NEGRO TERROR: THE VOICE OF MEMPHIS (2019)

  • THIS WORLD ALONE, WRESTLE, THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA Win at 2019 Oxford Film Festival

    This World Alone by Jordan Noel
    This World Alone by Jordan Noel

    Jordan Noel’s THIS WORLD ALONE won the top Hoka award for Best Narrative Feature, and Suzannah Herbert and Lauren Belfer’s WRESTLE won for Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Oxford Film Festival.

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  • 2019 Oxford Film Festival Reveals Competition Films, Opens with John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT

    [caption id="attachment_33037" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] GHOST LIGHT[/caption] The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10), will kickoff with John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT as the Opening Night Gala selection, and Jacqueline Olive’s ALWAYS IN SEASON tabbed as the fest’s Closing Night Gala selection  immediately following its debut at Sundance.  Another choice hot off of Sundance will be Jon Strong’s documentary, LONG TIME COMING, presented as a Special Screening. Oxford Film Festival favorite Malcolm Ingram will present his latest documentary, SOUTHERN PRIDE as a Special Screening as well. Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT combines laughs and scares as an understudy, aiming for the lead role and the leading lady during a traveling production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, unleashes mayhem by disregarding the time-honored superstitions that go along with staging “The Scottish Tragedy.” The film stars an impressive cast including Cary Elwes, Roger Bart, Carol Kane, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, and Tom Riley. The film screens Thursday, February 7 at 7:00PM at the Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.). Mississippi native Olive’s film, ALWAYS IN SEASON takes a look at how the terrorism of lynching in our country’s history still bleeds into the present via the case of Lennon Lacy, a teenage boy found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014. The film traces his mother’s pursuit of justice for her son as well as intersecting with stories from other communities looking seeking justice and reconciliation. The film screens Sunday, February 10 at 6:00PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.). The two documentaries receiving Special Screening presentations include Strong’s LONG TIME COMING, which looks at how a simple little league game was anything but when it took place in the racially segregated South in 1955, and the two teams in question were a team of white boys and a team of black boys. Ingram’s SOUTHERN PRIDE brings us up to date via his film juxtaposing a bar owner who struggles to organize a Pride march in her hometown in Mississippi, while in another part of the state organizers of a Black Pride celebration are working to overcome numerous obstacles facing them. Narrative feature films in competition this year include: Daniel Campbell’s ANTIQUITIES; Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT; Rob Heydon’s ISABELLE; Alex Eaton’s MOUNTAIN REST; Katie Orr’s POOR JANE; Jillian Armenante’s STUCK; and Jordan Noel’s THIS WORLD ALONE. Documentary features in competition include; Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY; Nicholas Laviola’s HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD; Assia Boundaoui’s THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED; Jon Strong’s LONG TIME COMING; Jamal Sims’s WHEN THE BEAT DROPS; Emily Harrold’s WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE; and Suzannah Herbert and Lauren Belfer’s WRESTLE. The LGBTQ Juried Feature Competition will include; Kevin O’Brien’s AT THE END OF THE DAY; PJ Raval’s CALL HER GANDA; Keith Behrman’s GIANT LITTLE ONES; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s GOSPEL OF EUREKA; and Daniel Laabs’s JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK.

