Atlanta Film Society Welcomes New Education Program Coordinator and Executive Assistant

Taylor Montalto (Education Program Coordinator)

Taylor Montalto grew up obsessed with movies and was inspired to study film by her idol, Nora Ephron. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Taylor’s passion for all things film and photography-related has driven her to work on various projects in both documentary and narrative mediums.

Taylor’s proudest accomplishment to date is having been part of the post-production phase of a documentary feature, Jewish American Soldiers: Stories from WWII. Since the film’s official premiere in Charlotte, it has aired on PBS stations nationwide, become available for rental and purchase on Amazon Prime Video, and been included for historical preservation in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It also received an Emmy nomination in the Musical Composition/ Arrangement category.

Taylor previously worked as Production Assistant for Full Scale Productions in Charlotte and continues to play an active role in the Charlotte cultural arts scene. Apart from serving as Programming Director for Charlotte Film Festival, she is also an Advisory Council Member for Carolina Film Community, a Senior Usher for Blumenthal Performing Arts, and most recently, Assistant Manager for Charlotte Film Society's The Independent Picture House, Charlotte's first and only independently-owned arthouse cinema. Taylor has a Bachelor’s in Film and Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Grace Leahy (Executive Assistant)

Grace Leahy is an entertainment professional that has spent most of her life in Pennsylvania. She worked in LA for a stint, but had never been to Georgia until this year. She is enjoying both Atlanta and its cornbread immensely, and is thrilled to be putting her love of film festivals, diverse storytelling, and community events to work at ATLFS.

Grace cemented her passion for festivals while attending a study abroad program at the Cannes Film Festival as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. Later, she volunteered at Sundance and interned at 20th Century Fox, CAA, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. After graduating, Grace worked in development at Legendary Entertainment and returned to AMPAS to serve as a coordinator during Oscars season 2022.