Close-Up with Macon Film Festival
Allow me to state the obvious. Summers in Macon are hot and this Summer is shaping up to be one of the warmest yet.
August 15 -18, 2024
With that in mind how does sitting in a quiet, dark, super air-conditioned room surrounded by the smells of popcorn sound to you? Pretty perfect right? I couldn't agree more which is why grabbing a ticket to this year's Macon Film Festival is the smartest way to wrap up your Summer.
This year the festival is celebrating 19 years of bringing independent film to Macon! The festival offers a little something for everyone with narrative to documentary films, Georgia-made films, LGBTQ films, student films, and incredible full-dome immersive content like you've never seen before.
Where to watch:
- Historic Douglass Theatre
- The Grand Opera House
- Theatre Macon
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
- Museum of Arts & Sciences
- Mercer Music at Capricorn
Expect after-parties and workshops popping up throughout downtown. With close to 100 films being screened at this year's event you're sure to find a title or two that sparks your interest!
For those of you that have been before you know that there is more to the film festival than just the films. Attendees not only get to see independent films they wouldn't have a chance to see anywhere else but they also get a chance to meet the filmmakers and learn more about their favorite films. Filmmakers travel from around the country during festival weekend to share their work and tell their stories.
The festival weekend also serves as the perfect time to visit some of your favorite Macon restaurants for a bite between films, to do some shopping at one of our locally owned stores, or grab a drink at one of downtown's bars/breweries before you line up for an evening's special screening film.
After attending one of the festival's after-parties, consider checking in with our friends at Hotel Forty Five to rest up for the next day's activities. Hotel Forty Five is offering an exclusive rate for a limited time for Macon film festival attendees. Book your room today by clicking here or below! You don't want to miss out on staying at this vibrant downtown hotel that's within walking distance to many of the screening venues!
Fire Starters Film Festival Special Opening Night Screening: Red Fever
Alongside an amazing lineup of official selection film titles that screen throughout the day Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday each festival evening offers a special screening event that you won’t want to miss.
In partnership with the Fire Starters Film Festival, this year's special screening opening night film is a documentary called Red Fever, that looks at indigenous influences on Western culture and is directed by Catherine Bainbridge & Neil Diamond. The film follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond as he asks, “Why do they love us so much?” and sets out on a journey to find out why the world is so fascinated with the stereotypical imagery of Native people that is all over pop culture." This screening will be hosted at the Douglass Theatre.
The Fire Starters Film festival launched in 2023 and focuses on featuring film and visual art made by Indigenous filmmakers with a particular focus on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation experience. The festival grew from the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) which is a community-based group of Middle Georgia and Muscogee (Creek) citizens working together to expand the current site of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (located in Macon) into Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve.
A moderated question and answer will follow after the screening.
Closing Night Screening: Stax Soulsville USA with special guest, Director Jamilia Wignot
The Macon Film Festival is thrilled to announce its closing night screening, "STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.,” will screen its first two episodes at The Douglass Theatre at 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 18. If you have not seen this television show yet, it is a true treat to watch for any Maconites and especially Otis Redding fans! The groundbreaking documentary, directed and produced by Jamila Wignot who will be in attendance at the festival, chronicles the musicians, songwriters and producers who smashed racial barriers and created the signature Stax sound that defined an era. The Macon Film Festival’s direct connection to this body of work surrounds The Otis Redding Foundation’s presence in Macon, Redding’s grandson Justin Andrews serving as a community leader and President of the Macon Film Festival Board and more.“STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.” is set against the backdrop of the American south of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s and details white and Black artists working together, defying segregation, and producing hits such as “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay,” “Soul Man,” “Green Onions,” and the Oscar®-winning “Theme from Shaft.”
Learn more about our films and curate your festival experience by visiting us online at maconfilmfestival.com.. We hope to see you at the movies!
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