    2019 Oxford Film Festival FEATURE FILMS

    OPENING NIGHT SELECTION GHOST LIGHT Director: John Stimpson Country: USA, Running Time: 103 min. GHOST LIGHT is a haunted comedy about the absurd, but very seriously regarded, superstitions of the theatre, specifically those surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When a disgruntled and arrogant understudy tempts fate by uttering the forbidden name of the “Scottish King” on stage, the sorcery of the Bard’s witches overwhelms the production leading to chaos, misfortune and death. All’s well that ends well… but not for everyone. CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION ALWAYS IN SEASON Director: Jacqueline Olive Country: USA, Running Time: When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins as the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present. SPECIAL SCREENINGS LONG TIME COMING Director: Jon Strong Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. In 1955, when racial segregation defined America, two groups of twelve-year-old boys stepped onto a baseball field in a non-violent act of cultural defiance that would change the course of history and challenge their own perceptions sixty years later. SOUTHERN PRIDE Director: Malcolm Ingram Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min. A documentary about people from two towns in Mississippi organizing gay and black pride events in Trump’s backwater America.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    ANTIQUITIES Director: Daniel Campbell Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min. After his father’s death, Walt (Andrew J. West) moves to his dad’s hometown to learn more about who his father was. He accepts a job at a local antique mall where he’s introduced to the quirky world in which his dad grew up. There, Walt learns not only about his father, but a good bit about himself. The ensemble comedy feature stars Andrew J. West, Michaela Watkins, Michael Gladis, with Ashley Greene, and Mary Steenburgen. ISABELLE Director: Rob Heydon Country: Canada, Running Time: 80 min. A young couple’s dream of starting a family shatters as they descend into the depths of paranoia and must struggle to survive an evil presence that wants nothing more than their very own lives. MOUNTAIN REST Director Alex Eaton Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min. After sequestering herself to a small mountain town, an aging actress calls her estranged daughter and granddaughter home for reconciliation and one final celebration. POOR JANE Director: Katie Orr Country: USA, Running Time: 129 min. A housewife’s comfortable life unravels when she suddenly stops loving her husband. A raw portrait of a woman experiencing midlife malaise. STUCK Director: Jillian Armenante Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min. After getting into trouble with the law, Darby is sentenced to 30-days house arrest. Now she is ‘stuck’ in the same house as her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée. THIS WORLD ALONE Director: Jordan Noel Country: USA, Running Time: 90 min. Following a cataclysmic event which left the Earth without technology or power, Sam (Belle Adams)—a book-obsessed girl in her late teens—lives in seclusion with her two mother-figures (Carrie Walrond Hood & Sophie Edwards). But after an accident, she’s pushed out of her protective world and forced to put her makeshift parents’ opposing world-views to the test as she faces the physical and emotional challenges of a world reclaimed by nature.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY Director Dava Whisenant County: USA, Running Time: 87 min. A Late Night comedy writer stumbles on a hilarious, hidden world of entertainment and finds an unexpected connection to his fellow man. With David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Jello Biafra, and more. HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD Director: Nicholas Laviola Country: USA, Running Time: 60 min. The Holiness Serpent Handlers, a group of born-again Pentecostal Christians deep in Appalachia, have taken this verse to be the base of their Apostolic movement. HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD is an unflinching look into their tragic service on Sunday, May 27, 2012, and a vital artifact of one of the darkest corners of American Religion. THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED [caption id="attachment_27798" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Feeling of Being Watched The Feeling of Being Watched[/caption] Director: Assia Boundaoui Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. When journalist Assia Boundaoui investigates rumors of surveillance in her Arab-American neighborhood in Chicago, she uncovers one of the largest FBI terrorism probes conducted before 9/11 and reveals its enduring impact on the community. WHEN THE BEAT DROPS Director Jamal Sims Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min. Featuring footage and stories from the men of Atlanta’s bucking scene, director Jamal Sims gives a glimpse into the world of J-Setting as it grows into a national movement. WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE Director: Emily Harrold Country: USA, Running Time: 72 min. What does it mean to be young, black, and a Democrat in the American South? WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE follows South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers as he runs to become the first African American candidate elected statewide in over a century. The film begins by following Sellers as he makes his 2014 bid for Lieutenant Governor, through the Charleston Shootings, and during the removal of the Confederate flag in 2015. Through his experiences, the film offers audiences a window into the legacy of race in politics in the United States today. WRESTLE Directors: Suzannah Herbert, Lauren Belfer Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min. HOOP DREAMS goes to the mat in this coming-of-age-documentary about four members of a high-school wrestling team in Huntsville, Alabama. Jailen, Jamario, Teague, and Jaquan are the core of the team at J.O. Johnson High School, which has been on Alabama’s list of failing schools for years. Coached—and occasionally harangued—by teacher Chris Scribner, each of these young men faces challenges far beyond a shot at the State Championship: drug use, splintered family lives, pregnant girlfriends, and run-ins with the law threaten to derail their success on the mat and lock any doors that could otherwise open.

    MISSISSIPPI FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    ATTACHE Director: Melissa Pace Overholt Country: USA, Running Time: 73 min. As one of the poorest states in the country, Mississippi lands at the bottom of many lists. There’s at least one exception, the Clinton, Mississippi High School Attache Show Choir is considered to be among the most successful in history. In a region where arts and music funding have been virtually demolished, Clinton public school’s music program manages to thrive. Composed of students from different backgrounds, ATTACHE unites its members and, together, they rise above, consistently beating the odds. Preceded by COACH WADE Directors: Elisabetta Zengaro, Matteo Zengaro Country: USA, Running Time: 33 min. COACH WADE is the story of how a woman from a small, impoverished town in the Mississippi Delta rose to success coaching collegiate basketball. Coach Wade and her team overcame obstacles and brought distinction to their school, while also fighting against sexist media coverage of women’s sports, changing the nature of the sport for years to come. DOOR AJAR – THE M.B. MAYFIELD STORY [World Premiere] Director: John Reyer Afamasaga Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min. From inside a broom closet with the door cracked, an African American janitor listens and learns art in segregated Mississippi. DRIVEN Director: Glenn Payne Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min. Emerson Graham’s nights as a rideshare driver are filled with annoyances and inconveniences, but until she picks up Roger they have never included attacks, disappearances, and curse breaking. After picking up a mysterious passenger her night goes from working a job to performing a quest as they race the clock to defeat a force of evil and right a long-time wrong. The meter is running. SHARDE THOMAS: LEGACY OF THE FIFE [World Premiere] Director: Jeffrey Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 41 min. Sharde Thomas, granddaughter of Blues legend Othar Turner, carries on the rich tradition of fife and drum music in North Mississippi. She and her family continue their G.O.A.T. picnic, which was started in the 1950’s to pay for school supplies. This film celebrates the amazing past, present, and future of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. Preceded by RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS Director: Christopher Windfield Country: USA, Running Time: 44 min. RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS is an organization created to help black owned businesses succeed. The founder Stanley Wesley soon finds himself under attack from racial intimidation within the state of Mississippi. THRASHER ROAD Director: Samantha Davidson Green Country: USA, Running Time: 86 min. When an accident strands pregnant Chloe and her dog, Thrasher, on the highway home from broken dreams in L.A., unwelcome rescue comes from her estranged dad, Mac, who takes them on a disastrous detour toward a second chance.

    MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES JURIED COMPETITION

    DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND Director: John Whitehead County: USA, Running Time: 83 min. Ranging from the historical to the deeply personal, this documentary tells the story of three African-American musicians from the hip-hop generation who embraced a traditional 19th-century folk genre and took it to Grammy-winning heights. Filmmaker John Whitehead followed the band from their meteoric rise through their breakup, making for an emotionally satisfying journey as well as a spectacular musical one. ICEPICK TO THE MOON Director: Skizz Cyzyk Country: USA, Running Time: 99 min. Obscure stripmine crooner, Rev. Fred Lane, is described by his obsessed fans as “subversive,” “completely satirical,” “the Dada Duke Ellington,” and “Demon Frank Sinatra.” His fans have spent years examining every detail of Fred Lane’s albums, and yet whatever information they have found out about their hero has only led them deeper into blissful confusion. ICEPICK TO THE MOON not only examines the cult of Fred Lane fans, but also pulls the curtain back on the mysterious artist who is Fred Lane, from his early involvement with the Raudelunas arts collective in Alabama in the Seventies, to his current occupation making whirligigs to sell on the arts and crafts show circuit. NEGRO TERROR Director: John Rash Country: USA, Running Time: 53 min. A cinematic and musical portrait of a punk band’s role in the vibrant and eclectic underground music community of Memphis, TN. Championing the history, music, and various politics of their beloved hometown, Negro Terror are far more than just another hardcore punk band with a provocative name. SATAN & ADAM Director: V. Scott Balcerek Country: USA, Running Time: 95 min. Sterling Magee experienced firsthand the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians. So he walked away to play on the Harlem streets for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of joy. One of those he converted was a white kid named Adam (Oxford resident Adam Gussow), who gave up the ivory tower life to play alongside this streetwise guru. Their improbable bond made them a sensation, and their journey a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth. UP TO SNUFF Director: Mark Maxey Country: USA, Running Time: 80 min. Millions of people have been touched by his music, yet few know the journey, hardships and triumphs of American musician and composer W.G. Snuffy Walden. Friends and collaborators share personal stories, laughs and insights about this generous soul who overcame the excesses of rock and roll to become one of the most beloved composers in television history. Featuring Snuffy’s music throughout, UP TO SNUFF includes scenes from The West Wing, Wonder Years, Sports Night and thirtysomething, with insights from Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Tom Arnold, Timothy Busfield, Lawrence O’Donnell, Steve Lukather, Eric Burdon and Snuffy Walden.

    LGBTQ FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION

    AT THE END OF THE DAY Director: Kevin O’Brien Country: USA, Running Time: 108 min. After his wife leaves him and he is tossed out of his counseling job, Dave finds himself as a conservative professor at a Christian college. When the Dean gets word that a group is trying to buy a building he wants for expansion, he asks Dave to join the group and find out about their progress. Dave is in for the shock of his life when he finds himself in a gay support group. His job is to stop their launch of an LGBT homeless youth shelter in their small town. But things don’t always go as planned and love wins out in ways we may not expect. CALL HER GANDA [caption id="attachment_29069" align="aligncenter" width="975"]CALL HER GANDA CALL HER GANDA[/caption] Director: PJ Raval Countries: Philippines/USA, Running Time: 97 min. When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case — an activist attorney (Virgie Suarez), a transgender journalist (Meredith Talusan) and Jennifer’s mother (Julita “Nanay” Laude) — galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of U.S. imperialism. GIANT LITTLE ONES Director: Keith Behrman Country: Canada, Running Time: 94 min. Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life –until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever. GIANT LITTLE ONES is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels. GOSPEL OF EUREKA Director: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min. Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to explore the meaning of belief. Gospel drag shows and passion plays set the stage for one hell of a show. JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK Director: Daniel Laabs Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min. In present-day Texas, Maya (Tallie Medel) and her on again, off again girlfriend Jules (Betsy Holt) total their car after a night of backwoods raving and teen mischief. They’re rescued from the wreckage by Freddy (Robert Longstreet), a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that dulls the debilitating silence of their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be).

