Independent films, Hollywood storytellers and the music of Dolly Parton will take center stage in downtown Rome this November as a Northwest Georgia film festival celebrates its 23rd year.
The Rome International Film Festival will return Nov. 5-8, bringing filmmakers, actors, students and moviegoers to historic theaters and pop-up venues for four days of screenings, filmmaker conversations, networking events and live entertainment.
Actor and filmmaker Danny McBride, will receive the Flannery O’Connor Award for Storytelling.
The festival will feature an opening-night screening of an Academy Award-winning Georgia-made short film and a closing-night tribute to Parton.
But organizers say the festival is about more than recognizable names. It also aims to give independent filmmakers, including emerging artists and students, a place to share their work and connect with audiences and industry professionals.
“We focus on our filmmakers a whole lot, so we like to create that home Southern feel for everyone who attends,” said Katie Weatherford, RIFF’s associate director.
Executive Director Seth Ingram said the festival’s hospitality and walkable downtown setting help distinguish it from larger events. Screenings and activities take place throughout downtown, allowing attendees to move between historic venues, restaurants and local businesses.
“The town is the backdrop and the set for the film festival, and you can’t recreate that,” Ingram said.
The festival opens Nov. 5 at the historic DeSoto Theatre with “The Accountant,” a short film written and directed by Ray McKinnon and starring McKinnon and Walton Goggins. The film won the Academy Award for best live-action short film in 2002, and McKinnon will attend the screening and participate in a question-and-answer session.
McBride, known for his work as an actor, writer and producer, will receive the Flannery O’Connor award on Nov. 7. The recognition celebrates distinctive storytelling associated with the Georgia literary icon. Previous recipients include Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan and Maya Hawke, Tim Blake Nelson and Jerusha Hess.
Jared and Jerusha Hess, the filmmakers behind “Napoleon Dynamite” and other comedies, will also participate in the festival. They will present their 2015 film “Don Verdean,” while Jerusha Hess will unveil her new short film, “Your Daughter Clytnyann.”
The broader lineup spans narrative features, documentaries, short films, student productions and international cinema. Georgia filmmakers will be featured Sunday afternoon in “The Red Clay Rumble,” a curated collection of films made in the state. The festival will also screen “Once Upon a Time in Macon” and close with “Frogtown,” which previously screened at the Atlanta Film Festival.
For Weatherford, who is also a filmmaker, creating opportunities for artists at different stages of their careers is central to the festival’s mission. RIFF partners with area colleges and universities, offers educational programming and helps first-time festival participants navigate the industry.
“We try to put a lot of emphasis on student filmmakers, brand new filmmakers, first-time filmmakers, and we do a lot of mentorship guiding through the process,” Weatherford said.
She said watching an audience respond to a film can be a defining moment for its creator.
“It is something watching your work on the screen and hearing other people laugh at the jokes you wrote or gasp when you wanted them to, is unmatched,” Weatherford said. “It is unlike anything else you will ever feel.”
Ingram said the festival can help filmmakers find collaborators, producers and other connections that may lead to future projects. He also hopes attendees who arrive for a familiar name will discover independent films they might not otherwise encounter.
“You may come because you recognize Danny McBride, Ray McKinnon or Jared and Jerusha Hess, but we hope you leave talking about a filmmaker or a movie you had never heard of before you arrived,” Ingram said.
The festival will conclude Nov. 8 with “Rome Remembers Dolly: A Tribute to Dolly Parton.” The closing-night concert will feature Whiskey Revival as the house band, joined by singers and musicians from Rome and Northwest Georgia performing songs made famous by the country music icon.
For four days, the festival will bring international cinema and Southern storytelling together in a city where organizers hope the experience extends beyond the theater doors.
As Ingram put it, the magic of a film festival is in discovering a story you did not know you needed to see, and sharing that experience with others.
