Movie buffs should start clearing their schedules now for four straight days of film screenings and workshops, all in the heart of Macon.
The Macon Film Festival will return for its 18th year on Aug. 17-20. In addition to a lineup of 96 films, the festival will present its inaugural Georgia Film Impact Award to film and music producer Dallas Austin who produced the 2002 film “Drumline” and the 2006 film “ATL.”
“Without Dallas and the work that he has done, we’re not too sure where the future of filming in Georgia would be,” said Justin Andrews, president of the Macon Film Festival Board of Directors.
The award will honor “trailblazers” and “people who have really made an impact with Georgia film over the years,” Andrews said. Austin, a Columbus native, was the first recipient because of how instrumental he was in passing the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which has bolstered Georgia’s film industry and brought in $4.4 billion of direct spending in 2022.
In honor of winning this award, Austin will judge the first Macon Film Festival Battle of the Bands where Macon high school bands will compete to win on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. After the competition, there will be a special screening of “Drumline” with Austin at 7:15 p.m., followed by a Q&A.
“Seeing that movie after I haven’t seen it in over 20 years, it’s great to be able to see that with him in the audience,” Andrews said.
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
Credit: Alyssa Pointer/Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
They’re expecting a “major” turnout this year since it’s their second fully in-person festival since coming out of COVID-19, Andrews said. It also comes amidst a writers and actors strike which has put the major motion picture industry on hold.
SAG-AFTRA, the screen actors’ union, has approved some independent productions to continue filming during the strike. The production companies that receive an “Interim Agreement” to continue production must agree to the contract terms the actors union is seeking from producers, according to SAG-AFTRA.
“Hopefully it sheds more light on these smaller indie film festivals and people realize that there is a lot more out there than just those big name film festivals,” Andrews said.
Brian Campbell is one Georgia-based director whose film, “Her Name was Hester,” will run in this year’s festival.
Campbell is the department of environmental science and studies chair and an associate professor of anthropology and environmental studies at Berry College. He’s produced several ethnographic documentaries over the years with his production venture Ozarkadia Films.
“Her Name was Hester” originally premiered at the Rome International Film Festival in Rome, Georgia, in 2022. Since then, it’s made a few runs at film festivals around the country. It documents Stacie Marshall’s return to her family’s farm in Chattooga County’s Dirt Town Valley.
“She tries to focus on rehabilitating and developing the farm, but she cannot shake the reality of her farm having held enslaved humans and it haunts her. She must find a way to make amends,” according to the film synopsis.
Credit: Courtesy of Brian Campbell
Credit: Courtesy of Brian Campbell
Campbell said he was drawn to this festival due to its long-standing record of 18 years and the community support it receives through volunteers who make sure everything runs smoothly. It also means there’s an audience genuinely invested in supporting the festival.
“That’s the kind of environment we would like to have the film, where there’s a genuine attempt to learn from the films being shown,” Campbell said.
He believes the Macon Film Festival and the folks who attend will be receptive to tackling this complicated social issue, especially since it’s the community they’re trying to reach.
Since the festival is in Georgia, the protagonist, Stacie Marshall, and her family mentors, Betty and Melvin Mosley, will attend the screening and be available for a Q&A after the film.
“Hopefully, it will impact [the Macon community] and make them want to engage in these somewhat difficult discussions about the past and how we can move forward in a more kind of optimistic way,” Campbell said.
It’s a special thing for a filmmaker to be part of the audience during a screening, he said. He can hear the genuine emotional reactions to the work he created.
Credit: Courtesy of Brian Campbell
Credit: Courtesy of Brian Campbell
The Macon Film Festival is also a good opportunity to highlight the value of independent films. It shows people that there are filmmakers “telling great stories, they just may not have the budget or the connections to put it out there,” Campbell said.
“There are so many small time filmmakers that are just trying to make sure important stories get out into the world,” he said. “This gives [them] an opportunity.”
EVENT PREVIEW
Macon Film Festival
Aug. 17-20. An all access pass is $150 and includes priority seating at festival screenings, parties and receptions. A screening pass is $65 and includes priority seating at all festival screenings. An opening night film and party ticket is $50 and provides admission into the Thursday night film and after party. Day tickets are $25 and include all screenings for the purchased day and a single block ticket is $10 for a single screening. Tickets available online or in-person at The Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St., Macon. Find the full schedule and list of venues at the festival website. 478-301-5470, maconfilmfest2023.com.
Battle of the Bands
5 - 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19. Free. Outside The Grand Opera House.
“Drumline” screening
7:15 - 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19. Free. The Grand Opera House.
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