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Blakely film fest returns

• Blakely will become Hollywood South during the weekend Jokara-Micheaux Film Festival.

Carlton Fletcher

COLQUITT — There are so many things about the Jokara- Micheaux Film Festival that seem far-fetched to most people. A film festival? In Blakely, Georgia? With movie industry insiders? Planned by the Southwest Georgia Film Commission?

But then again, most people aren’t Ralph Wilcox.

The veteran actor came to Southwest Georgia four years ago with a vision of bringing the film industry to the region. The Jokara-Micheaux festival, which will enjoy its second run Thursday-Sunday on the historic Blakely Courthouse square, sprang from that vision.

“When I first talk to people about what we’re doing down here, they kind of look at it with a jaundiced eye,” said Wilcox, who enjoyed a 30-year career as a film and television actor. “They think maybe I’m hiding out from somebody ... It’s like ‘y’all just do cotton and peanuts down there.’

“But people don’t realize how the film industry has exploded outside the conventional walls of Hollywood. It’s no longer centered just in New York, L.A. and Chicago. When I discovered this region and all it has to offer, one of my first thoughts was ‘why aren’t they shooting movies here?’ ”

So Wilcox did the unthinkable. He came to Colquitt, home of the world- renowned Swamp Gravy community theater project, and used economic development funds to establish the Southwest Georgia Film Commission. Perhaps even more unlikely, he was able to spearhead fundraising efforts that led to the construction of a 22,000-square-foot sound stage.

“I told people how, 22 years ago, Dino DeLaurentiis went to shoot ‘Cape Fear’ in North Carolina, and there was no sound stage,” Wilcox said. “Now there are 12 sound stages in the region, and that area is busier than Hollywood.

“What we want to do is showcase our region. The industry can shoot a movie cheaper here than in Atlanta, New Orleans or any of the other big three, and we have so much to offer. That’s why I’m excited to partner with Early County 2055 on the film festival project. We have to break that territorial mind set. This is a win-win for all of us.”

The Jokara-Micheaux Film Festival will bring industry insiders from across the nation to conduct workshops, screen independent films and present symposiums on the various aspects of the movie industry.

“One of the things that needs to happen is for people to realize that the film industry is not just about the people in front of the cameras,” Wilcox said. “It’s about writers, directors, caterers, electricians, carpenters ... just about any type of work you can think of.

“We’re going to have industry folks here to talk about all aspects of the industry.”

Named for supporters Joy Jinks, Karen Kimbrel and Wilcox (the first two letters of each person’s first name make up Jokara) and in honor of the first African American to produce a feature-length film (Oscar Micheaux, whose 43 movies included 1919’s “The Homesteader”), the festival kicks off Thursday with registration on the Blakely Square.

Friday’s events, which kick off at 7:30 a.m., include workshops at various sites around Blakely, premier screenings of independent features, documentaries and shorts at the Blakely Cine-Plex, and a historical perspective of Southern films’ impact on American culture.

Highlights of Saturday’s activities include a 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Block Party, film screenings and a black-tie awards dinner. Country music artists Sawyer Brown and Ronnie Robinson and the Legend Band will perform after a special unveiling by Blakely native and Early County 2055 benefactors Catherine and Charles Rice.

“There’s been so much time and effort put into this, and the entire community is excited about the weekend,” said Julie Jarrett, volunteer coordinator of the block party and owner of downtown Blakely’s Four Seasons Flowers and Gifts. “As a native of Blakely, I’m thrilled about the new spirit of community pride that is growing here. As a business owner, it’s exciting to see the growing interest in our region.

“We have events planned for all ages, a big-name concert, all the activities associated with the film festival. It’s just a win-win for everyone involved.”

While naysayers scoff at the thought of Southwest Georgia attracting Hollywood’s major players, Wilcox dares to dream big.

“I want to empower this region, show the world what we have to offer here,” he says. “People say we’re just dreaming, but I believe in dreaming big. We’ll start shooting our first major motion picture here with a star- studded cast in September or October. That’s a reality.

“People think of the movie industry and the millions and millions of dollars it takes to produce one of those big blockbusters. But there are successful independent productions like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Open Water’ that are made for very little money. The way I see it, we have to be willing to take a shot. A ship may be safe in the harbor, but that’s not what the ship was built for.”

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