"Attack of the Killer Donuts" Review - Rome International Film Festival (***)

Justin Ray and C. Thomas Howell star in "Attack of the Killer Donuts."

Grab a beer and few friends because "Attack of the Killer Donuts" is all kinds of bizarre fun. This low-budget horror/comedy has all of the trappings of a late night, nothing-else-to-watch good time and what it lacks in actual scares it makes up for in more than a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes.

"Cruiser" Review - Rome International Film Festival (**)

Lori Beth Sikes and Shuler Hensley star in "Cruiser."

The found-footage horror film "Cruiser" explores a lot in its 80 mins—human suffering, predestination, evil and the perverse power of God.

Sam Hensley Jr. wrote the film that stars his Tony Award-winning brother Shuler. The film starts as most any horror film, with an average guy living an average day. Rookie Officer Chip Tate's cop car has just been outfitted with several cameras and he begins what appears to be a regular day on day on the job. Every day is typical, until it becomes the day you die.

"Cheerleader" Review (****)

Catherine Blades stars in Irving Franco's "Cheerleader."

The title “Cheerleader,” without knowing much about the film beforehand, might encourage misplaced ideas or associations about New York writer-director Irving Franco’s small and beautifully deliberate debut feature. That word alone makes me think of films like “Bring It On” or “The Replacements,” or any movie of similar vanity and flippancy. “Cheerleader,” however, is another thing entirely. It's a film that moves in small waves. It's a film that moves almost in slow motion. It quietly works its way into your emotional subconscious—in the way that you might walk from the shallow end of a pool to its deeper, thicker parts, without realizing it, until you feel yourself being hugged by the water.

Georgia Filmmakers Spotlight an Iconic Location and a Quirky Phenomenon in Documentaries "Hotel Clermont" (****) & "Eat White Dirt" (****½)

Tammy Wright, the primary subject of "Eat White Dirt."

One of the greatest appeals of a film festival is its ability to introduce audiences to stories from around the globe. And while I enjoy seeing the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong's nighttime streets and the breathtaking high-altitude views of the Himalayas on the big screen, there's something remarkably special about seeing a film that highlights the stories right in my backyard.

Two Georgia-lensed documentary shorts have been making waves among the southern film festival circuit: "Hotel Clermont" by Heather Hutson and "Eat White Dirt" by Adam Forrester. Both screened earlier this year at the Atlanta Film Festival and both came away with notable awards—"Hotel Clermont" won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short and "Eat White Dirt" won the Seed&Spark Jury Award. Although I missed their screenings in Atlanta back in April, I made sure to catch them this weekend during the Macon Film Festival's "Southern Stories" shorts block, and I'm so glad I did.

"Wildlike" Review (***)

Ella Purnell and Bruce Greenwood star in "Wildlike."

Frank Hall Green’s quiet, low-budget drama, "Wildlike," is a modest story of an unlikely kinship between a young and volatile Mackenzie (Ella Purnell) and an experienced and haggard Rene (Bruce Greenwood). Mackenzie, still reeling from the loss of her father, is forced to stay with her uncle, played by the doe-eyed Brian Geraghty, at his home in Alaska. We quickly learn he’s a creep and he’s abusive, and that’s all we know and really all we need to know. She leaves, and rightfully so, and that propels the rest of the film into action.

14 Films to See at the 2015 Sidewalk Film Festival

This will be my third year attending Sidewalk Film Festival and there is just something about this three-day extravaganza in Birmingham, Alabama that gets me more excited than just about anything else that happens all year.

It's not just the fact that there are so many good films to see that you will inevitably kick yourself for missing one simply because you chose another (a great problem to have). It's not just the fact that they close down 3rd Avenue and have a street party all weekend long with food and games and vendors. It's not just that the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival is one block away, adding even more electricity to the city. It's not just the amazing staff of Sidewalk—all of whom I admire so deeply. It's not even just the cake bites from Urban Standard.

It's all of this and more—an x-factor, if you will—that this incredible film festival possesses. A charm all it's own, amazing theaters, wonderful film programming, great parties, delectable food. I'm gushing, I know, but I simply can't help it. Sidewalk is The Perfect Storm.

At the heart of it, though, is truly the love of film. It reflects in their program every year and this year is certainly no exception! I have compiled a list of 14 can't-miss films for you to check out this year, and then added 8 more that you might have already seen on the Georgia film festival circuit, but certainly warrant a revisit.

16 Films to see at the 2014 Rome International Film Festival

This will be my third Rome International Film Festival, but this year it is a little extra special. I've been brought on to help out with the production of the festival. In doing so, I've gotten a first hand look at this year's 61-film lineup. This is the 11th incarnation of RIFF.

From opening night film "No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie" to closing night selection "B.F.E.," there are a host of short films and features worth checking out. Films represent the entire globe—Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand—with many American productions and a handful of films both produced in Georgia or coming from Georgia filmmakers.

After the jump, I've highlighted 12 feature films and 4 short films. But trust me, the entire festival is of tremendous quality. The festival kicks off tonight, Thursday, September 4th and runs through Sunday, September 7th at Rome's beautiful DeSoto Theatre.

