Macon Film Festival on despite coronavirus

Organizers of the annual Macon Film Festival say they will hold the event despite the coronavirus, but the bulk of the film entries will be streamed online.Festival board chairman Steven Fulbright tells The Telegraph the event is important to Macon and filmmakers. It will run from Aug. 13 through Aug. 30.

Other festivals, including May’s Cannes Film Festival, April’s Tribeca Film Festival and March’s SXSW, were forced to cancel because of COVID-19, though each preserved some components online.

Fulbright, who is also Visit Macon’s director of tourism, says attendees to the Macon event will have a variety of ways to enjoy the films while staying safe.

Two feature films will be screened at the Grand Opera House on weekends, including a new documentary about Macon-based piano player Chuck Leavell. Leavell played the keyboard for the Allman Brothers Band and the Rolling Stones. Other film entries will be streamed online at scheduled times for a fee.