2021 Milledgeville-Eatonton Film Festival moving online

Due to a disagreement over COVID precautions, organizers will present the Milledgeville-Eatonton Film Festival virtually. 

Festival Founder and President Jeremiah Bennett confirmed the news to Lake Country Today in an exclusive interview.  

Bennett said they already had to modify the event because their usual venue, at Georgia College, was not available this year. 

“They’re not allowing outside events at this time that are not part of the school system. So we had worked out a deal to hold all of our screens at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton,” said Bennett.

Organizers continued to monitor the COVID-19 situation and ultimately decided to put health guidelines in place. 

Those included a mask mandate, spaced seating and temperature checks. Guests would also have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test less than three days old. 

“Unfortunately, the executive director of the plaza denied our request and said that they would not sponsor or allow us to place these guidelines,” Bennett said in a telephone interview. 

Bennett sent Lake Country Today the entire email exchange with the director of The Plaza. 

“I understand where you are coming from, but The Plaza has elected to follow the governor’s most current executive order and this list is not in compliance with that order,” Dr. Susan Usry, Executive Director of the Plaza Arts Center, said in an email to Bennett. “I am not comfortable with this list since we are a sponsor and this is not a straight rental.”

The event will now take place virtually over a new streaming platform, Moko. 

Organizers will show 140 short and feature films from November 15th-21st. 

“Support these filmmakers,” Bennett said. “And support organizations that believe in keeping people safe.”