The Alma Experience Returns October 3 with “Adira De La Croix 6.0,” Channel Seven, and an Impact Atlanta International Magazine Cover Reveal

The Alma Film Festival brings theatre, fashion, music, and conversation to Castleberry Hill during the Ent-Tech Atlanta Innovation & Discovery Expo

ATLANTA, GA — What makes us human—and how do art, culture, and technology shape the answer? The Alma Film Festival will bring that question to the stage during The Alma Experience: Culture, Cocktails & Conversation, taking place Saturday, October 3, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Palate Atlanta Tasting Room, 339 Nelson St SW, in Atlanta’s historic Castleberry Hill neighborhood.

Part of the Ent-Tech Atlanta Innovation & Discovery Expo, the evening combines live theatre, musical performances, fashion, improv, and a magazine cover reveal in a setting designed for conversation and connection.

At its center is a return engagement of Adira De La Croix 6.0, an Afrofuturistic drama by Anthony R. Page, presented by Blue Bistro Theatre with support from Panta Rhei, a Greek voice and movement theatre company, and the Georgia State University Theatre Department.

Set in 2096, the play follows Denton Dela Croix, a powerful city leader, and Adira, the android assistant he has upgraded and renamed after himself. When his chief of staff, To’Lah Eclipse, challenges the growing rights and status of androids, questions of authority and belonging become deeply personal. The story examines who gets to define humanity—and how love complicates the boundaries we draw.

The production is directed by Olubajo Sonubi, an Atlanta-based filmmaker, producer, and storyteller whose directing credits include the award-winning short films Clean Slate and The Earth Will Not Swallow Us. His casting work spans hundreds of television episodes for Netflix, HBO, Warner Bros., and CBS. He also teaches film and media at Georgia State University.

The cast features:

• Darryl Dillard as Denton De La Croix. An award-winning director, actor, and writer, Dillard’s screen credits include Young Rock, Sistas, Assisted Living, The Resident, Ozark, Monarch, and Will Trent. He also works as a casting associate and creates short films, including Woman of the Year.

• Najah Jackson as Adira De La Croix 6.0. An actress, content creator, and storyteller with more than a decade in entertainment, Jackson’s credits include Beyond the Gates, All American, The Originals, and Jumanji.

• Anastasia Wilson as To’Lah Eclipse. An actor, devising artist, Designated Linklater Voice Teacher, and Assistant Professor of Performance at Georgia State University, Wilson brings more than 20 years of experience across stage, film, television, and physical theatre. She is also a founding member of Panta Rhei Theatre Company in Athens, Greece.

The evening’s exploration of identity and creative expression continues through a lineup spanning music, fashion, and live performance:

• Channel Seven: Christian “Coop” Johnson and Mari “Marz” Poydras bring their genre-blurring musical partnership from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to Atlanta. Moving between live instrumentation, DJ-driven sound, fashion, and visual art, the duo approaches performance as a meeting place for creative disciplines—a fitting addition to an evening exploring culture and technology.

• Maison Zaccheus Miles: Founded by designer Zaccheus Miles, this custom neckwear and formalwear house brings fashion into the evening’s creative conversation. The presentation places personal style alongside theatre and music, inviting guests to consider clothing as another form of storytelling and an expression of identity.

• Impact Atlanta International Magazine: A cover reveal will honor model, actress, and mentor Shay Davis, known as Runway Diva Shay. Her credits span television appearances, runways for Macy’s and Dillard’s, New York Fashion Week, and an appearance alongside Queen Latifah in BET’s Black Girls Rock campaign. The reveal celebrates her work across fashion, entertainment, and mentorship.

• LyriQ LaShay: An Omaha-raised vocalist and songwriter whose soulful R&B connects personal storytelling with social impact. Her performances span cultural events in the United States and Ghana, and her releases include “Out of Control” and “City Lights.” She brings expressive vocals and a commitment to human connection to the evening’s musical lineup.

• Act A Fool: Led by Brion Gibson, a recent Clayton State University graduate, Act A Fool integrates technology into live improvisational performance. His innovative approach explores how digital tools can interact with the spontaneity of live theatre, bringing the relationship between human creativity and emerging technology directly onto the stage.

As the Alma Film Festival’s cultural and hospitality platform, The Alma Experience brings people together across creative disciplines, industries, countries, and cultures. Saturday’s gathering connects the expo’s exploration of emerging technology with the human questions at its heart: how we see one another, how we express ourselves, and how we build community.

The Ent-Tech Atlanta Innovation & Discovery Expo runs September 30–October 4, 2026, at various locations throughout Atlanta. Its programming brings entertainment, culture, and technology into conversation, with dialogue and collaboration continuing beyond the five-day event.

Event Details

The Alma Experience: Culture, Cocktails & Conversation

Saturday, October 3, 2026 · Beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Palate Atlanta Tasting Room

339 Nelson St SW, Atlanta, GA

Purchase tickets for The Alma Experience

About the Alma Film Festival

The Alma Film Festival is an experience-based, tech-driven, research-centered, and audience-focused festival connecting film, arts, culture, and technology. With an ecosystem of relationships spanning institutions, individuals, and agencies in 42 countries, the festival builds bridges for creative exchange and collaboration across countries, continents, and cultures.

Its year-round work advances a vision of Atlanta as a gateway to the Global South—rooted in exchange, not extraction—and creates space for diverse voices, shared discovery, and meaningful human connection.

The festival is guided by its Pillars of Purpose: conversation, connection, community, collaboration, cultural diplomacy, and collective growth.

“In everything we do, we aim to spark conversations that cultivate meaningful connections and strengthen our sense of community. From this shared foundation, we hope to inspire greater collaboration, leading to cultural diplomacy and collective growth.”

— Anthony R. Page, Alma Film Festival