Georgia Filmmaker Uncovers Buried Truths Caused by Racial Divide in Small Town Georgia

ROME , GEORGIA, UNITED STATES, October 31, 2022 -- The documentary-feature film, “UNSPOKEN,” has been named an Official Selection for the 19th annual Rome International Film Festival (RIFF). The debut feature film from Georgia-based filmmaker Stephanie Calabrese will screen in-person on Nov. 12 at 1:15 p.m. at the Rome City Auditorium (601 Broad St.).

“UNSPOKEN” shatters a code of silence that has distanced neighbor from neighbor for generations. By tracing her journey as a small town Georgia resident, Calabrese uncovers buried truths and explores how the tight-knit community has been impacted by its racial divide deepened in part by the 1946 Moores Ford Lynching, also known as the “the last mass lynching in America.” Sourced from 40 interviews with fellow Monroe residents and research over the course of three and a half years, the film offers an insider’s intimate look at the impact of the lynching, segregation and integration through today.

“UNSPOKEN” was written, directed, produced and edited by Calabrese, who shot the film with an iPhone camera to demonstrate that important documentary work doesn’t always require big budgets and gear, but a passion for storytelling from within one’s own community. With an original musical score by Kwame Brandt-Pierce, the film strives to enable viewers to become better community members by working together to solve problems our society still faces.

“As a Georgia-native, I’m honored to have the film screen in-person at RIFF here in Georgia because it's an important opportunity for us to come together to learn and reflect on our shared history,” Calabrese explains. “While the film takes place in my hometown of Monroe, the stories are familiar to most towns throughout the state and across the South.”

“UNSPOKEN” recently won the Audience Choice Award for Documentary at the 17th annual Macon Film Festival in August. The film was also an Official Selection for the 4th annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival in September, and the 13th annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival and 10th annual Portland Film Festival in October.

To learn more about the film visitwww.unspoken.film. Tickets to view “UNSPOKEN” at RIFF are available to purchase online atbit.ly/UNSPOKEN_RIFF22.

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About Stephanie Calabrese:
Filmmaker Stephanie Calabrese is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist. Stephanie’s photographic documentary series “Hometown: A Documentary of Monroe, Georgia'' has been featured on The New York Times LENS site and on Atlanta CBS45 News. Her work has been featured in Time, Lightbox, Forbes.com, LIFE.com, Digital Photo, Photo.net, Professional Photographer, and The Bitter Southerner. Stephanie has produced documentary projects for clients including UPS, The Coca-Cola Company, CARE International, and The Georgia Department of Family and Child Services. She resides in Monroe, Georgia. She is the author of the best-selling “The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity” published by Pixiq (a division of Sterling Press) and Ilex Press (now Octopus Press) and “Lens on Life: Documenting Your World Through Photography'' published by Focal Press and Ilex Press (now Octopus) and a past TEDx Talk speaker on “Building a Better World, One Picture at a Time.” Learn more about her work at stephaniecalabrese.com.