Do you like movies and talented people then you are in luck? Meridian’s own film festival is planned for Oct. 20 and 21.

The location is our beautiful and historic Temple Theatre located in the midst of downtown, with plenty of parking right across the street. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and the first film will start at 5:30 followed by an additional movie at 9 p.m.

According to one of the festival organizers, Thomas Burton, “Rails to Reels is a celebration of film-making in the City of Meridian, Mississippi. Our goal is to bring artists together that use the art of film to express themselves. We believe that Meridian needs creativity to drive our creative economy. By utilizing local businesses to promote our festival we know that it will only make the community relations stronger with the arts.”

I don’t know about you, but I am thrilled with the idea of bringing fledgling indie film-makers to the Queen City in order to celebrate creativity and encourage their artistic efforts. We, as Meridianites and Mississippians, must support this extraordinary effort to showcase talent of all ages and from all locations.

This is the fourth year for the Meridian festival and there are 33 films included. They are from New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and California. Also, 16 of the 33 have a Mississippi connection.

I am not surprised about the high number of entries with a Mississippi connection and I am certain you are not as well. We Mississippian’s thrive on creativity. Our culture, today and in the past, seem to drink and breathe creativity as if the water and oxygen were characters in a film or songs in the air. It is all a natural way of life for us.

The 2017 Rails to Reels Film Festival film breakdown:

22 Narrative and Documentary Features.

5 Narrative and Documentary Shorts.

3 Music Videos.

3 Experimental Narratives.

Awards will be given out for each category to the highest rated one – five trophies, total.

Hold on to your hats, readers – there is one more exciting thing happening during the weekend. There will be flash films made as the festival is in motion, so to speak. With a grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation, the festival organizers have paid two Mississippi directors who will make a movie with a real movie team. They have 48 hours to make a 10-minute film. This year’s flash-film directors are: Michael Williams and Miles Doleac.

Want to go:

Date: Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21.

Time: Doors open at 5 p.m.

Place: Temple Theatre, 2320 – 8th St., Meridian.

Cost: 2-day pass is $35; Friday is $15; Saturday is $25; Saturday only (one block) $15.

For more information: 601-693-5353.

So Meridianites next weekend as you walk downtown streets or eat in a local restaurant, please extend your warmest southern hospitality for all visitors, as you always have, because there is a very good chance a future big-time film maker is getting their start right here in the Queen City. Then you must hurry along to the beautiful Temple Theatre and become a part of history.

Anne McKee is a Mississippi historian, writer and storyteller. She is listed on the Mississippi Humanities Speakers Bureau and Mississippi Arts Commission’s Performing Artist and Teaching Artist Rosters. See her website: www.annemckeestoryteller.com.