    2019 Oxford Film Festival SHORT FILMS

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    A CRAFTSMAN Director: Sanford Jenkins Jr. Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. A SARI FOR PALLAVI [World Premiere] Director: Kate Chamuris Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. AGE OF BRYCE [World Premiere] Directors: David Feagan, Brian Elliott Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. APPROVAL NEEDED [U.S. Premiere] Director: Karen Anstee Country: UK, Running Time: 11 min. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Director: Bianca Armbruster Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. BREASTS Director: Eva Contis Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. CARONTE Director: Luis Tinoco Pineda Country: Spain, Running Time: 15 min. DEAD GIRL [World Premiere] Director: Rachel Sweeney Country: USA, Running Time: 28 min. DEBRIS Director: Julio Ramos Country: Peru, Running Time: 14 min. DIFFERENT THIS YEAR Director: Meghann Artes Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. THE DRINK [World Premiere] Director: Cosima Spender Country: UK, Running Time: 12 min. FAIR SHAKE TRANSFER Director: Joshua Morris Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. THE FISHERMAN [U.S. Premiere] Director: Zoey Martinson Country: Ghana, Running Time: 15 min. THE FLOOD Directors: Adam Dietrich, Seraphina Nova Glass Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min. FUNERAL Director: Leah Shore Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min. THE GREAT BRITISH RACE OFF Director: Natasha Jatania Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min. THE GREAT UNKNOWN Directors: Anna Jones, Desirée Matthews Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN Director: Helen Cho Anthos Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. THE INVENTION Director: Leo McGuigan Country: Northern Ireland, Running Time: 19 min. IVAN [U.S. Premiere] Director: Panagiotis Kountouras Country: Greece, Running Time: 9 min. THE LAST LINE Director: Renee Mao Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. THE LOST ONES Directors: Maria Castillejo Carmen, Maëlle Grand Bossi, Elisabeth Silveiro Country: France, Running Time:14m. MEETING MOMMY Director: Tricia Lee Country: Canada, Running Time: 12 min. MRS. MURPHY’S CONFESSION Director: Ryan Turri Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min. NOBODY’S DARLING Director: Robyn Hicks Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. OF MINE [World Premiere] Director: Cate Carson Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. POZOLE [World Premiere] Director: Jessica Mendez Siqueiros Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. SAC DE MERDE Director: Greg Chwerchak Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. SNOW CHILD Director: Diana Cignoni Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. TAKE ME TO THE WAVES Directors: Jake Taylor Kipping, Tom Stoker Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min. TO THE SEA [U.S. Premiere] Director: Emily Dynes Country: Australia, Running Time: 14 min. WILLOW CREEK ROAD Director: Francesca Mirabella Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.

    NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    FRONTIER Director: Chuck Kleven Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. (screens with MOUNTAIN REST) HAPPY BIRTHDAY Directors: Alex A. Ginzburg, Tim Harms Country: Puerto Rico, Running Time: 8 min. (screens with THIS WORLD ALONE) HYPNOTIC INDUCTION Director: Donald Meyers Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. (screens with ISABELLE) THE PARABLE OF THE DISAPPEARING RECLINER Director: Elisabeth Gray Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. (screens with ANTIQUITIES) TOURIST Director: Paavo Hanninen Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. (screens with POOR JANE) TRYING TO FIND ME Director: Dominique Tipper Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min. (screens with ISABELLE) TWO PUDDLES Director: Timothy Keeling Country: UK, Running Time: 6 m. (screens with ISABELLE)

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    605 ADULTS 304 CHILDREN Director: Michael Mahaffie Countries: Guyana/USA, Running Time: 13 min. BABY BROTHER Director: Kamau Bilal Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. CARE Director: Jeremy Xido Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min CHILDREN OF THE DUST Director: Dan Sadgrove Country: Vietnam, Running Time: 7 min THE CONQUEROR Director: Timothy Blackwood Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. HULA GIRL Directors: Amy Hill, Chris Riess Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. I AM ABLE Directors: Morgane Bigault, Ed Thomas Country: UK, Running Time: 9 min LITTLE FIEL Director: Irina Patkanian Country: Mozambique, Running Time: 16 min. MAC’S GARDEN GIRL [World Premiere] Director: Julia Bell Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. MEET UNCLE PAUL Director: Jessica Bursi Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min MIGRANT [World Premiere] Director: Abbey Hoekzema Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. NOMAD CHAPTER [World Premiere] Director: John Rash Country: USA, Running Time: 8m. PHANTASIAMAN Director: Mariel Sosa Country: Germany, Running Time: 12 min. QUIET HOURS Director: Paul Szynol Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. SHOTO Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team Country: Kenya, Running Time: 5 min. THOU SHALL NOT TAILGATE Director: Greg Hamilton Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min. THE TRAFFIC SEPARATING DEVICE [U.S. Premiere] Director: Johan Palmgren Country: Sweden, Running Time: 15 min. WAITING FOR FUKUSHIMA [World Premiere] Director: Alana Hutton-Shaw Countries: USA/Japan, Running Time: 16 min. ZUMARI Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team Country: Kenya, Running Time: 6 min.

