Festival filled with 100-plus high-tech films and everyday stories

There’s not a better time to take in a flick in Middle Georgia — or worse weekend to complain of nothing to do — than during the annual Macon Film Festival.

This year’s fare includes more than 100 films ranging broadly from high tech to home grown.

“I guess the biggest thing at the festival this year is our fulldome and virtual reality showings,” said Julie Wilkerson, head of the 2018 MFF board.

“We’re unique among multicategory film festivals in having such an emphasis on fulldome and so many fulldome films of such a variety. I’m not aware of anyone who matches it. Fulldome showings tend to be limited and scientific documentaries, but we have a lot of narrative and experimental films also. We’re leading the way.”

Wilkerson said there are 32 fulldome, immersive film selections from 13 countries at the festival. She said the huge selection and quality of the innovative, high-tech films is largely due to the festival’s association with the Macon Museum of Art’s and Sciences, where they are being shown.

Other film categories include Narrative Feature, Narrative Shorts, Student Shorts, LGBT, Virtual Reality, Music Feature, Documentary and Georgia Made.

The Georgia Made category includes 11 films, one with a score including music written by Macon’s Chuck Leavell. The documentary film was co-directed by Leveall’s son-in-law, Steve Bransford, along with Cooper Sanchez.

“It’s titled ‘The Well-Placed Weed: The Bountiful Life of Ryan Gainey’ and we shot it over six years,” Bransford said. “It’s the first documentary to really examine the complexities of Gainey’s life from growing up gay in rural South Carolina to becoming such a well-known Georgia gardener and with great success through his Atlanta shops and as a gardener, designer and favorite of the Atlanta-Buckhead elite. He lived modestly in Decatur, though, and he wasn’t shy for the camera. There are some very intense, moving moments.”

The film’s screenings are 10 a.m. Saturday at the Douglass Theatre and 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Theatre Macon.

Another local touch is the appearance of Evan Pinsonnault in the dramatic boxing feature film “Gun.” Pinsonnault appeared on stage in 17 productions at Theatre Macon from 2006-2009 while at 13-WMAZ. He now lives and works in Los Angeles.

“Yeah, I play the ring announcer in ‘Gun’ ” Pinsonnault said. “I’m excited to have the chance to travel back to Macon, attend festival events and catch up with old friends. It was performing with Theatre Macon and working with Jim Crisp that gave me the confidence to pursue acting in Los Angeles.”

“Gun” shows 3:30 p.m. Friday at Theatre Macon and 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Douglas Theatre.

Prices for festival screenings and events start at $10 for a single viewings and run to $150 for all-weekend, all-access VIP passes which include special seating, screenings and special screenings, after parties and the awards event. Details, screening information and the festival’s expansive schedule are all at www.maconfilmfestival.com.

This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 4:09 PM.