Lack of Public Trust at Rome International Film Festival in Floyd County
The Mind of a Dumb-Dumb & the Action of an Ignominious Boor
The 2021 Rome International Film Festival (or RIFF for short) has ended.
It’s over.
But, wait…Hang on a minute. What’s that smell? Is that lingering smell coming from RIFF 2020? People are starting to figure out the source of the “stank” as rumors run rampant along Broad Street. In other words, RIFF 2020 still stinks and citizens are talking about it.
From the get-go, a question emerges: Did RIFF 2020 act in the public’s best interest?
As the Crier ponders the significance of RIFF 2020, two fictional scenarios emerge.
Scenario 1: In the first fictional scenario stands a young filmmaker in high school. He has spent a few years writing a screenplay: revision after revision after revision. Finally, with a final draft in hand, he spends the next three years hoarding pennies and quarters in order to rake together enough money to shoot his film. Although it takes a full year to shoot, he nonetheless finishes the film and prepares to enter that film into a film festival. This young man of color has a unique worldview to share, and the festival circuit seems the best route to go.
Scenario 2: In the second fictional scenario stands an older filmmaker fresh into the retirement years. She has always wanted to make a film but never could because of job and family responsibilities. Now retired two years, she has written a script and used meagre portions of her pension to finance the shoot. This older woman has a unique worldview to share, too, and the festival circuit seems the best route to go.
With these fictional scenarios in mind, let’s carry them to their logical conclusions as it relates to RIFF 2020. With that said, imagine that the older woman and young man decide to enter RIFF 2020—for as the “2020 Code of Conduct” states “All attendees…[won’t] be a jerk.” The “Frequently Asked Questions” even extols “the jury will narrow the films down” for selection. Both the young man and older woman think what an upright, honest festival. No jerks allowed is a good rule, and a jury of judges will fairly assess the films. Juries always deliver justice.
The young man enters RIFF 2020—the one in Floyd County.
The older woman enters RIFF 2020—the one in Floyd County.
Then, months pass.
The two filmmakers finally get notices that their films were not accepted. This rejection is in no manner a reflection upon their creativity or insight, presumably states the organizers. As festivals go, only a certain number of films are ever admitted for public screening. The rejection notice presumably concludes by encouraging both to enter next year (presumably with a new entry fee of course) and to keep making films. After all, Georgia is a burgeoning film mecca.
Although heart broken, both the older woman and young man decide to buy a pass in order to virtually attend the 2020 festival—it’s COVID after all. Still excited to be part of the festivities, both the older woman and young man come to a terrible realization as they screen the films.
The 2020 Rome International Film Festival was less than honest—even unethical—as based upon publicly-available information found on the festival’s website.
Upon closer examination, both of these filmmakers—the older woman and young man that is—realize that at least two spots on the screening schedule (presumably even their two spots) are taken by members of the executive board, specifically Executive Creative Director Seth Ingram & Education Director Katherine Dudley. The older woman and young man realize that these self-aggrandizing board members—call them Ignominious Ingram & Dumb Dudley—actually entered films into a festival that they managed and procured. Simultaneously, both filmmakers—the older woman and young man that is—presumably think to themselves: These board members are jerks. When selecting films, did the jury show any favoritism? Did the board members choose the jury? Who sits on the jury? Isn’t this a serious breach of ethics? Isn’t this a conflict of interest? Where’s the honesty & propriety? Isn’t this an abuse of power?
Wait a minute! Hold on! This doesn’t seem fair!
Is this a film festival or flim-flam festival? RIFF is just a bunch of flim-flammers!
Editorial Note: Regarding the 2020 Festival, the Crier chooses these monikers for simple reasons, specifically the Ignominious Ingram & Dumb Dudley monikers.
