Athens Historical Society

The Athens Film Project, launched by the Athens Historical Society, creates short films on local history for 8th and 11th grade classrooms. Executive Producer Cindy Hahamovitch says the goal is to “make history meaningful by making it local.” 

Teachers can link national topics like the Industrial Revolution to Athens’ own history and landmarks through the films. Funded by grants, UGA, and local donors, the project has produced five films: Emancipation, The Knox Institute, Industrial Athens (Parts 1 & 2), and The Founding of Athens and the Struggle for the Oconee River. 

Contributors include UGA faculty, students, local filmmakers, teachers, and community members. Peggy Galis has raised over $150,000 with help of generous donors. Local students helped vet scripts, praising the films for their powerful images and stories they’d never heard before. 

To donate to the project, click here: https://athenshistorical.org/donate/

We hope you enjoy the films!