Georgia Icon Burt Reynolds Leads a Pack of Filmmakers Heading to 2015 Macon Film Festival

Burt Reynolds in his Academy Award-nominated role in "Boogie Nights."

Georgia-born film legend Burt Reynolds has been announced as a special guest of the 10th annual Macon Film Festival, taking place Thursday July 16 through Sunday July 19. Despite being born in Waycross, Reynolds was raised mostly in Michigan, Missouri and Florida. One of the biggest box office draws of the 1970s and 80s, Reynolds made it a point to return to his home state to film several of his hit films, including "The Cannonball Run," "Deliverance," "Gator," "The Longest Yard," "Sharky's Machine," "Six Pack," "Smokey and the Bandit," "Smokey and the Bandit II" and "Stroker Ace."

Reynolds both directed and starred in several films, the Georgia-lensed "Sharky's Machine" and "Gator" among them. In the early 1990s, Reynolds appeared for four seasons in the hit sitcom "Evening Shade" and went on to garner his first ever Academy Award nomination in 1998 for Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights."

The commercially successful, critically acclaimed and effortlessly charming movie star will become an octogenarian next February, but his career still has much life left in it. Reynolds had a guest-starring role in the Atlanta-produced hit animated series "Archer" in recent years and currently has three films in various stages of production.

Reynolds will participate in post-screening Q&As for "Deliverance" on Friday, July 17 and "Sharky's Machine" on Sunday, July 19. "Sharky's Machine" was personally selected to screen by Reynolds himself, and we couldn't be any happier to revisit the famed window fall from the top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza.


Other filmmakers scheduled to attend include Danielle Beverly, director of "Old South;" Daniel Espeut, director of "Raised in the South of Normal;" Ava Leigh Stewart, director of "Paradise Garden;" and J. Elvis Weinstein, director of "Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be?"
The Macon Film Festival has quickly built up a stellar reputation for its fun and friendly atmosphere, particularly towards filmmakers. This year, a filmmaker lounge and a daily happy hour has been added to the festivities, so I fully expect another mention from MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Coolest Film Festivals in the World."
Get more information and tickets at www.maconfilmfestival.com.