It’s obvious: a) Ingram is ignominious; b) Dudley is just dumb. Allow the Crier to explain.
a) Executive/Creative Directors of organizations should not act dishonorably—at least in public; in other words, such leaders should avoid ignominy. Executive/Creative Directors of organizations acting with such ignominy—or favoring their own work over others—should be dishonorably discharged from the rank and file. In the end, Ignominious Ingram should be dishonorably discharged from RIFF, but before that, Ignominious Ingram should issue a public apology: via RIFF’s website, via RIFF’s social media feeds, via the Rome News Tribune, via Rome Radio Partners, via meetings at the Rome Floyd Chamber, via meetings at Rome Rotary, via meetings at Leadership Rome. Most importantly, Ignominious Ingram should issue a verbal apology—in person & at the podium—on RIFF’s opening and closing nights. Such an admission would prove prudent and travel well amongst the community. Still, after the apology, Ignominious Ingram should be dishonorably discharged from RIFF. Understand, the apology is the punishment while dismissal is the consequence—two separate actions those in the Roman power elite are simply incapable of comprehending because many in Floyd County act with such favoritism and ignominy. Dear reader, that’s why this action will go unpunished. Again, this sordidness will go without consequence as it’s the “Roman Rule” in Floyd County.
b) Education Directors of organizations should possess some “smarts.” Checkout out Dumb Dudley’s online and publicly-accessible filmography; the work issues from the mind of a simpleton, the kind of banal simplicity one finds in an eighth-graders movie. You’ve seen those movies before, the ones where a middle-schooler steals their father’s video camera in order to make a movie; it’s dumb at best. For fun, check out Dumb Dudley’s “Scavenger Hunt,” “Why I Love North Carolina,” and “Digital Production at Shorter University.” These are real gems and publicly accessible on YouTube. In the end, Dumb Dudley should be dishonorably discharged from RIFF for making dumb films and then using her own festival to propagate such puerile rubbish—although RIFF only preferentially screened one of the films noted above. Ultimately, the Crier feels sorry for Dumb-Dumb; she appears too dumb to act with ignominy—bless her heart. At least—then—she could be cast as an ignominious villain in this small-town tale, but instead, she’s just a middle-schooler roaming the halls at recess.
Now in all fairness, these two self-serving board members seem popular—the kind of kids to a win a middle-school popularity contest for farting the loudest or holding their breath the longest—but that fails to dismiss the boorish ignominy in one and the sheer stupidity in the other. Ignominy & dumbness often walk hand in hand, and with that said, Ingram and Dudley are certainly ignominious & dumb—respectively of course.
Once again in all fairness, these remarks apply to RIFF 2020. Who knows if Dumb-Dumb & Ignominious are linked to RIFF 2021; the Crier (probably) won’t explore RIFF 2021 in the light of the ignominy & dumbness so prevalent at RIFF 2020. Why would anyone? The playing field isn’t level. To put it crassly, they’re just a bunch of cheatin’ chumps.
The older woman and young man can only speculate about such dishonesty because they are voiceless, standing alone in a vacuum where no one will listen. Life is seldom fair for the artist, they quickly learn. They think to themselves, RIFF 2020 says it “seeks to be an inclusive organization,” but it seems to favor its board members while excluding average participants. RIFF 2020 isn’t “inclusive” but rather “exclusive” for its board members, specifically Ignominious Ingram & Dumb Dudley.
The older woman and young man—our fictional characters—think a rebranding is in order. Why not rename the festival? What a great idea!
Since the RIFF 2020 Executive/Creative Director and the RIFF 2020 Education Director—Ignominious Ingram & Dumb Dudley that is—wielded such power at RIFF 2020, why not call it DIFF instead? It does possess a certain honesty. Close your eyes; can’t you see the new festival posters?
DIFF: The Dudley Ingram Film Festival!
DIFF: The Festival Where Entry Fees Go to Die!
DIFF: The Festival Where Nobodies Play Lacky to Board-Members.
DIFF: The Festival Where Creativity Seldom Lingers!
DIFF: The Festival Where the Worldview of Ignominious Ingram Matters?
DIFF: The Festival Where the Worldview of Dumb Dudley Matters?
DIFF: The Festival for Ignominy!
DIFF: The Festival for Dumb-Dumb!
DIFF: Dumbness & Ignominy in 2020!
DIFF: The Dudley Ingram Film Festival!
