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.

RIFF’s Friday screenings begin November 6, 2026, at 11 a.m. at the Historic DeSoto Theatre in downtown Rome, GA, with the narrative shorts program Everything That Rises Must Wrestle. Animation follows at 11:30 a.m. at SPAM Studios, with later events also using Screen 417 and Rome City Auditorium.

The day moves from shorts to true crime, creative workshops and evening features. Overlapping programs give documentary fans, filmmakers and comedy audiences different ways to make a festival outing their own.

Evening choices include How to Feed a Dictator at 7 p.m. at the DeSoto and Don Verdean with special guests Jared and Jerusha Hess at 7:05 p.m. at the auditorium.

This guide helps you compare those choices and leave room for dinner. Times are local to Rome; confirm reservations and any changes through the official RIFF schedule.

Choosing where to eat in downtown Rome, GA, during RIFF is partly about appetite and partly about the clock. Eight nearby restaurants offer different ways to turn a gap between screenings into a good meal.

Ana’s by the River brings a muffuletta or Cuban to the discussion; Schroeder’s New Deli pairs pizza with fried mushrooms; and Doug’s Deli Downtown gives sandwich and burger fans another lunch option.

Harvest Moon offers Southern dishes, John Henry’s a broader grill menu, and Moe’s Original Bar B Que barbecue with familiar sides. Jefferson’s belongs on the list for local favorites including fried pickles and wings.

For an evening when dinner deserves its own place on the itinerary, Chophouse on Broad offers the steakhouse option. Compare the menus and opening hours below before committing: an early deli lunch and a leisurely steak dinner fit very different spaces on a festival schedule.

Click a linked restaurant name to open its Seven Hills Spotlight directory listing, with a map and directions for your next visit.

RIFF’s Saturday program unfolds across downtown Rome, GA, on November 7, 2026, starting with Saturday Morning Cartoons at 10 a.m. at Screen 417. A 10:30 a.m. conversation with Danny McBride at SPAM Studios has separate admission restrictions.

The rest of the day brings features, shorts and filmmaker sessions to Screen 417, SPAM Studios, the Historic DeSoto Theatre and Rome City Auditorium. Several programs overlap, making Saturday the day to choose your priorities before filling the gaps.

McBride’s evening screening and Q&A is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.; its venue and screening selections were still awaiting confirmation in the schedule used for this guide.

A general festival pass should not be assumed to admit you to the morning McBride conversation. Use the choices below to build your day, then check the official RIFF schedule for updated locations, reservations and admission terms.

King Arthur has a fresh reason to start holiday baking early: 15% off eligible merchandise orders over $60, before tax and shipping, through November 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

A separate offer takes $5 off each of three qualifying Holiday On-Demand Baking Classes purchased together, through the same deadline.

The merchandise discount excludes classes, appliances and accessories, already discounted products, gift cards and certain brands; see the full article for details. Offers cannot be combined.

Purchases through the affiliate links in the full article help support Seven Hills Spotlight at no additional cost to you.

RIFF’s closing day is Sunday, November 8, 2026, in downtown Rome, GA, beginning with RIFF Awards and Biscuits at 10:15 a.m. at Rome City Auditorium. Afternoon screenings take place at SPAM Studios and the Historic DeSoto Theatre, before a 7 p.m. Dolly Parton tribute concert at the auditorium.

Georgia-made documentaries, student films and narrative shorts give the afternoon several distinct directions. Some programs start at nearly the same time, so choosing a favorite matters more than trying to see everything.

The DeSoto’s 4:40 p.m. screening of Frogtown provides a late-afternoon anchor before the closing concert. The tribute features performers celebrating Dolly’s music; it is not an appearance by Dolly Parton.

This guide follows the day from awards to the final gathering, with times, venues and overlapping choices. Check the official RIFF schedule and each event’s admission requirements before reserving.

Halloween candy belongs to trick-or-treaters, not dogs.

Doorstep bowls, party leftovers and dropped wrappers can put tempting—and dangerous—treats within reach.

Chocolate is especially concerning because dogs cannot process its theobromine and caffeine the way people can.

Dark and baking chocolate generally pose the greatest risk, but any suspected chocolate ingestion warrants a call to your veterinarian.

Vomiting, diarrhea and restlessness may be warning signs; tremors, an abnormal heartbeat or seizures require urgent care.

Other Halloween hazards include xylitol, a sweetener in some sugar-free candy and gum, and raisins, which can cause kidney injury.

Hard candy and wrappers can also cause choking or blockages.

Do not wait for symptoms if your dog gets into candy.

Check the packaging and promptly tell a veterinarian what your dog ate, how much and when; do not induce vomiting unless instructed.

Keep candy secured, check walkways for dropped treats and offer your dog a familiar pet-safe snack instead.

Bell Recital Hall, Berry College — Thursday, November 5, 7 p.m.: Saxophonist Gary Paulo and pianists Kris Carlisle and Kathryn Nobles present a Faculty Artist Series concert exploring music from around the world.

Five more concerts follow: STELLARUM (Nov. 8), jazz ensemble (Nov. 12), community orchestra (Nov. 17), wind ensemble (Nov. 19) and the choirs’ holiday concert (Dec. 4).

All begin at 7 p.m. in Bell Recital Hall; most are FREE.

For the concert calendar and admission details click HERE.

Milk Street is full of useful kitchen tools, unusual pantry finds and gifts for cooks who are hard to buy for.

Sale prices checked November 3 include the 8-inch hammered carbon-steel skillet at $49.95 and the Pasta Pot at $99.95.

New arrivals include Scottish shortbread, Spanish chocolate fig bonbons, alfajores and chocolate Advent calendars. Frequent shoppers can also compare the $30-per-year Store Pass, which offers member pricing and early access to sales and new products.

Read the full article for affiliate links and disclosure; purchases through those links help support Seven Hills Spotlight at no additional cost to you.