After two years of going virtual (due to the COVID pandemic), the 9th annual ME Film Festival (MEFF) will once again be held in person Thursday, Sept. 22 to Sunday, Sept. 25. Opening night will include several features, shorts, and a red-carpet event with a Golden Globes-style dinner at the Plaza Arts Center (305 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton).
The four-day event also will include workshops held at Blackbird Coffee (114 W. Hancock St., Milledgeville) on Saturday, Sept. 24. Industry panels, after-parties, special filmmaker events, and a Sunday filmmaker’s brunch at the Old Putnam County State Prison are among other featured events._ “We are so excited to be in person again,” said Jeremiah Bennett, president chair of the ME Film Festival Board._“It’s been a long two years (of not being live), and we have some great films and scripts to share this year.”
The ME Film Festival has long touted itself as the festival for filmmakers, and this year organizers are returning to that original concept.
“Providing Southern hospitality to the attending filmmakers from around the world and of course local Georgia artists has always been the heart of MEFF,” noted Director of Programming Mark Datuin. “The red-carpet events, meetand- greets, after parties, indoor and outdoor screenings, and other exclusive fun filmmaker activities, are what our film community has been waiting for.”
The festival will feature 74 films in the following categories: Georgia-based shorts, documentary, comedy, horror, sci-fi, drama, and more. An awards ceremony at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25, will conclude the festival. Visit_www. mefilmfest.com_for more information.
– Contributed