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    A STABLE MYSTIC Director: Randal Crow Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min (screens with SATAN AND ADAM) BIRTH OF AFROBEAT Director: Opiyo Okeyo Country: USA, Running Time: (screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND) CONFEDERATE PRIDE, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND MY STATE FLAG Director: Adam Grannick Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min. (screens with WHEN I BREATHE, I HOPE) IT’S NOW OR NEVER: A RACE TO SAVE COLONEL PARKER’S COMPLEX Director: Austin Daniel Blasingame Country: USA, Running Time: 8 m (screens with UP TO SNUFF) THE JUKE JOINT SHOW: BECOMING BUKKA Director: Matt Wymer Country: USA, Running Time: 16m. (screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND)

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (NARRATIVE)

    BETTING THE OVERLAY Director: Robert Jordan Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. CRESCENT Director: Edward Worthy Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. DELTA CROSSING Director: James Puckett Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA Director: Bennett Krishock Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. PASSWORDS [World Premiere] Director: Chris Floyd Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. SYNTHETIC PHOENIX Director: Ryan Perich Country: USA, Running Time: 23 min. THE FALL LEAVES [U.S. Premiere] Director: Maya McCullough Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min.

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (DOCUMENTARIES)

    BROKEN, STAINED & BEAUTIFUL Director: Matt McCoy Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. HOLT COLLIER Director: James Mathews Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. NICOLE Director: Tori Gene McCarthy Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min. ROOTS AND WINGS Director: Hanna Miller Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min. SIGNS Directors: Matthew Cipollone, Mikey D’Amico Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. THE FLY IN THE BUTTERMILK Director: Ashley Norwood Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. THE HIDDEN VOTE Director: Hanna Miller Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.

    MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    ALONELINESS: A SCREENDANCE Director: Rachel Searcey Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min. (screens with THRASHER ROAD) JESUS & JIMMY RAY Director: McGee Monteith Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min. (screens with DRIVEN)

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS

    ALL WE ARE Director: Will Stewart Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min. THE BOY WHO WANTED TO FLY Director: Jorge Muriel Country: Spain, Running Time: 20 min. THE DRESS YOU HAVE ON Director: Courtney Hope Therond Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min. HIDING IN DAYLIGHT [World Premiere] Director: Cheryl Allison Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. HIPPOPOTAMUS Director: Jody Wheeler Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min. HOME ALONE, BABY BLUE Director: John e. Kilberg Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. HOW I CAME OUT! Director: Mark Goshorn Jones Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. IF THIS IS WRONG Director: Chelsea Woods Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. LIGHT IN DARK PLACES Director: Lagueria Davis Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET [World Premiere] Director: Morgan Jon Fox Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. PEPPER Director: Jayil Pak Country: South Korea, Running Time: 15 min. QUEEN FOR A DAY [World Premiere] Director: Savannah Rodgers Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. RIVER Director: Sam Crainich Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min. SELL YOUR BODY Director: Jaanelle Yee Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. YOU SAY HELLO Director: Lovell Holder Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min.

    LGBTQ SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES

    A SON INHERIT Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. (screens with GOSPEL OF EUREKA) LEIA’S ARMY Director: Oriana Oppice Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min. (screens with CALL HER GANDA)

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (ANIMATION BLOCK)

    01 Directors: Julian Treemaker, Katharina Potratz Country: Germany, Running Time: 7 min. THE BIRD & THE WHALE Director: Carol Freeman Country: Ireland, Running Time: 7 min. EXPEND Director: Bismark Fernandes Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. FLYTRAP Director: Connor Radding Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. FROG DOG LOG Director: Jared D. Weiss Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. FUSE Director: Shadi Adib Country: Germany, Running Time: 5 min. IDOL-L [U.S. Premiere] Director: JAEHYEONG KIM • Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. MR. DEER Director: Mojtaba Mousavi Cpuntry: Iran, Running Time: 9 min. MY MOON Director: Eusong Lee Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min. NEKO NO HI – CAT DAYS Director: Jon Frickey Countries: Germany/Japan, Running Time: 11 min. TRUMP BITES Director: Bill Plympton Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN Director: Duke Doyle Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min. POUR 585 Director: Patrick Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. RED DRESS, NO STRAPS Director: Maryam Mohajer Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min. SAD HOUR [World Premiere] Director: Sean Pettis Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. SATELLITE STRANGERS Director: James Bascara Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. WATCH ME! [U.S. Premiere] Director: Reza Mehranfar Country: Iran, Running Time: 3 min.

    FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (EXPERIMENTAL)

    ASTRONAUTS WITH WHEAT [U.S. Premiere] Director: Jon Bryant Crawford Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. THE BORDER [U.S. Premiere] Director: Antonio Celotto Country: Italy, Running Time: 4 min. THE CAGE OF SAND [World Premiere] Director: Edward Rankus Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min. CURRENTS Director: Xinyi Zhu Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. DATA DECAY Director: Tynan Humphrey Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. DIARY 2013-2018 Director: Soyeon Kim Countries: USA/South Korea, Running Time: 3 min. DULL HOPE Director: Brian Ratigan Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. EAST448 Director: Katharina Nesterowa Country: Germany, Running Time: 6 min. EVERYTHING CHANGES Director: Geoff Marslett Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. FEAW Director: Robin Tremblay Country: Canada, Running Time: 7 min. FUCKED UP POINT BLANK [World Premiere] Director: Shayna Connelly Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. FUN MORE [World Premiere] Director: Wally Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min. FUN TO COOK “WORLD’S BEST FOOD” Director: Dongjun Kim Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. GONE SALE Director: Matt Meindl Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. HORROR VACUI Director: Matteo Zamagni Country: UK, Running Time: 3 min. I TASTE BLOOD Directors: Lauren Sotolongo, Samantha Sobash, Russell Sheaffer, Aaron Michael Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. IN MEDIAS RES Director: Gloria Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min. THE ONLY THING THAT EXISTS IS THE DOT [World Premiere] Director: Philip Clyde-Smith Country: UK, Running Time: 6 min. PART I & II [U.S. Premiere] Director: Nadia Dermatopoulou Country: Scotland, Running Time: 5 min. REMISSION Directors: John Charter, Paul Kaiser Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. THERE MUST BE A SAFE SPACE TO LOAD [U.S. Premiere] THE BUILDING MATERIALS Director: Ryan Betschart Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.

    MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEOS

    “Ain’t No Place” by Lightnin Malcolm Director: Lightnin Malcolm Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Cellar Below” by The Great Dying Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Coast Ghost” by Spacewolf Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. “Crosstie Town” by Chance Stanley Directors: Clark Richey, Amye Gousset Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Fit In” Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Going to Mississippi to See my Sweet Southern Bell” by Sam Moseley Director: Roslynn Clark Copeland Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min. THE GREAT DEPRESSION Director: Jeff Gordon Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. “Life Is” [World Premiere] Director: Irene Waites Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Mississippi (Why you got to be so mean?)” Director: Libby Brawley Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Moss Point Mississippi” Director: Don Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min. “The Price Was Right” by Andrew Bryant Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Runnig Time: 4 min. “Right Now” by Swear Tapes Director: Alex Thiel Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Till I Cross Your Mind” by Young Valley [U.S. Premiere] Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min. “Trina’s Story” Director: Andre Hill Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Wash My Hands” by Cedric Burnside Director: Christian Walker Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min. “When It Rains” by Encantos [World Premiere] Director: Daniel Lee Perea Country: USA, Running Time: 4m. “Whiskey World” Director: Chaz Singleton Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min. “Why Can’t You” by Truck Patch Revival Director: Montana Byrd Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min. “Wolf 3” Director: Drew McKercher Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.

    STUDENT SHORT FILMS

    BAD THINGS Director: Mira K. Lippold-Johnson Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min. FRENCHIES Director: Kuan-Fu Lin Countries: Taiwan/USA, Running Time: 8 min. THE MOON AND THE NIGHT Director: Erin Lau Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min. NO WAY IN HELL Director: Raul Toledo Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min. THE SUNDAY NIGHT DRINKERS CLUB Director: Ollie Gardner Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, ALICE [World Premiere] Director: Patrick Hanser Country: Brazil, Running Time: 11 min. WHERE I WAS BORN Director: Jungmin Cha Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.

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  • Indie Memphis Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31953" align="aligncenter" width="1170"] MR. SOUL![/caption] This year’s 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival is promising to be a very exciting and wildly varied one, with a lineup featuring five World Premiere screenings and one U.S. Premiere screening, as well as Special Presentations such as CABIN BOY with Chris Elliott in attendance and Barbara Loden’s feminist masterpiece WANDA presented by Amy Seimetz (Showtime’s “The Girlfriend Experience”), as well as a retrospective of the recent films of filmmaker Hong Sangsoo. The Opening Night film is Melissa Haizlip and Samuel D. Pollard’s MR. SOUL!, a documentary chronicling Ellis Haizlip, the host of a groundbreaking weekly TV show called SOUL! that aired from 1968-1973, Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK as the Centerpiece Presentation, and Andrew Bujaski’s SUPPORT THE GIRLS as the Closing Night selection, followed by Bujalski presenting the “Indie Memphis Actor of the Year” award for an unforgettable role by a promising new performer to one of the film’s stars, Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy). As previously announced, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU filmmaker Boots Riley will be the festival’s keynote speaker for the Black Creatives Forum as well as presenting BRAZIL (1985, Terry Gilliam). The festival also includes 165 short films and over 50 music videos. This year’s festival should prove to be a very diverse one, as fifty percent of the films in the Narrative Competition are directed by female-identifying filmmakers and fifty percent are directed by people of color; in the Documentary Competition, forty-three percent are directed by women and seventy-one percent by people of color. In addition to films from the United States, the festival also boasts titles from Spain, France, South Korea, Israel, Germany, Australia, Zambia, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival Slate

    OPENING NIGHT

    MR. SOUL! (Dirs. Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard) Before Oprah – Before Arsenio – there was Mr. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip makes television broadcast history with SOUL!, America’s first “black Tonight Show.” Featuring archive footage of Sidney Poitier, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Harry Belafonte, among others. Filmmaker Melissa Haizlip in attendance. 2018, 90 min, Documentary

    CENTERPIECE

    IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (Dir. Barry Jenkins) After her fiancé is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant young woman in Harlem sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence. 2018, 117 min, Drama

    CLOSING NIGHT

    SUPPORT THE GIRLS (Dir. Andrew Bujalski) The general manager at a highway-side ”sports bar with curves” has her incurable optimism and faith, in her girls, her customers, and herself, tested over the course of a long, strange day. Filmmaker Andrew Bujalski will present “Indie Memphis Actor of the Year” award to Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy). 2018, 94 min, Comedy

