Photo Credit: Athens Rising

The first full-length documentary in a planned series "that aims to celebrate the creative class in the Classic City," Athens Rising: The Sicyon Project chronicles Athens' multifaceted arts and music scenes, with an additional focus on dance, food, comedy, theater, festival culture and more. 

The doc, which screened during this year's AthFest Music and Arts Festival, is the brainchild of filmmaker James Preston, who is planning a series of late-summer and fall showings, with the next happening Wednesday, Aug. 22 at The Foundry. (Tickets are available at athensrising.com.) To coincide with the screenings, we're premiering a few segments from the film.

This week's video focuses on Joel Hatstat, the towering Cinemechanica bassist and in-demand local studio engineer who runs the audio-mastering company Joel Hatstat Audio.

"I was introduced to Joel Hatstat through my work with Taylor Chicoine of The Pity Party," says Preston. "I love how Joel's story is a reminder of how Athens can be a beacon for creatives, and how those creatives may start from humble beginnings but can make a huge impact on our community. Plus, he's a genuinely nice dude who really wants to be helpful within the music scene."

Check out the clip: