If you go
› What: Catoosa County Film Festival› When: 4-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1; 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday, Dec. 2; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3.› Where: Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, Ga.› Admission: $20 day pass on Saturday, $10 day pass on Friday and Sunday; $30 weekend pass; $40 VIP includes admission, post-party on Friday and admission to dinner with meet-and-greet opportunity.› Phone: 423-647-3746› Website: www.catoosacountyfilmfestival.net.
Actor R.A. Mihailoff, who played Leatherface in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," will be among the guests at the inaugural Catoosa County Film Festival.When Edwin Morgan III approached officials at the Colonnade in Catoosa County about holding a film festival there, they suggested that if it was going to be done, it needed to be "unique." Morgan believes he has created such an event, combining the things he loves about fan conventions and traditional film festivals.
And based on the response he has gotten from filmmakers, actors and movie fans, he believes he has found a winning formula.
"I've selected about 52 films from more than 300 submissions from all over the country and from 10 countries, including Egypt and Iran," Morgan says.
"I've also got about 36 special guests who are coming, and I still have agents calling me."
The Catoosa County Film Festival is set for Dec. 1-3 at the Colonnade. The three-day event joins the Chattanooga Film Festival, which is held downtown in April, and the Lookout Wild Film Festival, held at Memorial Auditorium in January, as area film festivals. The latter two have grown in popularity in just a few years.
Morgan hopes his event will as well, in part because 40 percent of the money will go to local veterans groups to help offset the cost of the work they do helping disabled veterans. Morgan is a disabled veteran himself, but he is also a writer, producer and founder of ScreenWorkz Digital Distribution, an international distribution business that helps independent artists based in Ringgold, Ga.
He opened the business in January 2016. After getting it up and running, he decided to create a film festival. He wanted to make it different, so he combined a couple of his favorite events.
"I've taken what I like about fan conventions and film festivals and combined them," he says.
Morgan says that in addition to the 52 or so films that will be shown on two screens, there will be panel discussions, meet-and-greet opportunities, five bands providing live music, food and merchandise vendors and guest appearances by about 36 movie industry people, including filmmakers and actors.
Fans who buy the VIP package will have the opportunity to attend a post-screening after-party on Friday night and a dinner at La Adelita in Ringgold, Ga., on Saturday. Dinner is not included in the price, but VIP guests will be able to meet some of the industry people that will be attending the festival, Morgan says.
Among them will be veteran actor G. Larry Butler, "Walking Dead" actors Santiago Cirilo and Savana Jade, and R.A. Mihailoff, who played Leatherface in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3" and made appearances on TV's "Full House" and "Highway to Heaven."
The festival will be co-hosted by Christine Millraney and Kevin Sexton. Sexton is an artist based in Dalton, Ga., who created the trophies that will be awarded to winners in several categories, Morgan says.
Morgan says the festival is open to almost all genres of film, with a few exceptions.
"This is a family film festival, so obviously there will not be anything offensive. No pornography or anything like that, and I also eliminated exploitation films. There will be shorts and full-length features."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.