The Rome International Film Festival is gearing up to transform downtown Rome into a cinema lover’s paradise November 6-9, bringing Hollywood glamour to a walkable, charming setting just an hour north of Atlanta.
“Most people in Atlanta don’t even know we’re happening,” admits festival director Seth Ingram, “but it’s a great opportunity.” And what an opportunity it is—past guests have included Burt Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan Hawke, and Francis Ford Coppola.
This year kicks off with a Georgia showcase: “Signing Tony Raymond,” produced by NFL Hall of Famer Champ Bailey and starring Oscar winner Mira Sorvino. The film was entirely financed and shot in Georgia, part of the festival’s mission to spotlight homegrown talent.
Seven Georgia-made features will screen throughout the weekend, with budgets ranging from shoestring to millions. “We treat all the artists with the respect they deserve,” Ingram says.
The festival’s crown jewel? The Flannery O’Connor Award for Storytelling goes to Jerusha Hess, the creative force behind “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Nacho Libre,” and “Austenland.” Tim Blake Nelson returns to present the honor, with a special screening of “Napoleon Dynamite” and Q&A to follow.
Action fans should circle Saturday night for “Lone Samurai,” a rare Portuguese samurai film from American director Josh Waller screening at the historic DeSoto Theater.
What sets Rome apart from big-city festivals like Tribeca? Accessibility and warmth. “Everyone can kind of have access to each other,” Ingram explains. That intimate atmosphere has sparked seven or eight feature films over recent years—projects born from festival connections.
