Lights, Camera, Peaches: Valdosta Mall screens S. Ga films

Malia Thomas, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·2 min read

Jan. 25—VALDOSTA — The Seventh Annual South Georgia Film Festival is teaming up with Workhorse Cinema and South Georgia Studios to host the March 3 opening night screening at the Valdosta Mall.

"The Holiday Dating Guide," filmed in Tifton, and "The Buick Special," shot in Quitman, are among films that will be headlining the opening.

Produced by Workhorse Cinema producer and Fitzgerald native Alexander Kane, "The Holiday Dating Guide" follows dating coach and aspiring book author Abigale Slater, played by Maria Muenenos, as she is tasked by her publisher to prove that her dating advice book really works.

Kane has described the film as "Hitch" meets "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

"The Buick Special," directed by Valdosta State University alum Levi Johnson and starring Marcus McGhee, a VSU Theatre & Dance senior, tells the story of Jake Williams (McGhee), a 17-year-old high school student assigned to write a story about one of the seniors at the local retirement home.

While his assigned senior, Mr. G (Steve McCurdy), brushes him off at first, the two eventually come together over familial losses and their shared love of the titular 1958 Buick Special.

Honnie Korngold, SGS and PhilanthroFilms co-founder, said this is an opportunity to showcase the hard work of the Lowndes and Brooks County students that spent their summer working on "The Buick Special."

"We are thrilled that the local student film, made during their film camp experience last summer, is screening at the South Georgia Film Festival. It's a great opportunity to show the festival-goers what amazing young talent we have here in South Georgia," she said.

"With the real-world filmmaking education and experience the students received during the PhilanthroFilms Summer Film Camp, several students were hired as production assistants on the films 'The Holiday Dating Guide' and '72 Hours,' both filmed in South Georgia."

The 2023 festival is scheduled for March 3, 4 and 5. Passes can be purchased at https://sgff23.eventive.org/welcome.