Sold Out Encanto Singalong a HUGE Hit with Families

With a sellout crowd of 500 people, RIFF launched their first family film for 2023 on April 1 at the DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia with a showing of Disney’s Encanto. There were hundreds of children dressed as Mirabel, dozens of others dressed as Bruno, and many children sang with the “bouncing ball” of lyrics and danced in their seats.

“Why a singalong? Aside from the health benefits well-documented by organizations from the BBC to the Chicago Tribune, it promotes a sense of community,” said Leanne Cook, executive director of RIFF. “Singing together relieves stress, improves your mood by releasing endorphins and even helps regulate blood pressure. And Encanto, with lyrics by the masterful Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame), is one of the most fun singalongs.”

“Another reason we selected this movie is because parts of the songs and dialogue are in Spanish,” said Seth Ingram, creative director of RIFF. “The Northwest Regional Commission tells us that Spanish is the second-most spoken language in this area, and more than 12% of all the people in Floyd County consider themselves ‘Hispanic’ according to the most recent US Census. We also know from research that positive representation in media increases self-esteem and confidence in all people – especially children. We are reflecting and celebrating the growing diversity of our region by showing Encanto.”

Aside from the movie, other fun activities included a costume contest with fun prize gift bags complete with a RIFF t-shirt. Another draw was a large Encanto castle backdrop where everyone mugged for the camera to make their own enchanted photo.