    NARRATIVE COMPETITION

    CLARA’S GHOST (Dir. Bridey Elliott) Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds family home in suburban Connecticut, Clara’s Ghost tells the story of Clara Reynolds who, fed up with constant ribbing from her self-absorbed showbiz family, finds solace in and guidance from the supernatural force she believes is haunting her. Filmmaker Bridey Elliott in attendance. Actors Abby Elliott, Chris Elliott, and Paula Niedert Elliott in attendance. 2018, 98 min, Comedy/Drama JINN (Dir. Nijla Mumin) A shape-shifting, pepperoni-loving, black teenage Instagram celebrity explores her identity and sexuality in the midst of her mother’s conversion to Islam. Filmmaker Nijla Mumin in attendance. 2018, 92 min, Drama JOBE’Z WORLD (Dir. Michael Bilandic) – World Premiere Jobe is a roller-blading delivery dude in NYC who, one endless night, delivers drugs to his favorite actor, Royce David Leslie. Filmmaker Michael Bilandic in attendance. 2018, 67 min, Comedy NEW MONEY (Dir. Jason B. Kohl) A struggling woman abducts her estranged father after he cuts her out of his will. 2018, 85 min, Drama/Thriller SEPULVEDA (Dirs. Jena English, Brandon Wilson) An existential urban road movie about three best friends who decide to drive L.A.’ s longest street. Filmmaker Brandon Wilson in attendance. 2016, 82 min, Comedy/Drama SHOOT THE MOON BETWEEN THE EYES (Dir. Graham Carter) – World Premiere Jerry and Carl have conned their way from one small Texas town to another. The plan for their final con goes haywire when one of them falls in love with Maureen, all while there’s a bumbling P.I. out for vengeance and hot on their trail. Filmmaker Graham Carter in attendance. 2018, 73 min, Comedy/ Drama /Musical/Romance SOLACE (Dir. Tchaiko Omawale) A 17-year-old orphan named Sole is shipped off to her estranged grandmother (Lynn Whitfield from EVE’S BAYOU) in Ladera Heights, Los Angeles. Sole plots her escape to New York while navigating a foreign environment, new friendships and a hidden eating disorder. Filmmaker Tchaiko Omawale in attendance. 2018, 127 min, Drama

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

    ENTRIALGO (Dir. Diego Llorente) – World Premiere A beautiful and meditative study of rural Asturias, Spain. Life goes on with a different pace in Entrialgo. Rubén and Aitor grow with this rhythm. Their life swifts between the solitude of the courtyards of their house, the games mixed with the work of the adults and the school where they interact with their equals. Game, solitude and animals are witnesses and companions of a year in the life of these children. Filmmaker Diego Llorente in attendance. 2018, 65 min, Documentary HALE COUNTY: THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING (Dir. Ramell Ross) Composed of intimate and unencumbered moments of people in a community, HALE COUNTY: THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING allows the viewer an emotive impression of the Historic South — trumpeting the beauty of life and consequences of the social construction of race, while simultaneously a testament to dreaming — despite the odds. Filmmaker RaMell Ross in attendance. 2018, 76 min, Documentary KINSHASA MAKAMBO (Dir. Dieudo Hamadi) Christian, Ben and Jean-Marie are fighting for political change of power and free elections in their country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the incumbent President refuses to relinquish power. Kinshasa Makambo immerses us in the combat these three activists are engaged in, a combat that neither bullets, nor prison, nor exile seem able to stop. 2018, 74 min, Documentary SHAKEDOWN (Dir. Leilah Weinraub) From 2002 to 2015, filmmaker Leilah Weinraub documents explicit performances in an underground black-lesbian club in Los Angeles. Filmmaker Leilah Weinraub in attendance. 2018, 82 min, Documentary/LGBTQ SPEAK UP! (Dir. Amandine Gay) – US Premiere An exploration of the intersections of discrimination, art and blackness, featuring interviews with black women in France and Belgium. Filmmaker Amandine Gay in attendance; this screening in collaboration with “Blackness in French and Francophone Film” at Columbia University. 2018, 122 min, Documentary THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES (Dir. Gene Graham) The Dojo, which is a children’s karate school by day, becomes a male strip joint on Thursday nights where hundreds of women convene for a potluck fundraiser, a sense of community, and the opportunity to throw singles at the New Jersey Nasty Boyz. Filmmaker Gene Graham in attendance. 2018, 82 min, Documentary WRESTLE (Dir. Suzannah Herbert) An intimate and nuanced documentary that follows the wrestling team at J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville, which has been on Alabama’s failing schools list for decades. Filmmaker Suzannah Herbert in attendance. 2018, 99 min, Documentary

