Documentary on designer Patrick Kelly opens Atlanta’s BronzeLens Film Festival

“Love, Patrick: Nothing is Impossible,” a new documentary about groundbreaking Black fashion designer Patrick Kelly, will open Atlanta’s 17th annual BronzeLens Film Festival on Friday.

The film is one of the marquee offerings in a festival that will bring Black and brown filmmakers from across the diaspora to Atlanta for screenings, master classes, workshops and conversations over two weekends, Aug. 21-23 and Aug. 27-30.

“Love, Patrick” screens at 6:45 p.m. Friday at the Tara Theatre, kicking off a festival lineup that also includes documentaries about pioneering Black soccer player Clyde Best, writer Toni Cade Bambara and former Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays.

BronzeLens is also introducing a three-day screenwriting course Aug. 24-26. Executive producer Kathleen Bertrand said the festival continues to create pathways for emerging and established talent in film and television.

“We’re expanding the mind and the opportunities for filmmakers locally and around the world. I’ve seen a lot of people grow in their careers over these 17 years,” Bertrand said.

But for opening night, the spotlight belongs to Kelly, the self-taught, Mississippi-born designer who dressed icons including Grace Jones, Cicely Tyson, Madonna and Bette Davis and became a sensation in Paris in the 1980s.

Kelly was known for garments adorned with colorful buttons, hearts, watermelons and other imagery that played with his Black and Southern identities. He became the first Black American designer admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, a prestigious French fashion industry organization.

Kelly spent time in Atlanta and New York before moving to Paris in 1979, where he overcame racism, poverty, depression and skepticism from the fashion establishment to become a fixture on runways and in major retailers. He died from complications of AIDS in 1990 at age 35.

Filmmakers and former AJC employees the Horne brothers joined executive producers Ray Cornelius and Jessica Manning to tell Kelly’s story through archival material and interviews with designer Sergio Hudson, choreographer Larry Vickers, models, collaborators and others who knew him.

Executive producers Ray Cornelius (left) and Jessica L. Manning discover a treasure of archive photos at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Located in Harlem, the New York Library facility was gifted Kelly’s fashion photos, letters and videos by Bjorn Amelan, Kelly’s former business and life partner. (Courtesy of "Love, Patrick")

Ryon Horne said his goal for “Love, Patrick” was to explore Kelly’s creative process.

“We really get a chance to dissect his thinking behind branding, making a dress, design and how beautiful women were to him and what he thought beauty was,” he said.

“Love, Patrick” is the first project produced by Cornelius and Manning’s production company, Peach Soul Productions. They spent seven years working on the film.

The film discusses Patrick Kelly’s roots in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Here he returns to his grandmother (left) Ethel Rainey's porch, after making it big as a fashion designer in Paris. (Courtesy of "Love, Patrick")

A seven-year journey to tell Kelly’s story

Their teamwork began in 2019. Manning contacted Cornelius after she heard a 2018 interview between him and Emmy-winning actor Billy Porter on “Upfront,” the weekly entertainment program Cornelius hosted on jazz station WCLK. Porter mentioned being a survivor and losing several creative peers to AIDS.

“It was the very first time I had a guest to cry, and afterward, Jess and I talked about how we lost all of these actors, singers, dancers, artists and fashion designers and how there really haven’t been any projects to celebrate these men,” Cornelius said.

Soon after, Cornelius’ supervisor mentioned he knew Kelly personally and encouraged him to make the film.

In 2021, Cornelius and Manning visited the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, where Kelly’s archives are stored. They went through seven boxes of the designer’s photographs, documents and other memorabilia.

Manning said it was devastating to see Kelly’s belongings collecting dust.

“It was disheartening because after 30 years, it was in disarray. We had a bigger sense of urgency and passion to make sure he was not forgotten,” said Manning, who moved to Atlanta from Detroit in 1987.

(From left) Former AJCers Ryon Horne, Byron Horne and Tyson Horne directed "Love, Patrick." (Tyson Horne/AJC).

Cornelius and Manning contacted Ryon Horne to edit the film, but scheduling conflicts prevented him and his brothers from collaborating with them. After the brothers saw the duo’s work, Ryon Horne said they came on board as directors four years later.

“Ray and Jess did a lot of work before they came back to us. Once I started looking at the story and figuring it out, I knew I couldn’t do this by myself,” Ryon Horne said.

The Horne brothers visited the Schomberg Center with the executive producers on Kelly’s birthday, Sept. 24.

Together, they uncovered video footage, sketches and personal information.

The Horne brothers helped choose shooting locations and interview subjects.

Tyson Horne said they filmed in Paris to connect with Kelly’s environment.

“We wanted to feel that energy he would’ve felt being around the museums and statues and flavor of Paris,” Tyson Horne said.

Manning, a veteran public relations executive, said she appreciated the siblings’ mentorship and patience as a producer on her first film.

The Hornes have made several films, including the Emmy-nominated, “The South Got Something to Say,” and the Emmy-winning, “The Dancer,” both for the AJC.

“They brought a whole artistic point of view to the film we didn’t even know we needed,” Manning said.

Why ‘Love, Patrick’ is opening BronzeLens

Opening BronzeLens isn’t the first time the Horne brothers have made an impression on organizers.

Their first feature documentary, “The Start of Dreams,” won best documentary at the 2011 festival.

Byron Horne said they regularly attend BronzeLens because they feel at home there.

“We’ve been to film festivals in New York and Miami, but BronzeLens became our home. It’s not only Tyler Perry and Will Packer, so it’s important for us to support the structure or beacon that they’ve built,” he said.

Bertrand contacted the crew to announce that “Love, Patrick” was this year’s official opening-night selection. She said the documentary brought back fond memories and answered some unresolved questions she had about Kelly.

“When Patrick was in Atlanta, I used to be the fashion commentator for those shows in 1977. It’s personal to see his story unfold. I didn’t realize just how far he’d gone, and it filled in those blanks,” Bertrand said.

Bertrand also said “Love, Patrick” was the best choice for opening night because the Hornes and Cornelius are regular supporters of BronzeLens.

“The Horne brothers have submitted many films over the years, come to events even when they don’t have a film and are members of this Atlanta community. They’re great ambassadors for the festival who’ve put in the work, and it’s the right and fitting place for their film,” she said.

(From left) Producers Clarence Jackson, Byron Horne, Ryon Horne and Sidney Peterson won Best Documentary for "Start of Dreams" at the 2011 BronzeLens Film Festival. (Courtesy of Raymond Hagans)

After BronzeLens, the crew plans to continue conversations about Kelly and produce events celebrating his work in fashion. Ryon Horne hopes the documentary sparks interest in Kelly and inspires creatives to share their art with audiences.