Carpet Burn

SoChi’s Red Carpet season left me with a bad case of Carpet Burn! The ADDY Awards, Macon Film Festival, Reader’s Choice Awards & The Foodies are all within a 3 week period. All in the midst of organizing a #WINNING film festival.

The 6th Annual Macon Film Festival was a indeed Better, Stronger, Faster thanks to the $6 million dollar team consisting of Tabitha Walker, Elliott Dunwody, Stephanie Shadden, Julie Wilkerson, Diana Sullivan, Sylvia Boykin, Priscilla Esser, Blaine Whittle, Craig Coleman, Tony Long, Tony Long, Jr, BJ Dunwody & Terrell Sandefur (me).

1,500+ attendees, 114 independent films, 6 Special Screenings (“Freedom Riders“,”Black, White and Blues“,”The Fat Boy Chronicles“, “The Kid“, “Get Low” & “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels“), 3 screening venues (The Cox Capitol Theatre, The Douglass Theatre and the Macon Marriott City Center), Workshops @ The 567 Center for Renewal, a first year Festival Headquarters @ 567 Cherry Street, After Parties each night (Le Galerie, The Emerson Brownstone & The SoChi Gallery) where the famous MAGAtinis flowed. (Factoid: The MAGAtini, the signature cocktail of the Macon Film Festival, is known amongst filmmakers throughout the world!)

Over 75 filmmakers from as far away as Los Angeles, New York, Japan, Spain and London made the trek to Macon for the 4 day fest. “It may not be the biggest festival in the world, but it certainly is the friendliest” repeatedly stated by British director, Nick Moran who’s film “The Kid” was Saturday night’s special screening. Moran is better known for his acting roles including his turn as “Eddy” in Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels” and “Scabior” in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Filmmakers call the Macon Film Festival ”The Friendliest Effin Film Festival in the Country” and we work hard at making that tag line a reality. Bottom line, filmmaking is Economic Development. Macon has everything (except a sound stage) to attract filmmakers to consider us a location for their projects. A BIG thank you to all the sponsors, attendees, volunteers & media who participated in this year’s fest … Combined, we all make this place more attractive to the folks who will bring their next film project here.

March is here and SoChi’s Red Carpet Season is now behind us. The Carpet Burns have almost healed.

FUTURE LOVE PARADISE

Pink Decadence Party. March 19th @ The SoChi Gallery.
Cherry Blossom Festival. March 18 – 27.
OMD @ The Loft in Atlanta. March 14th. 8pm
EyeCon-The Vampire Diaries March 25-27
Macon Gardens, Mansions & Moonlight. April 29 – May 1, 2011
Echo & the Bunnymen @ The Masquerade. May 5th. 8pm

Gilroy Garlic Festival. Gilroy, California. July 29 – 31, 2011. The 33rd annual “Ultimate Summer Food Fair”; three days of incredible food, beverages, arts & crafts and live entertainment. 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101.