Rome News-Tribune

Starstruck: RIFF at the Vogue fundraiser is set for Friday.

- By Spencer Lahr SLahr@RN-T.com

For its third public event since renovation­s were completed earlier this year, the Vogue building on Broad Street will be granted with the presence of Humphrey Bogart tomorrow. Well, at least an actor modeling the elegant and sophistica­ted persona of the classic actor.

Starstruck: RIFF at the Vogue, a first-time fundraiser to support the Rome Internatio­nal Film Festival in November, will imitate the Hollywood parties of cinema’s Golden Age tomorrow, with silent movies playing on both floors, and a red carpet and actors dressed in period garb, according to organizer Erica Simpson.

RIFF will celebrate its 15th anniversar­y from Nov. 1-4, and the fundraiser at 247 Broad St. aims to drum up local support and excitement for the festival, she continued.

The event begins at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets for the fundraiser are $45. Links to purchase tickets can be found on the RIFF website, riffga.com, or on the festival’s Facebook page. They can also be bought at the door for the same price; however, advance purchase is encouraged.

The cost of admission includes access to an open bar and event-themed appetizers from Harvest Moon. A silent auction will also be part of the event. There will be a dedicated space for selfies along the red carpet.

“We hope folks will join us for Starstruck, a fun evening celebratin­g the magic of film and filmmakers, and help us raise funds to bring Rome the best film festival yet,” said Seth Ingram, the creative director of RIFF, in a news release.

Simpson said the goal is to make the fundraiser an annual event, held each summer in the lead-up to the film festival, and to grow interest for more local participat­ion and attendance. And the party element of the festival, which leads to nightly bashes, aligns with the atmosphere of the fundraiser.

“We’ve been fortunate to have outstandin­g support from our local community,” said Jesse Bishop, the president of the RIFF Board of Directors, in a news release. “This event is a way for us to get together ahead of the festival, support the arts in Rome, and have a great time gathering around film.”

The Vogue was chosen for the fundraiser due to it being a point of curiosity since its opening, Simpson said.

“It’s just such a cool place,” she said.

The building may be a draw in itself for attendees, Simpson continued, as well as those just looking for a good party or those wanting to indulge their love of film.

Each year, RIFF organizers aim to get filmmakers, some from across the world, to travel to Rome to appear alongside their films, Simpson said, oftentimes paying for their transporta­tion and lodging expenses. The fundraiser will help support this goal, she said, as well as the parties during the four-day event.

“Who doesn’t want to come to a fun party,” Simpson said of the fundraiser.

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