrative Paradigm Theory and asking questions about how we can use film, psychology, and social science to disrupt oppression and tell paradigm-shifting stories.
Film Sponsored by:
- Year2026
- Runtime99 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber
- ScreenwriterLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber, Ike Rofé, Emily Yue
- ProducerIke Rofé, Lev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber, Jaime Chew, Annie Woods
- CinematographerLev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber
- EditorEmily Yue