Docs, features, shorts, animated films: RIFF starts today
Rome International Film Festival kicks off today and continues through Sunday, Nov. 14 and brings dozens of documentaries, features, LGBTQ, shorts, Georgia-made and animated films to local and area residents.
We’re highlighting just a few of this year’s entries which offer a variety of informative and entertaining content for all interests. In addition to the films, passholders can experience “conversations” with celebrity guests such as Billy Bob Thornton and Mario Van Peebles.
Passes can be purchased at riffga.com. Pass options include all access Patron passes, day passes, as well as individual tickets for films.
Thursday, Nov. 11
One Pint at a Time
7 p.m., Desoto Theatre Craft beer generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the US economy. Despite beer’s Egyptian and African heritage, these traditions have been mostly forgotten and are rarely found in American brewing culture. Eager to shift the historical perception of who makes and drinks beer, Black brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country are reshaping the craft beer industry and the future of America’s favorite adult beverage.
40 Akerz & a Brew
7 p.m., Desoto Theatre Nappy Roots, a Grammynominated, Hip-hop Group, takes viewers on a road trip to craft breweries across America, as they look to build their own brewery from the ground up. The band’s cult-like following of rural Americans takes viewers on a cross-cultural journey through ‘local celebrity’ interviews and hometown tourism that demonstrates any conversation can happen over a beer.
Friday, Nov. 12 Annabel Lee
Noon, Desoto Theatre A young couple flee to the coast to await a boat that will take them on to a new life. As they wait, dark forces close in and their plan starts to unravel, with tragic consequences. Based on the poem ‘Annabel Lee’ by Edgar Allan Poe and set in the aftermath of the war, under the long lingering shadow of the Irish-anglo conflict, ‘Annabel Lee’ is a tale of a forbidden love between two young stowaways from opposite sides of the Irish sea.
Electric Jesus
12:30 p.m., Rome City Auditorium
It’s the summer of 1986. Erik is the shy, quiet type — but far more passionate than most teenagers when it comes to God and rock-n-roll. His dream comes true when he is asked to run sound for his favorite band, 316 — a Christian hair metal band made up of older kids from his church. On My Way
5 p.m., Desoto Theatre The unexpected arrival of a Nigerian migrant in the Belgian countryside shakes up the fragile daily life of two men living a secret relationship.
Yellowstone 88 — Song of Fire
6:30 p.m., Rome City Auditorium
In the summer of 1988 dry lightning sparked a fire in the parched and drought ridden landscape of Yellowstone Park, igniting a blaze that would scorch over 1.5 million perimeter acres of the park. Song of Fire, a narrative poem, guides the animation of YELLOWSTONE 88 telling the story of this conflagration that raged unabated for months until a snow of such intense severity extinguished the flames.
Saturday, Nov. 13
The Old Town Clock: A Rome, Georgia Icon 10:30 a.m., Desoto Theatre For nearly 150 years, the Rome clock tower has been the symbol of this historic city. The much-beloved structure captivates the hearts of thousands and has garnered countless stories and memories handed down through generations.
Made for Each Other
Noon, Rome City Auditorium When a man catches his partner cheating, he hires a hit-man to catch her in the act and take her out permanently. When their date takes a drastic turn, the man has to take matters into his own hands. An unexpected guest, the hit-man’s fiancee, arrives to crash the party and settle the score.
Sunday, Nov. 14 Once Upon a River
1:05 p.m., Desoto Theatre Margo Crane’s odyssey on the Stark River introduces her to a world filled with wonders and dangers.
The Falconer
5:15 p.m., Rome City Auditorium
Inspired by true events, The Falconer is about two best friends, Tariq, the son of a poor beekeeper, and Cai, a privileged Westerner with a passion for endangered animals. They work together at a dilapidated zoo in Oman, blissfully separated from many of the troubles of the outside world. Their carefree friendship is challenged when Tariq promises to help his sister, Alia, escape from an abusive marriage.