2026 Macon Film Festival: Full Schedule

6:00pm EDT

Georgia Made - A GRAND ENSEMBLE: THE MAGIC BEHIND MACON'S NUTCRACKER

Friday August 21, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

TITLE: A Grand Ensemble: The Magic Behind Macon's Nutcracker
DIRECTOR: Stephanie Shadden
TRT: 56:21
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: For 40 years a ballet company in Central Georgia has been enchanting audiences with a magical performance of The Nutcracker. The beautiful sets, exceptional costumes, and brilliant young dancers present a first class, masterful show every December. This professional-level performance is produced with the support and constant hard work of the local community. A Grand Ensemble follows the year-long process of a small but persistent community as they come together to stage an outstanding production of the holiday tradition. From auditions to closing night, the documentary captures the dedication of dancers, instructors, parents, volunteers, and crew who pour their time and heart into maintaining a professional, top-tier production of The Nutcracker.
RATINGS: None

Friday August 21, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Theatre Macon 438 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201

Georgia Made, Official Selection

10:30am EDT

Documentary Shorts - GEORGIA STORIES

Saturday August 22, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Douglass Theatre

TITLE: Compromised
DIRECTOR: Rachel Hardy
TRT: 41:46
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: Discover the untold story of America's education system as we journey alongside Black educators, the forgotten heroes whose pivotal roles in the Brown v. Board case reshaped history. Witness their extraordinary journey as their tireless advocacy turns the tide of history, only to face the tumultuous aftermath that upends their lives and reshapes the entire educational landscape.
RATINGS: None

TITLE: Dorchester Academy: A Legacy of Liberty
DIRECTOR: Kay Flowers Johnson
TRT:41:04
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: A documentary film highlighting a former African-American boarding school in South Georgia that went on to play a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Ambassador Andrew Young joins local historians in recalling how he, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other Civil Rights icons came to Liberty County in the 1960s to teach citizenship and voting rights to hundreds of Black citizens who traveled to the idyllic campus. This documentary reveals not only seldom-told local history, but significant American history. This film is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the treasured legacy of a place, a people, and a history that changed the world.
RATINGS: None

Saturday August 22, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Douglass Theatre 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Macon, GA 31201

Georgia Made, Official Selection

2:00pm EDT

Narrative Shorts - GEORGIA MADE

Saturday August 22, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Douglass Theatre

TITLE: SnowBugs
DIRECTOR: Jenny Schuermann
TRT: 2:43
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: During a snow day, three girls find themselves in a tricky situation after one of them accidentally goes too far during their snowball fight.
RATINGS: None

TITLE: Tapestry
DIRECTOR: Jason Sheedy
TRT: 6:30
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: A desperate mother performs an occult ritual to resurrect her lost child.
RATINGS: None

TITLE: Blank Slate
DIRECTOR: Andrew Schwab
TRT: 15:34
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States (Georgia Made)
SYNOPSIS: Claiming to remember every moment of her life, a woman spirals between past and present during an interview for her local news channel, slowly revealing the hidden cost of a life she can never leave behind as her memories start closing in around her.
RATINGS: Language

TITLE: Deuce Purgatory
DIRECTOR: Sydney Adams
TRT: 14:07
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: ‘Deuce Purgatory’ is an absurdist comedy about a mixed doubles tennis match that devolves into madness when the players get stuck at 40-40 for seemingly an eternity. Our loveable, self-hating but tennis obsessed protagonist Shelly Shlop realizes that in order to win the match, she must find self-worth. 'Deuce' explores how sports bring out our worst (and best).
RATINGS: Language, Violence

TITLE: Fantomet
DIRECTOR: Rob Tiffin, Mitchell Hardage
TRT: 10:56
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SYNOPSIS: A man rents an Airbnb for the weekend. As he settles in, signs emerge that he may not be alone.
RATINGS: None

Saturday August 22, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Douglass Theatre 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Macon, GA 31201

Georgia Made, Official Selection

4:15pm EDT

Georgia Made - BRANNU: THE URBAN HORSEMAN

Sunday August 23, 2026 4:15pm - 6:00pm EDT

Theatre Macon

TITLE: Brannu: The Urban Horseman
DIRECTOR: Adelin Gasana
TRT: 108:00
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States (Georgia Made)

SYNOPSIS: Wild Man. Animal Abuser. Squatter. Crazy. Outlaw. Troublemaker. These are the many labels hurled at Brandon Fulton to describe his lifestyle and ranching entrepreneurship. Going with his moniker “Brannu”, Fulton has been the recognizable local horseman in the southwestern part of Fulton County, Georgia. Since his arrival on the scene training and tending to horses and building up his ranch-style property, he has been the target of local government for a decade. City and county officials have cited him, arrested him, and imposed on him their will for the 27-acre land that he owns. In this adventure story the legal bounds of what land, freedom, and property mean in an agriculture state will be portrayed. Economic and sociopolitical forces of gentrification, eminent domain and urbanization will be addressed. Cameras will capture the nuance of Brannu’s daily life and his routine in fighting for his version of the American Dream. This is a coming-of-age story that shines light on the power of dreams where a Black man realizes his full potential in the crux of unchartered territory in 21st century America.

RATINGS: Strong Language, Adult Situations

Sunday August 23, 2026 4:15pm - 6:00pm EDT
Theatre Macon 438 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201

Georgia Made, Official Selection

2026 Macon Film Festival

6:00pm EDT

10:30am EDT

2:00pm EDT

4:15pm EDT

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