First annual Milledgeville Film Festival takes place this weekend!

Bridging the gap between the spring and fall legs of Georgia's film festival circuit, the first annual Milledgeville Film Festival takes place this weekend! It began yesterday, April 25th and runs through Sunday, April 27th.

Things kicked off at 6 PM on Friday with a red carpet, followed by an opening night gala featuring keynote speaker Stevie Lynn Jones and a film presentation of "Young Americans."

Today, panels for producers, directors, actors, agents and casting directors began at 10 AM and run through early afternoon when film screenings start. Narrative Shorts screen at 2 PM, followed by International Shorts at 4 PM and a feature presentation of "The One Who Loves You" at 6 PM. A free screening of "The Spectacular Now" takes place on the Greenway at 9 PM.

On Sunday, features "Heroes of Arvine Place," "Paradise Garden" and "The Wingman" screen at 12 PM, 4 PM and 6:20 PM respectively. A second narrative shorts block takes place at 2 PM on Sunday, and 2013 Atlanta Film Festival Audience Award winner "Blood Brother" closes the festival out at 8 PM.

The festival takes place at the Georgia College & State University campus in downtown Milledgeville. Stay tuned for more coverage!

Macon Film Festival makes MovieMaker's 'Coolest Film Festivals in the World' list

Congratulations to the Macon Film Festival for making MovieMaker Magazine's Top 25 list of 'The Coolest Film Festivals in the World.' The long-running magazine is well known for its annual list of the top film festivals worth the entry fee—which has included the Atlanta Film Festival, the Savannah Film Festival and the Rome International Film Festival in recent years. While that list is released each spring, this list was recently compiled by reader votes.

An original list of 76 nominees was narrowed down to an final, unordered list of 25 festivals. Five other user voted lists were made for different categories—Documentary and Horror/Sci-Fi Festivals, Short Film and Comedy Festivals, Environmental/Social Cause and Women’s Film Festivals, LGBT and Ethnic/National Film Festivals and Experimental/Underground and Out of the Box Festivals.

The Macon Film Festival will celebrate its 9th year of films, workshops, special guests and parties on February 27th through March 2nd. Check out www.maconfilmfestival.com for more information.

Around town for the 2013 Rome International Film Festival

A crowd forms outside the DeSoto Theatre for RIFF's closing night film,
"The 25,000 Mile Love Story"

The 10th annual Rome International Film Festival wrapped last weekend, marking a decade of globally-minded, globally-sourced independent features and shorts. Rome is a delightful city—Broad Street's residents and businesses welcoming RIFF's attendees with open arms every year. A few reviews from this year have already been posted, but we have more to write about the festival in the days to come. In the meantime, check out dozens of pictures from around town after the jump!

RIFF review: "CowJews and Indians: How Hitler Scared My Family—And I Woke Up in an Iroquois Longhouse with a Picture of Jesus, Reminding Me—For the Wrong Reason—That I Owe the Mohawks Rent" (**)

Marc Halberstadt and Nathan Blindman appear in "CowJews and Indians"

“CowJews and Indians," as its massive title might suggest, is interesting in concept but somewhat dull in execution. We follow Marc Halberstadt, the film’s director, from the very start as he seeks restitution from the German government for land that was taken away from his Jewish ancestors during the war. Through research and realization, Halberstadt considers the hypocrisy surrounding his situation, due to the fact that the home in which he grew up was located on Native American land. From here, he assembles a small team of local Native American leaders and heads to Germany. His proposal is to have the Germans pay the Indians directly, thus cutting out the middleman.

RIFF review: "FrackNation" (***)

Carol Collier and Phelim McAleer appear in "FrackNation"

“FrackNation” is a feature documentary from directors Phelim McAleer, Ann McElhinney and Magdalena Segieda. Funded by donations through Kickstarter, the film is essentially a rebuttal to the 2010 juggernaut doc, “Gasland." In that film, Pennsylvania resident Josh Fox, narrates his journey while focusing on how natural gas drilling and fracking are bad for the communities involved as well as the environment as whole. “Gasland," being the powerful, informative work that it was, garnered a lot of attention, not only from audiences and activists alike, but also from the Academy.

Plenty of filmmakers scheduled to attend 2013 Rome International Film Festival

The marquee at the DeSoto Theatre during last year's festivities.

Now in its tenth year, the Rome International Film Festival has seen plenty of changes in terms of content, media coverage and leadership. Although, the same could be said for any festival that is more than a few years old. One thing is for sure, however, RIFF has always been—and remains—a filmmaker's film festival.

If you attend this weekend (like you should), a great deal of the lanyards you see around Broad Street will belong to filmmakers that will be in town to showcase their film and engage with a new audience. This festival is small enough and far enough away from the glitz and the glamour for the craft to be the sole focus.

What to see at the 2013 Rome International Film Festival

By this time next week, the 10th annual Rome International Film Festival will be underway in Northwest Georgia's signature city. If you will remember, last year's festival offered us several great films and shorts, from Haiti water documentary "La Source" and Danny Darst biography "American Songwriter" to strong narratives like "Born & Raised" and "Heathens and Thieves."

