Month: February 2020

SGFF Adds News Sponsors for 2020

Jason Brown

February 28, 2020

VALDOSTA, GA – Hosting the fourth annual South Georgia Film Festival requires plenty of support from sponsors across our community. The festival is proud to announce that the addition of Film In South Georgia, the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority and the Criterion Channel this year to bring filmmakers to our community and support their time here.

 “Our mission is to encourage business development in what we see as a flourishing area for industry,” said Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director of the the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority. “The film industry continues to flourish in Georgia. We want to support bringing filmmakers to our community to better understand why we should be a part of that.”

Film in South Georgia, made up of production companies and professionals lobbying to bring production to the area, also serves as a resource to help equip the surrounding area to benefit from the film industry.

Along with the VLDA, the festival also has the Criterion Channel as a sponsor this year. Criterion has dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world since 1984. The Criterion Channel is a new streaming platform for those films, along with ancillary material such as behind the scenes documentaries and other original programming. This past year, Criterion published its edition of MATEWAN, the 1985 film by John Sayles, and included the documentary THEM THAT WORK, by festival Director Jason Brown. Criterion has donated copies of MATEWAN for the winning filmmakers and their book of postcards representing the posters from many of their collection.

Returning sponsors to the festival include Georgia Power, Georgia Beer Company, the Georgia Council for the Arts, Valdosta State University, Georgia Production Partnership, Wild Adventures, the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta Main Street, the Valdosta Daily Times, Ashley Street Station, the City of Valdosta, the Williams Hotel Group, and MUBI.

Festival screenings will take place at the VSU Student Union Theater at the corner of Baytree and North Oak Street. Over the three days, visitors can park at both the Oak Street Parking Deck and the University Center parking lot. With numerous panels and screenings, attendees will find plenty to do. The Georgia Production Partnership’s panel on bringing productions to South Georgia will be free for everyone.

Promoting entrepreneurship through filmmaking, the festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the craft and industrial impact of film for local businesses. This year’s festival has also includes panelists Richard Baxter to discuss Columbus, GA new tax incentives for film, Brent Simond of Illinois State University to discuss crowdfunding his documentary on country music, and much more.

Passes to this year’s festival are currently available. The All Access VIP pass, which includes a t-shirt and access to the VIP areas costs $100. The Festival Pass which offers access to all screenings, panels and daily events are $40. Day Passes are $15 for all screenings and panels. Both High School and College students can get a free Day Pass with their school ID to all screenings and panels.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or jasonebrown@valdosta.edu. The festival schedule and ticket information is available at http://sgff2020.eventive.org

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Judges Bring Impressive Experience to 2020 SGFF

Jason Brown

February 27, 2020

VALDOSTA, GA – Along with the films and panels, the South Georgia Film Festival (SGFF) is bringing film professionals to judge this year’s competitive films. With judges from across the state and the nation, the quality of eyes on this year’s films is impressive.

Some of our visiting filmmakers will also be helping judge films. Brent Simond will be screening his documentary about the country music singer Verlon Thompson, “Sweet Dreams Do Come True,” as well as holding a panel about how he raised the money for the films’ music rights. Simond is a professor at Illinois State University and will be that expertise as a judge.

The forces behind Film Impact Georgia, Molly Coffee and Melissa Simpson, return this year as both panelists and judges. Coffee, a native of Brooks County, has been creating works through her Zombie Cat productions, such animations, puppetry, and set design. Simpson, a graduate of North Georgia, has extensive production and festival experience, most recently with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. The two will be talking about Film Impact Georgia’s role in preserving local filmmaking in the state with such projects as their bi-annual film grant during the panel on Saturday, March 7.

Award-winning filmmaker and artist, Jeff Shipman, will be joining the SGFF for the first time. With experience shooting music videos and documentaries, Shipman is a Georgia State University graduate.

Coming down from the Mid-Georgia, Tabitha Walker has been in the film and video production industry for the last two decades, along with currently serving as programmer for the Macon Film Festival. Walkers’ Big Hair Productions has worked on corporate videos, network and cable television, and along film productions of various sizes.

John Bring, Valdosta State University alum and writer for the TV show “Supernatural,” won’t be attending the festival in person, but will be serving as a judge as they complete production on his TV show. Bring has vast experience in movie production from being a director, actor, and production assistant on hit TV Shows and independent horror films.

Other VSU alums participating as judges including Ryan Adams from Tift Regional Hospital, Dynasty Tennison with Black News Channel, Marcus McConico of Channel 17, and Christine Jones.

Festival screenings will take place at the VSU Student Union Theater at the corner of Baytree and North Oak Street. The festival added the use of the Odum Library auditorium this year, located beside the Student Union. Over the three days, visitors can park at both the Oak Street Parking Deck and the University Center parking lot. With numerous panels and screenings across both locations, attendees will find plenty to do.

Returning sponsors to the festival include Georgia Power, Georgia Beer Company, the Georgia Council for the Arts, Valdosta State University, Wild Adventures, the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta Main Street, the Valdosta Daily Times, Ashley Street Station, the City of Valdosta, the Williams Hotel Group, and MUBI.

Promoting entrepreneurship through filmmaking, the festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the craft and industrial impact of film for local businesses. This year’s festival has also includes panelists Richard Baxter to discuss Columbus, GA new tax incentives for film, Brent Simond of Illinois State University to discuss crowdfunding his documentary on country music, the Georgia Production Partnership’s South Regional meeting, and much more.

