Little Owen Productions announced today that “B-27,” a 10-minute psychological thriller written and directed by Lauren Spaulding, has been selected for the 23rd annual Rome International Film Festival, running Nov. 5-8 in downtown Rome, Ga. The film screens at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at the Rome City Auditorium as part of the Prophets of Top Rope narrative short films collection, and again at 2:30 on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Screen 417.
“B-27” follows Roger, a storage facility employee whose memory is failing and whose compulsive documenting is the only thing holding it together, until a woman turns up claiming access to a unit that appears in none of his records. When she vanishes, and the facility’s files list her as dead, his search for a missing VHS tape leads him to a unit that should not exist. The film is directed by Spaulding and produced by Spaulding and Jezlan Moyet. It stars Lijah Sparlin and Kaylee Arment.
“One of the things independent filmmaking has taught me is that scrappy doesn’t have to mean unprofessional,” Spaulding said. “‘B-27’ was made with real limitations, but we were intentional about building a strong team, trusting our collaborators and creating something that felt bigger than the resources we had. I’m really proud of what we were able to make together.”
In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Spaulding is director of development and production at Georgia Entertainment. Moyet is president of Georgia Entertainment.
The Rome International Film Festival has run in downtown Rome since 2004, drawing independent films from around the world and presenting the Flannery O’Connor Award for Storytelling, previously given to Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan Hawke & Maya Hawke, Tim Blake Nelson and Jerusha Hess. Georgia native Danny McBride will receive the award at this year’s festival.
The festival opens Thursday, Nov. 5, at the historic DeSoto Theatre with a special presentation of the Georgia-made 2001 short “The Accountant,” which won the Academy Award for best live action short film, followed by a Q&A with writer-director Ray McKinnon, who stars in the film alongside Walton Goggins.
Festival passes and tickets are available at riffga.com.
