The South Georgia Film Festival will commemorate the opening of its third annual celebration of the creative spirit on Friday, March 1, with a community-wide bash from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Georgia Beer Company in historic Downtown Valdosta.

“Like filmmaking, Georgia Beer Company is both art and industry,” said Jason Brown, festival director and associate professor of mass media at Valdosta State University. “We want to partner with the best of what’s happening, and to us, that means great people like Chris Jones and Jack Martin at Georgia Beer Company, Valdosta State alumni who have made something and brought it back to our community.”

“This will be the first large event at the brewery upon opening,” Jones added. “Thanks to Valdosta State University, Jason Brown, and the South Georgia Film Festival for putting together this awesome event.”

Miss Kate’s Deep South Tours and Valdosta Main Street have also joined the effort and are working to make the most of the 2019 South Georgia Film Festival kickoff event by inviting restaurants and other organizations to showcase the food and fun available locally. They plan to fill the space behind Georgia Beer Company’s 100-year-old revitalized brick building at 109 S. Briggs St. with these vendors and introduce visiting filmmakers to all that makes Valdosta an exciting place to live, work, and create.

Admission to the kickoff event is $10 and includes a collectors’ glass and a free beer or soft drink. Admission is free for those holding an All Access VIP Pass or a Festival Pass, both of which are available for purchase at SouthGeorgiaFilm.com. All Access VIP Pass holders will also have access to a special VIP section inside the brewery “to see how the magic happens,” Jones said.

Collectors’ glasses will be available for purchase at the event.

Having recently started their first large batch, Georgia Beer Company is a start-up brewery producing craft beer in Valdosta. The brewery expects to be open to the public in the first quarter of 2019 and plans to distribute kegs and cans through grocery stores, package stores, bars, restaurants, and other licensed retailers. Patrons will be able to purchase pints on-site in the tap room.

Entering its third year, the South Georgia Film Festival continues to connect with partners in the Valdosta community, including Valdosta State University, Georgia Power, Wild Adventures, the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta Main Street, The Valdosta Daily Times, Miss Kate’s Deep South Tours, Talk 92.1, and Fusion Marketing. With a focus on entrepreneurship through filmmaking, the festival continues to promote the regional film industry with panelists discussing both the craft and industrial impact of film for local businesses. This year’s festival has already secured panelists Brandi Nicole Payne of Seed & Spark to discuss Crowdfunding, producer Tara Ansley, and actor Ian Anderson, along with many others not yet announced.

The South Georgia Film Festival received more than 450 submissions worldwide in 2018. This year’s festival will include feature and short films over a three-day period at two locations on the Valdosta State University campus. Along with screenings from national and international filmmakers, the festival will also host a scholarship competition, sponsored by VSU’s Office of Admissions, for high school and college filmmakers interested in attending Valdosta State.

Passes to this year’s festival are currently available. The All Access VIP Pass, which includes a T-shirt and access to the upcoming Georgia Production Partnership meeting on Feb. 28, is $100. The Festival Pass, which offers access to all screenings, panels, and daily events, is $40. A Day Pass is available for $15.