The Rome International Film Festival runs November 5–8, 2026, in downtown Rome, GA. Opening night begins Thursday with a 6:15 p.m. red carpet outside the Historic DeSoto Theatre, followed by The Accountant with special guest Ray McKinnon at 7:15 p.m.

The weekend also uses Rome City Auditorium, SPAM Studios and Screen 417. Friday’s screenings begin at 11 a.m., Saturday’s cartoons at 10 a.m., and Sunday’s Awards and Biscuits at 10:15 a.m.

Recognizable guests, including Flannery O’Connor Award honoree Danny McBride, share the program with independent features, documentaries, shorts and conversations about filmmaking.

Whether you have one evening or four days, start with an event you most want to attend and build around its venue and admission rules. Some programs overlap, and certain Saturday evening locations remain pending.

This overview explains the choices, reservations and travel between venues. Keep the official RIFF schedule handy as your final source for updates.

The published schedule uses the Historic DeSoto Theatre, Rome City Auditorium, SPAM Studios and Screen 417, with some Saturday evening locations still pending.

Read the venue on each individual event rather than assuming every major screening takes place in the same room.

Thursday is the compact introduction: opening-night red carpet, The Accountant with special guest Ray McKinnon, and a late shorts program.

Friday offers a longer mix of screenings and discussions, including a true-crime conversation and sessions focused on sustaining creative work.

Saturday is the busiest planning challenge, with several simultaneous programs and Danny McBride's daytime conversation and evening appearance.

Sunday combines the awards gathering, afternoon shorts, a late-afternoon feature and the closing Dolly Parton tribute concert.

Shorts blocks are particularly useful for newcomers because one reservation introduces several filmmakers and storytelling approaches.

They are also a sensible choice for visitors who enjoy variety but do not want to commit their entire day to one kind of movie.

Features provide a different experience: more time with a single story and a clear anchor around which to arrange lunch or dinner.

Filmmaking workshops and conversations suit guests interested in what happens before a movie reaches the screen.

Choose an anchor event before filling the gaps, especially when two appealing programs overlap.

Friday's Don Verdean and How to Feed a Dictator screenings begin at 7:05 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively, at different venues.

That is a decision point, not a double feature.

Reservations matter even after purchasing a pass: the festival instructs passholders to reserve tickets to guarantee their seats.

It also asks attendees to be seated 15 minutes before the event, when unfilled seats may be released to waiting guests.

Do not assume a general pass includes every special event under identical terms.

McBride's Saturday morning conversation has restricted admission, while details for his evening screening remain partly unannounced.

The schedule is listed in Rome's local time, and a screening's scheduled end should guide any attempt to move between programs.

Allow additional time for walking, finding your next room, ordering food and getting seated.

For an easy first visit, pair an afternoon screening with dinner and one evening event rather than trying to fill every available hour.

Check the live program again shortly before attending, and keep your ticket confirmations handy.

The goal is to enjoy the movies and conversations, with enough breathing room to talk about them afterward.

See the official RIFF schedule for updates.

For Tickets click HERE.