The force is strong at SoChi 'Star Wars' event

Not too long from now in a gallery not too far away ... Star Wars fans can celebrate the opening of the new movie a night before its official premiere.

AmStar Cinemas is hosting a free Star Wars Gala on Wednesday at the SoChi Gallery on Second Street. The event will celebrate the opening of "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens."

"Star Wars is an iconic film series with major hardcore fans. It's a whole subculture," said Terrell Sandefur, who owns SoChi and partnered with AmStar for the event. "It's just something people are really, really passionate about. I wanted to harness a little bit of that and bring some of that excitement to downtown."

It's been 10 years since the release of the last Star Wars episode -- "Revenge of the Sith" -- and nearly 40 years since the release of the first movie. The new episode picks up the story 30 years after "The Return of the Jedi."

"I work with AmStar Cinemas to promote Georgia-filmed movies ... so when this whole Star Wars movie thing started knocking around in my brain, I contacted the manager and said, 'You know, this is what we're doing, would you be interested to tie in with it?' and they were all over it," Sandefur said.

The gala will feature "galactic grub," a signature cocktail called "The Dark Side" and a costume contest.

"When we put it out there, people said, 'Can we dress up?' " Sandefur said. "Yes, costumes are encouraged. We'll also have a red carpet arrival and photo opportunities for people to get their photos taken with the characters."

The local chapter of the 501st Legion, which is named after a fictional Imperial Stormtrooper unit and focuses on authentic costuming, will make an appearance, he said.

Sandefur plans to have models dressed and painted in Star Wars attire circulating during the gala.

While the event is free, AmStar will have a silent auction that includes items such as fan artwork, gift baskets, dinner and movie packages. The proceeds from the auction will go to Joshua's Wish Foundation.

The SoChi Gallery itself also will be decked out in Star Wars-themed artwork. This month, the gallery premiered "A Galactic Art Exhibition" and these pieces will still be up for the gala.

"AmStar really wants for the gala to give back to the fans. ... It's just something cool, something fun they wanted to do," Sandefur said. "There will be a lot of activity at the theater for the actual premiere, but they won't be having a party because they'll be too busy with all the people who are queuing in line and camping out. So, here they can actually have a party and enjoy it."

Star Wars Gala

When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 16

Where: The SoChi Gallery, 534 Second St.

Cost: Free

Information: www.thesochigallery.com

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "The force is strong at SoChi 'Star Wars' event ."