Rome International Film Festival and Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation invite locals to cheer, clap, celebrate June 21
It’s a party, and everyone is invited. A party for very special people.
The Rome International Film Festival has received a grant from South Arts, a funding organization that exists to advance Southern vitality through the arts, to provide an accessible, exciting red carpet event for people in Rome and Floyd County with disabilities and their families.
Everyone is invited to be downtown Friday, June 21, from 4:30-6 p.m. to cheer for red carpet honorees. At 6 p.m., RIFF and HDTF, which owns the DeSoto Theatre, invite everyone to stay and enjoy a free, special presentation of the heartwarming, G-rated film, “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.” The 1993 film features the voices of Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Ed Bernard, and many other celebrities. Concessions will be on sale to support year-round film event programming presented by RIFF and the DeSoto.
“Since early 2023 we’ve been steadily adding film events of all sizes and types so that everyone in Floyd County can enjoy the fun,” said Leanne Cook, executive director of RIFF and president of the Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation. “We love bringing our thrilling and glamorous Rome International Film Festival to downtown Rome each Fall (Oct. 31-Nov. 3 this year), but we know not everyone can attend three days of film, parties, and arts celebration back-to-back. Film event attendees are coming to expect extras such as a film and dress up costume event, to follow the bouncing ball and sing along with beloved musicals, or to participate in a panel discussion about issues of importance to our community. But always, RIFF celebrates the diverse people and lives in amazing Northwest Georgia. Though, we are a bit partial to Rome and Floyd County, of course.”
Local organizations Network Day Service Center, ESP Rome and Mission ISPossible are all planning to attend and bring their special people, friends and family, but the DeSoto Theatre holds 498 people, and the goal is to fill it up with so much fun that people on the other end of Broad Street can hear the laughter.
After the red carpet walk from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m., each of the host organizations will take a few minutes to talk about their honorees and how the organization supports them and the families who love them. Then the film made famous by such phrases as “cats rule; dogs drool,” and “[eating] cake and polyester don’t mix” will roll on the big screen, with sound courtesy of RIFF audio visual partner Ready or Not productions.
“Leanne Cook and I are neighbors and we started talking about how we could do something special for Network’s special people about eight months ago,” said According to Jenny Shealy, Executive Director of Network Day Services. “We want them to have a fun night on the town feeling like celebrities — because to us, that’s exactly who they are. They will experience such a thrill when they arrive and are met by an excited, cheering group, red carpet, and cameras.”
Local transportation company BusMax is providing Network with a luxury 15-passenger van so their clients
can roll to the event in celebrity style. Network is also launching a brand-new theatre to show films at their Rome location this month, and the organization is using this event to spotlight the fun and opportunities for entertainment and employment that exist on their campus.
ESP Rome, whose mission is to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, and to change our community for the better, is thrilled the film is on June 21, the last day of their first week-long summer day camp here in Rome.
“This special movie night at The DeSoto Theatre is the perfect way to close out our first week of summer camp and celebrate the fun had by all,” said Jill Fisher, Development Coordinator for ESP Rome. “The community’s support means so much to the families we serve.” ESP Rome is hosting summer camp during the weeks of June 17 and July 22.
Mission IsPossible, an organization that demonstrates missions can be carried out right here in Floyd County, is another participant in the Homeward Bound film event.
“We love any opportunity to laugh, enjoy life, and serve one another,” said Grant Magness, CEO of MIP. The organization has always provided opportunities for their clients to achieve success through programs such as the Shining Stars cheer team and the Birthday Club monthly open gym at Hot Shots Cheer Gym.
Local civic and service organization Rome Rotary is beginning a full year of monthly acts of service with the Homeward Bound film event. Jan Fergerson, the incoming Rome Rotary president, and Chris Kerr, outgoing president, both encourage members and community members to crowd the red carpet and cheer, pop corn for honorees, and bring the Rotary motto, Service Above Self, to life. More than 100 years old, Rome Rotary is also working through club service leader Jake Hagar to identify other ways they can demonstrate care and compassion throughout Floyd County.
“What a great way to get a jump on our new Rotary year,” Kerr said. “My last day as president is June 30, so I’m turning over the gavel to Jan with a cheer.”
RIFF and The DeSoto invite other organizations that serve persons with intellectual and physical disabilities to also become part of the fun by sending an email to leanne@riffga.com. The event committee seeks community volunteers to make signs, bring pom poms, help set up the theatre, usher special people into the auditorium, and clean up after the film is finished.
“The DeSoto auditorium is the beating heart of art, culture and civic involvement for Northwest Georgia,” said Danny Price, vice president of the Foundation. “Events like this are why we constantly fundraise and make renovations to this nearly one hundred-year-old building. We are home to beloved community group Rome Little Theatre, Seven Hills Fellowship church which meets at the Desoto on Sundays at 10:15 a.m., and our newest partner, RIFF, which has always held their Festival at the DeSoto Theatre. We are happy that our partnership with RIFF allows us to bring kid events, documentaries followed by conversations, and other great programming to the theatre.”
“We are eager to see the smiling faces of those being celebrated on the red carpet June 21,” Cook said. “We know our community will rally around them to demonstrate just how extraordinary they are.”
Tickets to the event are free, but you are encouraged to make a reservation to hold your seat at riffga.com. Slightly-overpriced concessions for kids and adults will be for sale to contribute to year-round theatre programming.