In the end, the young man and older woman—our fictional filmmakers—realize the nature of systemic power as it plays out in a small film festival in NW Georgia. It seems almost trivial, but what if all film festivals are doing this? What if all festivals are favoring their board members? With a burgeoning film industry in Georgia, what type of culture thrives in such a city…such a state? Might such a city cheat on its citizenry in terms of services and goods? Can the citizenry trust its leaders? Can the citizenry trust its elections? What other improprieties might abound? Trapped in a world of dumb-dumb, trapped in a world of ignominy—where’s the center of gravity?
In light of the RIFF 2020 shenanigans, these are justified questions—certainly not accusations. That said, be careful the questions you ask about a small-time film festival, but these are fair questions any journalist or citizen should ask in light of the silliness at RIFF 2020. When the powerful act with such ignominy & dumbness before the public, responsible citizens must question those actions; it’s a civic responsibility to question such arrogance and ostentation—such ignominy & dumbness. What would Marcus Aurelius—a thinker from a different time and a different Rome—say about RIFF 2020? What questions might Aurelius pose about virtue and prudence?
Shouldn’t Tony McIntosh & First News on WRGA be asking such questions? But, in all fairness, McIntosh is certainly no Marcus Aurelius.
Shouldn’t Rome News Tribune be asking such questions—especially since the paper has covered Dumb Dudley and her “oeuvre” of dumb-dumb. The paper has also covered Ole Ignominious. Where’s the reportage now? Wake up, Rome News Tribune! But, in all fairness, Rome News Tribune doesn’t have the likes of a Marcus Aurelius on staff.
With no Marcus Aurelius seemingly present, a fool must speak—thus the Crier.
That said, such questions seem fair indicators for the type of community Rome will foster. Those who control stories control culture, after all. Those in positions of systemic power should be role models rather than charlatans and self-aggrandizing “board members,” board members like Ignominious Ingram & Dumb Dudley.
Ultimately, a simple question remains: Did RIFF 2020 act in the public’s best interest?
Again, Tony McIntosh—why aren’t you asking this question?
Again, Rome Radio Partners—where are you?
Again, Rome News Tribune—where are you?
Tony McIntosh, Rome Radio Partners, Rome News Tribune: they all seem to be walking around in a convenient daze thinking: “We’s be making the movies in Rome; ain’t we cool?”
Again, did RIFF 2020 act in the public’s best interest?
With that said, a variation on the original question now arises.
Since it describes itself as “international,” did RIFF 2020 act in the world’s best interest? In other words, is RIFF an honest global citizen?
Somebody answer the questions—honestly & openly.
If you say “no,” then you have the ability to think and act with prudence and virtue. But, if you say “yes,” then where and how might those with systemic power be checked? How might systemic influence and systemic power be equally propagated amongst the inferior masses? Suddenly, an insignificant film festival in NW Georgia suddenly matters—not because of its silly films but because of the power-hungry elites who procure and curate the films.
It would seem the Rome community needs to clean house by vanquishing the current board—all of those self-serving pillocks—and electing a new board, a board focused on honesty and fair play. RIFF can’t (obviously) be allowed to police itself, so more mature and honest citizens need to intervene and rectify and eliminate. Said another way, can someone please send in responsible adults to spank these toddlers? Would the adults please discipline this playroom of moviemaking adolescents…this nursery of plastic auteurs...these children that deem their worldview so important as to cheat. A new and more adult RIFF would embrace a spirit of openness and integrity—right? Only by disciplining—that is firing—its current board can Roman cinema ever reach an honest zenith.
As for now, RIFF 2020 stands mired and sullied in dumbness & ignominy—just remember Ingram the Ignominious & Dudley the Dumb-Dumb. Maybe, these monikers should be put on bumper stickers and tee-shirts and given out at RIFF. Or, should the Crier insist on calling it DIFF—The Dudley Ingram Film Festival?
Put simply, RIFF 2020 still stinks.
But wait—what’s that awful smell?
Like a wet fart trapped in an elevator, the Crier smells the stench of RIFF 2021 wafting through the streets of Rome. To paraphrase Yeats, the Crier wonders what dumb & ignominious beast might be slouching toward Rome to be reborn.
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Desoto Cinema courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Thomson200
Such honesty is refreshing!
RIFF is a sham!