Warner Robins area offering medley of upcoming arts events

There are particularly good reasons to head to Warner Robins this weekend and next: the premiere this Saturday of the locally made independent film “Midknight,” and on Feb. 8, the Middle Georgia Literary Festival.

“Midknight”

“Midknight” is the handiwork of Centerville’s Phillip Serafin Wheeler who now uses the name Phillip Serafin in his filmmaker-director role. Serafin won the Audience Choice Award in Macon Film Festival’s 2019 Macon Made category for his short film “Euphorica.” It dealt with substance abuse, and he made it while a student at Middle Georgia State College and University studying media and communications.

That’s when I first met him and was struck by his whole-hearted love for cinema and filmmaking.

Serafin started writing “Midknight” just after the Macon festival as his first full-length feature film. Filming was just underway when COVID-19 hit. It put the kibosh on things but didn’t daunt him, just slowed him down and gave time to build his photography/videography/visual editing and creation company serving local businesses, communities and individuals.

It’s doing well but he’s not veering from his true filmmaker ambitions.

“I just love cinema,” he told me. “I love storytelling. I love the medium. I love turning a story into something you can visually ingest, enjoy, relate to and maybe learn from. I think film can motivate people to do the right thing and I’m interested in that. I chose the name Rectify Film for my company because it means to put things right.”

As for “Midknight,” it’s a crime thriller with human trafficking at its core. It’s Serafin’s baby but he’s a collaborator with co-writing credits going to him, Jacob Takas and Jelani Parker. He and Takas are producers along with Walter Duckworth.

Jelani and Duckworth act in the film along with Levi Shelton and Hanna Kemp. Kemp is a creative powerhouse from Perry with a growing number of commercials and dramatic and comedic roles under her belt and years of writing and directing credits with the Perry Players.

The only seriously out-of-Middle-Georgia talent connected to the film I’m aware of is its Turkish music composer, Barak Berker, who Serafin found online and will likely continue collaborating with.

He assures me he’s amazing.

You won’t see “Midknight” on a streaming service or YouTube anytime soon, and that leads to something else Serafin is passionate about: getting people back into theaters watching the art form on big screens with fellow audience members.

Serafin said even as editor of “Midknight” he realized the difference.

“I’ve seen it a thousand times editing on a small screen,” he said. “Then when I watched it on a big screen it felt different, larger than life, more in your face. I had to recut scenes after seeing it on a grand scale. The energy is so much better.”

There’s only one showing of “Midknight” on the one day, so see it Saturday or miss it. Serafin hopes people will come and be entertained, of course, but also that people interested in filmmaking will come network.

“Most of the actors and crew will be there and I think they’ll be surprised seeing how the final product turned out, especially on a big screen,” he said. “I hope other local actors and cinematographers and filmmakers will come and meet face to face. It’s a good, solid crime story that I think everyone will enjoy.”

Serafin said he’s at work writing his next film. He said he’ll go heavy on preproduction preparation and collaborations.

“I want to be the best director I can and be able to help my actors,” he said. “I want to be dedicated to being the writer-director and not do so many other things like I did on “Midknight,” like the cinematography.”

Find ticketing for “Midknight,” trailers and more information through social media. Begin your search via facebook.com/midknightfilm, instagram.com/midknightfilm and instagram.com/rectifyfilm. GTC Houston Lakes Cinemas is located at 1121 Ga. 96.

Middle Georgia Literary Festival

Called a celebration of books, creativity and community, the Middle Georgia Literary Festival – also called the Middle Georgia Lit Fest – is Feb. 8 from noon until 4 p.m. at the North Houston Sports Complex, 900 North Houston Rd., in Warner Robins.

It’s the fifth festival since its pre-Covid beginnings in 2017 at Between Friends Coffee, a woman-owned, non-franchise coffee shop, cafe, bakery, bookstore and event center also located in Warner Robins on Ga. 96, not far off Interstate 75.

It’s clear the shop’s owner-operators, Jaimie Miller and Victoria Hawkins, are book nerds since the place is literary-themed with coffees and drinks named after prominent and not-so-prominent authors. Between them, the two are authors, book designers and more. In the establishment’s eight years, they’ve also created Between Friends Publishing which they call a trusted and ethical publishing company providing independent authors with an affordable and empowering alternative to vanity press publishing.

The distinctions aren’t heavily drawn, but Miller leads the way as an author, having written since she was a child and published 19 works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Hawkins is a multi-talented artist and graphic designer.

But back to the lit fest.

“We started it for the same reason Between Friends is literary-themed,” Miller told me. “We love books, are all about literacy and want to do what we can to promote it. I know the value of literacy and books and what life can be without them. My great-grandfather died not knowing how to sign his name and I can trace a lot of family trauma back to that. Do you know how closely not being able to read or write is tied to poverty, crime and prison recidivism? The state of Georgia uses third-grade reading tests to project the number of prison beds needed in the future. If we can do little things to promote literacy, we will.”

Of course, authors at the festival will be selling their books, but Miller said there’s a catch.

“Every author has to donate a book to give to a school or prison,” she said.

Each year, a growing number of local and national authors, poets, illustrators, literary professionals, publishers, podcasters, voice actors and select vendors participate. She said the event is for book lovers, avid readers, writers, aspiring writers and anyone looking for something fun and family-friendly to do. There will be food trucks and break-out sessions from writing to branding to children’s book readings. Details are on their website.

Featured guest this year is Margaret South who, along with Bette Midler and Bonnie Bruckheimer, formed All Girl Productions which created the popular film “Beaches” and other projects. She’s developed projects for Disney, Fox, Tri-Star Studios and other studios and networks. South lives in Houston County now and is an in-demand workshop leader who specializes in story structure. She offers writing courses, private story coaching and even makes available free story-telling goodies on her website, margaretsouth.com.

In addition to Between Friends Coffee and Between Friends Publishing, the festival is in collaboration with the City of Warner Robins and Visit Warner Robins.

“Mayor LaRhonda Patrick is passionate about literacy,” Miller said. “She loves the idea of the festival and said, ‘I’ll give you whatever you want. You can have it at the North Houston Sports Complex.’ The complex is so nice with space for the festival and sessions. We’re grateful and proud to have a facility like that and a mayor who understands and cares about promoting literacy.”

In turn, Patrick said, “The Middle Georgia Lit Fest is a shining example of how our community comes together to celebrate the power of storytelling and creativity. This event not only provides an incredible platform for authors, poets and creatives, but it also aligns perfectly with my Mayor’s Literacy Legends Initiative – an effort to foster literacy and a love of reading in Warner Robins and beyond.”

Patrick said she encourages families, aspiring writers and book lovers of all ages to take part in the festival, adding that working together, the city, educators, the private sector, families and individuals can inspire a lifelong appreciation for literature and the arts.

Miller acknowledges being at the complex is a game changer, enabling the festival to attract around 80 book-related participants, significantly more than could have been part of the festival’s early years at Between Friends.

And she thinks back to her early years becoming a book lover.

“Reading just offers so much,” she said. “We moved a lot as a military family when I was a kid, and I felt lonely. Libraries became my best friend everywhere we went and books were my constant companions.”

Admission to the Middle Georgia Lit Fest is free. Its website is middlegalitfest.com. Miller’s website is jermiller.com where you can learn about her writing. You can also go to magnoliamanorseries.com which is dedicated to her unique Magnolia Manor series. 

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.