SXSW’s Louis Black to Join RIFF Creative Team

The Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) is vamping up its creative caliber to embark on brand new horizons, and who better to add into the mix than South by Southwest (SXSW) co-creator, Louis Black. 

Not only is Black responsible for the film culture that thrives in Austin, TX, but he also co-created the Austin Chronicle, the Texas Hall of Fame, and the Austin Film Society.

Coming off of a virtual festival experience in 2020, RIFF is moving forward in 2021 with a transformative momentum that will not be stopped.   

"We are blown away to be bringing on Louis Black,” RIFF Executive Director, Seth Ingram, said. “His extensive experience as an independent film producer coupled with his role as a founder of SXSW is a fantastic asset to welcome on to RIFF's creative team." 

RIFF will also welcome to the table, filmmaker and Paste Magazine Editor-at-Large, Michael Dunaway. Among his work with various film festivals, notably, Dunaway has served as creative director for the Sarasota Film Festival. His ties to RIFF began in 2011, when he submitted his very first short film, “Bread,” to RIFF. His film premiered at RIFF that year and won Best Narrative Short. 

"Michael Dunaway is well connected in the independent film community both as a filmmaker and having experience with film festivals,” Ingram said. “We look forward to utilizing his expertise with programming and special guests for 2021 and beyond."  

It’s not just the festival’s creative caliber that is getting an upgrade, there is something larger at work in the north Georgia hills.

“Georgia has as much if not more film production than any other state,” Black said. “But these are productions that parachute in, shoot in Georgia, and then leave. Outside of Tyler Perry, there has been no really significant indigenous film scene, with films made in Georgia by Georgia filmmakers. Not even a body of work of significant indie films set in Georgia. We want to help create that community in Georgia, and we want Rome to be the center of it. “

"Building an organic film creative community has long been my goal in Rome,” Ingram explained. “RIFF has been an excellent megaphone for showcasing what Rome has to offer and serves as the confluence of experienced film professionals and youthful up and comers that want to create here, in Rome."

 As Black and Dunaway approach RIFF with a genuine growth mindset and through-the-roof good energy, the collaboration of these creative minds and industry leaders is the next bold step in creating that indigenous film culture.

“For over 16 years, the Rome International Film Festival has established itself as an ambitiously programmed and extremely well run film festival, featuring an impressive array of films and speakers and providing an extraordinary filmmaker experience as well,” Black said. “We're incredibly excited to be working with Seth to continue to enhance what he and his predecessors have built here. We weren't recruited; we identified RIFF as having unique potential and we approached Seth.”

Dunaway explained that the goal is to take current strengths of the thriving festival and expand on them. Being their first year on the team, Black and Dunaway will spend time considering incremental changes, and getting to know the festival, its community of supporters and attendees, and the Rome community as a whole. 

Over the next several months, residents of Rome, Ga. should definitely expect to be crossing paths with both Black and Dunaway as they work to engage the community with whom they will be growing. Take it from RIFF, it’s a total pleasure to meet these guys; you may even get a hug, if you’re open to it. :) 

“Part of the process is including the outside world as well,” Dunaway said. “There will be films shown, films honored and filmmakers invited as special guests that have no direct relationship to Georgia or Georgia filmmakers.”

Dunaway explained that those films and filmmakers can serve as inspiration for the growth of RIFF, Rome, and the indie film culture throughout the state of Georgia. 

“They can inspire by example, by experience, and through screenings and presentations,” Black explained. “They will present ideas that we hope will ignite and inspire a vibrant and nationally significant local and statewide film scene.”

These new RIFF representatives aren’t just here to see 2021 through, they’re in it for the long haul, as they acknowledge that Rome wasn’t built in a day; it will take time and effort to create and maintain a cinematic civilization. 

“We respect the history, quality, and importance of the festival and want to honor its identity and integrity,” Black said. “We would like to use our experience and relationships to aid and support the film festival and help it grow organically to have even more of an impact on Rome and on Georgia.”

RIFF 2021 is slated for November 11-14, offering up quality films, guaranteed networking gold, educational opportunities, and parties that DO NOT disappoint. For more information, visit http://www.riffga.com/