This year, nonfiction takes the spotlight again, with several prime spots in the lineup—including both opening and closing night films—belonging to documentaries. In preparation for next week's festivities, we've highlighted nine films and two shorts you might already recognize from Georgia's film festival circuit. Events kick off next Thursday evening, September 5th at 7PM and wrap up late on Saturday, September 7th. Check out our guide after the jump!

Two Georgia film festivals featured in MovieMaker Top 50

For nearly a decade, MovieMaker Magazine has been releasing an annual list of the top film festivals worth the prize of your film's entry fee. In the past, the Rome International Film Festival has made the cut—dramatically upping the reputation of the quiet college town's September event. Georgia's two biggest destination film festivals—the Atlanta Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival—both made the cut this year!

These two Georgia gems are in good company, joining festivals like Cinequest, Edinburgh, Nashville, New Orleans and Soho. MovieMaker draws attention to Atlanta's status as an Academy Award qualifying festival and to Savannah's 40,000+ attendance and prizes totaling more than $100,000. We would like to add that spending a week or more in either of these cities is worth more than the price of submitting your film!

Congratulations to all 50 festivals! Check out the full list.

"La Source" to screen at Atlanta Film Festival

Last September, "La Source" struck a cord with me at the Rome International Film Festival. The impressive documentary, centered around Haitian janitor Josue Lajeunesse and his fight to make water accessible for the people of his hometown, has experienced a remarkable reception at festivals across the country. Continuing on its journey, filmmakers Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder bring "La Source" back to Georgia next month for the Atlanta Film Festival. 

Read my review and get your tickets to see "La Source" at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, March 16th at 11:45 AM. Check out the poster (above) and trailer (after the jump)– both of which quote yours truly!

2013 Macon Film Festival award winners

Pamela Bowen stars in "Shoot the Moon," a big winner in Macon

There's still one day to go here at the 2013 Macon Film Festival, but Jury Award winners were announced last night. "Shoot the Moon" was the big winner, taking home awards for Best Directing and Best Sound Design as well as the Melvyn Douglas Award for Best in Show. Having been a fan of "Shoot the Moon" since RIFF, I couldn't be happier with its awards haul. "Sal," having also screened at last year's Atlanta Film Festival, took home the Best Narrative Feature prize. Other winners included "Address is Approximate," "Child 31," "A House, A Home," "The Silk" and "The Sweatshop." Filmmakers premiering their films at MaGa were also recognized. Audience Award winners will be announced tonight, as well as awards for Southern Documentary and Music Documentary.

See the full list after the jump.

What to see at the 2013 Macon Film Festival

The first leg of Georgia's film festival circuit is about to kick off with the always robust Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. But after the AJFF begins and before it ends, another Georgia gem will take place. The 8th annual Macon Film Festival (MaGa) will run from February 14th through the 17th, just three weeks away! I saw some good films, met some fun people, ate some delicious food and took many great walks around town last February and look forward to getting to do it all over again this year.

The Macon Film Festival is similar to the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) in both age and size, although I can see the big dreams and ambitions of the MaGa board propelling the fest into the reach of a broader audience within the next few years. This year, several documentaries and features look promising and the festival always offers a wide variety of short films worth looking into. The special gala presentations (one each night) are still being announced, but they usually bring one or two stars into town. Last year, veteran character actress Beth Grant ("The Artist," "Donnie Darko," "No Country for Old Men") and Macon native Carrie Preston ("Duplicity," "That's What She Said," "True Blood") showcased some of their work.

After the jump, I've highlighted several films worth checking out. A few films have played at other festivals, including both RIFF and the Atlanta Film Festival, while others are fresh out of the editing room.

Review: "Sahkanaga" (****½)

Trevor Neuhoff stars in "Sahkanaga"

Nearly two years ago, I remember browsing through the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival lineup, stopping at a title with an unusual name and a 'made in Georgia' stamp. It didn't take me long to make the connection between the title "Sahkanaga" and the historic north Georgia town of Chickamauga. I vividly remember the news coverage of the Tri-State Crematory tragedy back in 2002 and in the years following, I often thought that a compelling film could be built around the incident. I suppose, then, that I was always going to be drawn towards this film. Writer-director John Henry Summerour makes a strikingly impressive debut.

"Sahkanaga" coming to Atlanta on December 7th!

John Henry Summerour's "Sahkanaga" is an electric retelling of the Tri-State Crematory incident that jolted Northwest Georgia in 2002. After playing at film festivals across the globe, taking home a bevy of prizes, including the Audience Award at the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival, "Sahkanaga" comes back to Atlanta for a long-awaited theatrical run.

Following its world premiere in Atlanta, the film showed at the Rome International Film Festival, won the Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema from the Georgia Film Critics Association and toured the Southeast as part of the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers, which included stops in Savannah, Thomasville and Winder. In October, "Sahkanaga" played a one-week run in Chattanooga.

The film starts at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta next Friday, December 7th and runs for one week only. Make sure you go see it! Reel Georgia wasn't around yet during the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival, but you can bet I will soon be posting a proper review of "Sahkanaga." After all, it did rank as my #13 film of 2011.