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Over the next 10 days, the 32nd annual Atlanta Film Festival will screen more than 160 full-length features, documentaries and film shorts. It's a busy schedule. But on Thursday's opening day there's just a single offering: the world premiere of the made-in-Georgia "The Lena Baker Story."

Here's a quick guide to help you navigate opening night and understand the fest's impact (full details and tickets at www.atlantafilmfestival.com):

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Tichina Arnold, shown with Michael Rooker, plays the title role in 'The Lena Baker Story.' Made in Georgia, the film is based on the only woman ever to be executed in the state's electric chair.
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'The Lena Baker Story'

Thursday's festival opener is the first feature film from director Ralph Wilcox's 22,000-square-foot production studio in Colquitt. Based on the real-life story of the only woman ever to be executed in Georgia's electric chair, "Lena Baker" features strong performances from Tichina Arnold in the title role and her co-stars Peter Coyote, Beverly Todd, Michael Rooker and Chris Burns. All but Coyote are expected to appear at Thursday's sold-out screening (7:30 p.m., Atlantic Station).

Starting Friday

The fest moves to Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema, where multiple screens will exhibit films for nine straight days.

Among the best films this weekend

The eye-opening documentary "American Teen" (7:30 p.m. Friday), the funny, horrific "Dance of the Dead" from former Atlanta filmmaker Gregg Bishop (10 p.m. Friday), the uplifting documentary "Young@Heart" (2:30 p.m. Saturday), the moving documentary "At the Death House Door" (5:15 p.m. Saturday) and the blistering illegal immigration drama "Coyote" (6 p.m. Sunday).

What you should expect

Lines and a bit (or a lot) of waiting with three or four screenings showing fest films simultaneously. Film festivals are not fast food. Even at Sundance, the lines and waits are long. It's a time where attendees can talk to each other about what they've seen and what films they will see. And it's not a festival if there aren't some projection problems. (I still remember at Sundance witnessing director Anne Makepeace's documentary "Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians" becoming unhinged in the projector and frame after frame burning.)

Who puts on the fest?

The Atlanta Film Festival is a nonprofit presented by the Image Film and Video Center. (The staff officially changed the organization's name from Image to the year-round moniker Atlanta Film Festival 365 this week.) Gabe Wardell is executive director. Dan Krovich is festival director.

Among films at previous Atlanta fests

"La Vie En Rose" with Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, "Hustle & Flow" with Oscar nominee Terrence Howard, "Away From Her" with Oscar nominee Julie Christie, "Run, Lola, Run," "March of the Penguins," "Ulee's Gold" with Oscar nominee Peter Fonda, "American Splendor" and the Oscar-winning live-action short "The Accountant," which earned its Academy Award eligibility via a win at Atlanta's fest.

Among directors who've shown films here

Steven Soderbergh, Spalding Gray and David O. Russell. In one of the early fests, a film short by a local college kid nabbed a $25 prize. The young filmmaker: Spike Lee.