New Venture for Cinema Life

Founded in 2017, Cinema Life has steadfastly dedicated itself to nurturing and amplifying the voices of independent filmmakers. Beginning with the curation of impactful film festivals and educational resources, our journey has now led us to our latest endeavor: Cinema Life Projects. As an innovative production venture, Cinema Life Projects stands as a collaborative platform, actively engaging with filmmakers to bring their visions to the screen. Through unwavering support and a commitment to artistic integrity, we continue to reshape the landscape of the film industry, one captivating story at a time.

Our first project: “Pa” by Zack Burkett

Pa is a heartwarming fish-out-of-water comedy about an older person getting a second chance at life. It explores themes of how we perceive the elderly and the idea that it’s never too late to follow your dreams – all through the lens of a set PA in the unique setting of the film industry.

Logline: When his wife of 50 years passes away, a 75-year-old man decides to follow his childhood dream of making movies… and becomes the world’s oldest Set PA.

Synopsis: After his beloved wife passes away, 75-year-old Arthur Stevenson is alone for the first time in 50 years. To fill his time, he decides to follow a long-forgotten childhood dream—making motion pictures. Filled with romantic notions about old Hollywood and show business, Arthur manages to land a job on set as a production assistant, but quickly learns that life in the film industry is nothing like what he imagined.

Things get off to a rocky start as the young crew, made up of Zoomers and Millennials, shows little respect for Arthur and his old school ways. After all, on a film set, time is money—and they can’t afford to have their precious time wasted. Not to mention the grueling conditions and physical toll that PA work takes on an older man like Arthur.

Despite the hardships, Arthur is just happy to be on a real-life movie set. Eventually, his affable, grandfatherly nature wins over his fellow crew members, and they grow to appreciate him—particularly the young first-time director, with whom Arthur forms an unlikely friendship. Over time, the crew begins to affectionately call him… ‘Pa.’

Meet the team

Zack Burkett (Writer/Director/Producer)

Originally from Maryland, Zack Burkett’s love affair with movies began at a very early age. As a child of divorce, not only did the films of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas—particularly Star Wars—provide a fantastic means of escape, but they also ignited his passion for storytelling and moviemaking. Films like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park captured his imagination as a kid and followed him into adulthood, prompting him to study film and creative writing at the University of Maryland, where he graduated in 2015.

In 2017, Zack moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in film. There, he wrote and directed a number of independent short films which screened in various film festivals, including the multiple award-winning Kung Pao Corpse (2019). In addition to working as a freelance editor, Zack was also a production assistant on a number of TV shows including The Walking Dead, P-Valley, and HBO’s The Staircase. In 2022, he completed the screenplay for Pa, which he plans to turn into a feature-length film and in 2023, he created his own production company: ZebraCat Productions, LLC.

The separation of Zack’s parents when he was four also resulted in a stutter that has stayed with him his entire life, at times making verbal communication difficult. However, he discovered his voice in the world of film and storytelling. Writing became his outlet and film his mouthpiece to express the myriad ideas he’d have difficulty articulating otherwise. As of 2023, he is in pre-production on the proof of concept for Pa, which he hopes to direct as his first feature.

Kevin Saunders (Producer)

A native of Maryland, Kevin’s acting journey started just over a decade ago. His roots were grown in the theatre, acting in plays such as Sweeney Todd and Rumors. But his love for filmmaking and storytelling was formed in his early adolescent years. Entertaining spectacles like Jurassic Park and Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze are what drew Kevin to fall in love with the allure of cinema. And he shares this same childlike love in his adulthood for more serious films like Saving Private Ryan, Prisoners and Blood Diamond.

He can be seen in some of Hollywood’s top shows such as Atlanta, Cobra Kai, and Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Although his first love has and always will be acting, his joy of storytelling has led him to not only work in front of the camera but behind it as well. Producing projects such as Kung Pao Corpse and Champ, and co-directing the film User, have all given Kevin a chance to shine his creativity outside the restraints of the yeses and no’s of Hollywood. And with each film being positively received in the film festival circuits, he is excited to grow to the next level in his filmmaking.

With each film, Kevin wants to provide an opportunity and platform for voices to be heard. Given his successes as an actor, he wants these accomplishments to serve as a stepping stone for him to open doors for others to create as well. Whether it be the actor who was told “they don’t look good enough” or the woman producer who is paid less in a male dominated industry, he wants to use Aristrolle’s Quest Productions to provide opportunities that aren’t normally given to “nobodies.” And he will continue to strive for this as more opportunities come his way.

Amanda Seay (Producer)

Amanda Seay, one of the producers of Pa, got her BA from Savannah College of Art and Design in Television Producing. She has worked on numerous web series, short films, music videos, and more in Atlanta. Her skills range from producing to assistant directing and more. She is beyond excited to bring Pa to life with the crew she brings onto this project.

Amanda produced a TV pilot called Popped, a SCAD web series “All Hail Maukavas” (Lead Producer/Line Producer), Plant Parenthood (Lead Producer/Assistant Director), and “Cinco Da Mayo is Not a Thing” (Lead Producer/Staff Writer/Script Supervisor”).

Caroline King (Producer)

Meet Caroline King, a talented filmmaker, podcaster, and festival director based in Atlanta. With a passion for storytelling, Caroline founded Cinema Life in 2017, a platform that nurtures a variety of film festivals. Caroline’s directorial touch is evident in events like the Women’s Comedy Film Festival, which spans both Atlanta and Chicago, as well as the Georgia Short Film Festival and the Atlanta Women’s Film Festival. Her commitment to inclusivity and diverse narratives shines through.

Beyond film, Caroline’s “Bitch Beer” podcast has evolved into an engaging network TV show, breaking down barriers in the craft beer world and celebrating the contributions of women and BIPOC individuals. Caroline King’s contributions are a testament to her dedication to creativity and representation. Through her work, she weaves together the threads of Atlanta’s artistic fabric, creating a tapestry that resonates with diverse voices.

Brady Holcomb (Director of Photography)

Immersed in the Atlanta film industry for the past four years, Brady brings experience from the vast variety of shows he’s worked on, from episodics like Cobra Kai, Black Lighting, and The Waltons, to commercials and local passion projects.

As a problem-solver, he thrives in the collaborative high-stress atmosphere of production. The pressures of this environment has helped Brady build a passion for telling stories visually, specifically those that create introspective opportunities. Pa is one of those opportunities that truly excites these passions!

Henry Godwin (Sound Department)

Henry was awarded his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Florida A&M University and his Master’s Degree in Sound Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. He won best overall sound at the Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival for the short film Mirrors (2018) and was nominated for best sound in the Savannah 48-Hour Film Competition. He has worked on films and TV shows such as Clean Slate (2023), Fear The Walking Dead (2022), Panhandle (2022), The Walking Dead (2022), Raising Dion (2021), Florida Girls (2019), An L.A. Minute (2018), Hallmark’s The Beach House (2018), and Adult Swim’s Tropical Cop Tales (2018). Henry is a proud member of IATSE Local 479 where he works as a Mixer and Boom Operator, and is an associate member of the Cinema Audio Society.

Henry never compromises on the quality of the audio he records and goes to great lengths to capture the cleanest possible sound on set. In addition to his work on set, Henry is a Pro Tools Certified Operator and works as a post-production mixer through his company Caramel Cricket Audio. Henry has provided production and post-production audio for over 100 short films, animations, feature films, video game demos, TV commercials, documentaries, and live productions.