Film venues became popular locations the past four days as Rome International Film Festival showcased more than 140 films drawn from across the globe.
The Thursday through Sunday event drew an estimated 3,000, said Harry Musselwhite, RIFF creative director. Surveys indicated there were a lot of out-of-town visitors mingling with local viewers, he said.
Click here to see a of opening night festivities.
On Sunday, RIFF ended with a 3 p.m. matinee selection that featured films ranging from children’s animation to a documentary on tennis.
Roman Jim Fletcher viewed Sunday’s Animation for Adults series, which showcased seven short animated films, and noted “Lord of the Flies” as a favorite among the selections.
“I liked the talking frogs,” said Fletcher.
Fletcher came on his day off with local Susan Daniel, a four-year RIFF volunteer.
Daniel said Saturday night’s silent 1925 film “Phantom of the Opera,” with Lon Chaney, was her favorite and she enjoyed the performance by Alloy Orchestra, a professional silent film accompanying organization based in Boston.
“It was a magical evening,” said Musselwhite of the performance.
Graham Duke, another Roman, watched 15 films, including global shorts, documentaries, adult animations and narratives.
“I would’ve like to have seen weirder stuff,” said Duke. “But maybe I didn’t go to any weird films and missed some stuff.”
He said the film “Heavy Load,” a UK documentary featuring punk musicians, was his favorite.
The festival kicked off Thursday night with a red carpet opening night gala, along with guest appearances, and gained momentum with a two-day, top-of-the-hour film viewing Friday and Saturday, beginning in the afternoon until late night.
Harry Musselwhite’s son, Austin Musselwhite, 14, saw around 25 films, with three blocks and four feature films. On Saturday, three friends tagged along and saw “Dangerous Calling,” one of his favorites.
“My friends liked some of them, but did think some were weird,” said Austin. “I think they’re a good way of looking at art, and it feels great to watch a lot of films.”
On Saturday night, “Dangerous Calling,” a Georgia film that focused on church politics in a small town, was a sellout, said Scott Bentley, RIFF venue coordinator. Around 200 people attended. On Sunday, “Tea in Hell” brought in a crowd and was close to sold out, Musselwhite said.
“We had close to 130 volunteers, ranging from the age of 80 to 14,” Musselwhite added.
He said RIFF organizers look forward to next year and will review feedback and crowd response to plan for it.
