Rome residents will a myriad of film choices to see this weekend when the Rome International Film festival brings films as well as a slew of other activities to downtown Rome.
The festival beings Thursday and will feature screenings, red carpet events, VIP parties, informational panels and cocktail functions.
On Thursday, the festival will screen the world premier of “Her Name was Hester,” a powerful film by director Brian Campbell, a Berry College Professor. The film follows Rome resident Stacie Marshall as she moves back to her ancestral farm in Dirt Town Valley, Georgia and wrestles with the reality of her farm having held enslaved humans and seeks to make amends, starting with the story of a wet-nurse named Hester.
An opening night red carpet featuring the film’s subjects and filmmakers will take place at 6 p.m. at Rome PAM Studios, 512 Broad St.
The film will be screened at the DeSoto Theatre from 7-9 p.m. There will be a short live singing performance by a few of the documentary’s subjects. A Q&A with the cast and a Community Conversation will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Rome PAM Studios moderated by Haley Smith of Berry College. The conversation is sponsored by One Community United.
On Friday, “The Unredacted” a documentary directed by Academy Award winner Meg Smaker will cover how America has been fighting the war on terrorism for two decades, and there are more terrorists today, not fewer. The thought—provoking film will dive into deradicalization by following former Guantánamo detainees in a rehabilitation program.
The film will screen on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Wilder Center, 202 E 3rd Ave.
Another film that will be of interest to locals is “Spirit Halloween” which was shot in Rome. It features Christopher Lloyd and Rachael Leigh Cook and tells the story of a group of middle schoolers who discover a Spirit Halloween store is haunted and must survive the night. Filmmaker David Pogue and Producers Shannon Houchins and Mike Haggarty will be in attendance. See more here.