Passes to this year’s festival are currently available. The All Access VIP pass, which includes a t-shirt and access to the VIP areas costs $100. The Festival Pass which offers access to all screenings, panels and daily events are $40. Day Passes are $15 for all screenings and panels. Both High School and College students can get a free Day Pass with their school id to all screenings and panels.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or jasonebrown@valdosta.edu.

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“Sgt Stubby” comes to SGFF for Family Fun

Jason Brown

February 22, 2020

VALDOSTA, GA – Families can enjoy the South Georgia Film Festival as it will conclude with the animated film Sgt Stubby: An Animated Hero, about the real-life story of America’s most decorated dog. The screening will be free for all families Sunday, March 8 at 1:30 pm in the Valdosta State University Student Union Theater.

With voice acting from Logan Lerman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Gerard Depardieu, the animated film about a stray dog from New Haven, Conn., joining a troop of soldiers off for World War I. The adorably animated film presents a historically accurate portrayal of battles in Europe for the point-of-view of young children.

Rated PG, Stubby is one of a few animated films families of all ages will appreciate during the festival, including Imani’s Skin, another animated film about a multi-racial classroom; and William’s Words, and animated film about Williams Shakespeare.

Festival screenings will take place at the VSU Student Union Theater at the corner of Baytree and North Oak Street. Over the three days, visitors can park at both the Oak Street Parking Deck and the University Center parking lot. With numerous panels and screenings, attendees will find plenty to do.

Promoting entrepreneurship through filmmaking, the festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the craft and industrial impact of film for local businesses. This year’s festival has also includes panelists Richard Baxter to discuss Columbus, GA new tax incentives for film, Brent Simond of Illinois State University to discuss crowdfunding his documentary on country music, the Georgia Production Partnership’s South Regional meeting, and much more.

The South Georgia Film Festival includes sponsorships from Georgia Power, Georgia Beer Company, the Georgia Council for the Arts, Valdosta State University, the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, Wild Adventures, the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta Main Street, the Valdosta Daily Times, Ashley Street Station, the City of Valdosta, the Williams Hotel Group, MUBI, and the Criterion Channel.

Passes to this year’s festival are currently available. The All Access VIP pass, which includes a t-shirt and access to the VIP areas costs $100. The Festival Pass which offers access to all screenings, panels and daily events are $40. Day Passes are $15 for all screenings and panels. Both High School and College students can get a free Day Pass with their school id to all screenings and panels.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or jasonebrown@valdosta.edu.

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South Georgia Film Festival Reveals 2020 Poster

Jason Brown

February 12, 2020

  • Festival Director Jason Brown points out the new festival poster design at the Lake Park Historical Society meeting beside the Johnston Lakes Library branch manager, Megan Brown (Photo by Barbara Slocum)
  • Festival Director Jason Brown stands with Logan Lott’s new poster design for the South Georgia Film Festival. (Photo by Ashley DeFrank)
  • Georgia Beer Company bottled a special brew of beer for the 2020 South Georgia Film Festival called The McGuffin.
  • PHOTO #4 – Cameron Tudor, Valdosta State University senior mass media student, helps bottle beer at Georgia Beer Company. (Photo by Andrew Black)

VALDOSTA, GA – As the 2020 South Georgia Film Festival approaches, look for the event’s new design to pop-up across Valdosta. Logan Lott, a Junior Valdosta State University Art major, submitted the winning design in the festival’s inaugural poster competition. Lott won a VIP pass to this year’s festival along with $100 cash.

“Logan created a really fun design, with the film reel around the peach, which we are excited to see around Valdosta,” said Jason Brown, Festival Director and Associate Professor of Mass Media at VSU. Billboards for the fourth annual event will begin being seen across the Fairway digital billboards in Valdosta Valentine’s Day weekend.

The film festival kicks off March 6 at Georgia Beer Company where you’ll find the logo in an unexpected place – on the label. The local brewery is partnering again with the festival for its exciting opening night event, which will feature a special brew made only for the film festival. Along with the new logo, the beer named The McGuffin, after the Alfred Hitchcock device, will be given to each passholder as they walk through the door.

This past Monday, the completed poster was revealed at the Lake Park Historical Society’s winter meeting where Brown discussed the growing value of independent film production across our area. Lowndes County has benefited from various productions over the years, from “Zombieland” at Wild Adventures, to “Gator” at Banks Lake, to “Like a Crow on a Junebug” in Lake Park.

Festival screenings will take place at the VSU Student Union Theater at the corner of Baytree and North Oak Street. The festival added the use of the Odum Library auditorium this year, located beside the Student Union. Over the three days, visitors can park at both the Oak Street Parking Deck and the University Center parking lot. With numerous panels and screenings across both locations, attendees will find plenty to do.

This year’s festival continues to connect with partners in the Valdosta community, including Valdosta State University, Georgia Power, Georgia Beer Company, Georgia Council for the Arts, Wild Adventures, the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, the Turner Center for the Arts,  Valdosta Main Street, the Valdosta Daily Times, the City of Valdosta, MUBI and the Criterion Channel.

Promoting entrepreneurship through filmmaking, the festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the craft and industrial impact of film for local businesses. This year’s festival has also includes panelists Richard Baxter to discuss Columbus, GA new tax incentives for film, Brent Simond of Illinois State University to discuss crowdfunding his documentary on country music, and many more.

Passes to this year’s festival are currently available. The All Access VIP pass, which includes a t-shirt and access to the VIP areas costs $100. The Festival Pass which offers access to all screenings, panels and daily events are $40. Day Passes are $15 for all screenings and panels. Both High School and College students can get a free Day Pass with their school id to all screenings and panels.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or jasonebrown@valdosta.edu.

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