By Julia Morrison for Cherry Bomb
Your guide to all things Macon Film Festival
August is a time for college move-ins and sending the little ones to school for “fall” while pretending that the temperature has finally cooled down in Central Georgia. The joke is on you. It’s hotter than ever, so a discerning and cultured Maconite needs
- a cute lil’ handheld fan and
- an indoor activity to stimulate their senses.
Luckily, there’s Macon Film Festival, or MFF, bringing the heat while keeping you in an air conditioned cool. This year’s theme is “A Hot Set” and the movies are hotter than ever. If you didn’t know, we’ll have dozens of indie films screening over four days Aug. 20-23, and you can get an All-Access Pass with special parties to meet the filmmakers and with free libations. Or just a screening pass. Or a day pass. Or just fix to your fave screening. That’s what the film festival is like – laid back, super Southern, and with a “you do you” mindset that’s creative and quintessentially cool.
Here’s my favorite picks for the festival:
• SPECIAL SCREENINGS: The evening screenings are the big enchilada, curated events that take place outside of the competition screening. Thursday’s FireStarters night features Indigenous filmmakers, and there will be representation from the Muscogee Nation with a short plus a Q&A with RaeLynn, the nation’s Secretary of Culture, while the feature Aanikbookijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] screened at Sundance. Friday is the Fulldome showcase, which includes immersive, highly visual films at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Saturday will screen cult classic Donnie Darko with special guest Mary McDonnell, Oscar-nominated actress who played Rose Darko.
Finally, Sunday will feature Four Rational People, which covers the acclaimed Emerson Quartet. Quartet member Lawrence Dutton, who will be coming to Macon more often as the new artistic director of the Fabian Concert Series, will take the stage after for a Q&A.
• THEME BLOCKS: I love how MFF organizes movies into theme blocks that pique the interest of different groups. There’s a student shorts block that highlights the future of film; an LGBTQ+ film block spotlighting love, loss, and acceptance; and Georgia-made or Georgia themed films. One to look for is the art-centric shorts block at 5:45 on Friday at the Museum. All are Georgia or Macon-made, plus they highlight fascinating stories, like that of the The Redd Family Collection of Black Art.
Plus, enjoy cultural gems in Macon like the Douglass Theatre. You’re already hot. But get hotter by attending the festival. Get your passes today at maconfilmfestival.com
Beat the heat with a hot set. Day passes and tickets: maconfilmfestival.com. Follow @maconfilmfestival for more film-focused fun.
Photography by Stephen Cook courtesy of Macon Film Festival
