Beth Grant, Carrie Preston among special guests at 2012 Macon Film Festival

Carrie Preston (top) and Beth Grant to showcase
films at 2012 Macon Film Festival.

With 125 films from around the globe screening, numerous workshops and after parties; the 7th annual Macon Film Festival promises to be the event's biggest year yet. Four special screenings highlight this year's fest.

On Thursday, February 16th, Grammy Award winning music video producer Joseph Uliano will showcase a collection of his work. The Dublin native is currently an executive producer at Wondros, a production collective out of Los Angeles that also houses such names as David O. Russell, Trent Reznor and Antoine Fuqua.

George Clooney's Oscar nominated film "The Ides of March" will screen at the Cox Capitol Theatre on Friday, the 17th. Political strategist and Macon native, Jay Carson, was the inspiration for Ryan Gosling's character in the film and will be in attendance.


Perhaps the most exciting reason to attend this year's fest is Saturday's honored guest, Beth Grant. The beloved character actress is known for scene-stealing roles in movies such as "Speed," "A Time to Kill," "Donnie Darko," "Little Miss Sunshine," No Country for Old Men," and the current Oscar favorite still in cinemas, "The Artist." Grant counts Georgia as one of her home states, although born in Gadsden, Alabama. In recent years, her films "Dear Lemon Lima" and "Herpes Boy" have screened at the Atlanta Film Festival and the Macon Film Festival, respectively. This year, the festival will host a special presentation of "Donnie Darko" with Grant in attendance on Saturday, the 18th.

The festival wraps up Sunday, the 19th, with a fresh-out-of-Sundance screening of Carrie Preston's new film, "That's What She Said." A Macon native, Preston pulls double duty as both an actress and a filmmaker. You've seen her in films like "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Vicky Christina Barcelona," "Duplicity" and 2009 Atlanta Film Festival Grand Jury prize winner, "That Evening Sun." Preston can also been seen in the hit television shows, "True Blood" and "The Good Wife." Preston's second feature, "That's What She Said" stars Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis and Alia Shawkat. Preston won't be in Macon for the screening, but will join the audience for an interview via Skype.

These presentations mark some of the highlights of the festival, but there are plenty more films worth checking out. A variety of full-length features, shorts, documentaries and animated films ranging from locally to internationally produced can be seen at the three venues hosting the festival. We're looking forward to a great time.