    SPOTLIGHT

    Narrative: DIAMANTINO (Dirs. Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt) Diamantino, the world’s premiere soccer star loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace. Searching for a new purpose, the international icon sets on a delirious odyssey where he confronts neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, and the hunt for the source of genius. 2018, 92 min, Comedy/Drama/Fantasy I AM NOT A WITCH (Dir. Rungano Nyoni) Shula is the first child taken to a traveling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat. 2017, 93 min, Drama MADELINE’S MADELINE (Dir. Josephine Decker) A theater director’s latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously. 2018, 93 min, Drama/Thriller NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE (Dir. Ricky D’ambrose) A young man leaves behind an obscure cache of letters, postcards, and notebooks when he disappears. Actor Keith Poulson in attendance. 2018, 60 min, Drama SORRY ANGEL (Dir. Christophe Honoré) Jacques is an older writer from Paris. Arthur is a young student in Rennes. They instantly fall in love. But they’ll have to face rejection and sickness to keep it that way. 2018, 133 min, Drama/LGBTQ TYREL (Dir. Sebastián Silva) Tyler goes to an isolated cabin in the Catskills for a raucous all-dude weekend birthday party for a friend. He finds he is the sole black person there and grows increasingly uncomfortable. 2018, 86 min, Comedy/Thriller WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY (Dir. Madeleine Olnek) Dramatization of the little known side of the writer Emily Dickinson’s life, in particular her relationship with another woman. Actor Amy Seimetz in attendance. 2018, 84 min, Comedy Documentary: A BETTER MAN (Dirs. Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman) Filmmaker Attiya Khan documents her meetings with an abusive ex-boyfriend to show the healing and revelation that can happen for everyone involved when men take responsibility for their abuse. A fascinating and necessary exploration into restorative justice. 2017, 79 min, Documentary DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES (Dir. Alexis Bloom) Director Alexis Bloom charts the rise and fall of the late Republican Party booster and controversial Fox News mogul who went down in flames amid multiple sexual harassment allegations. 2018, 107 min, Documentary THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA (Dirs. Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher) Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to explore the meaning of belief. Gospel drag shows and passion plays intermix in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 2018, 75 min, Documentary MATANGI / MAYA /M.I.A (Dir. Stephen Loveridge) Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, Stephen Loveridge creates an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician known as M.I.A. 2018, 96 min, Documentary MINDING THE GAP (Dir. Bing Liu) Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. 2018, 93 min, Documentary

    DEPARTURES

    AUGUST AT AKIKO’S (Dir. Christopher Makoto Yogi) Armed with just his suitcase and a sax, cosmopolitan musician Alex Zhang Hungtai (DIRTY BEACHES) returns home to the Big Island of Hawai‘i having been away for nearly a decade. 2018, 75 min, Experimental Drama BLACK MOTHER (Dir. Khalik Allah) Filmmaker Khalik Allah offers a portrait of Jamaica, the home of his maternal grandparents. He interviews people and edits the audio as if it were music (as much for rhythm as content), exploring various themes while accompanied by his unique visual style. Filmmaker Khalik Allah in attendance. 2018, 77 min, Experimental Documentary LIFE IS FARE (Dir. Sephora Woldu) An experimental musical film exploring wildly different perspectives on the East African nation of Eritrea. Filmmaker Sephora Woldu in attendance. 2018, 62 min, Experimental/Musical THE WASHING SOCIETY (Dir. Lynne Sachs) Filmmaker Lynne Sachs and playwright Lizzie Olesker document the disappearing neighborhood laundromats and the labor that is associated with them. Filmmaker Lynne Sachs in attendance. 2018, 44 min, 2018, Documentary Screening with: “I Am Somebody” (Dir. Madeline Anderson) A short political documentary by Madeline Anderson about black hospital workers on strike in Charleston South Carolina. 1970, 30 min, Documentary

    SOUNDS

    BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT (Dir. Philip Cox) A creative documentary exploring the extraordinary story of Betty Davis (former wife of Miles Davis) as legendary funk pioneer and a woman who championed the road for all independent female artists who followed. 2017, 54 min, Documentary THE DREAMER’S FIELD (Dir. Noam Stolerman) The heartfelt journey of three childhood friends who wish to escape their boring life in the kibbutz and become London’s hottest rock band. THE DREAMER’S FIELD is a bitter-sweet journey of three misplaced and misguided individuals coming to terms with the real world. 2017, 65 min, Documentary MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTHIS (Dir. Jake Meginsky) The first ever feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity. 2018, 95 min, Documentary MR. SOUL! (Dirs. Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard) Before Oprah, Before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip makes television broadcast history with SOUL!, America’s first “black Tonight Show.” Featuring archival footage of James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni, Sidney Poitier, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Harry Belafonte, among others. Filmmaker Melissa Haizlip in attendance. 2018, 90 min, Documentary

    HOMETOWNER

    MEMPHIS MAJIC (Dir. Eddie Bailey) A riveting in-depth look at the city of Memphis through the lens of a 30 year old Memphis-born street dance called “Jookin’.” Filmmaker Eddie Bailey in attendance. 2018, 72 min, Documentary NEGRO TERROR: THE VOICE OF MEMPHIS (Dir. John Rash) – World Premiere A cinematic and musical portrait of a punk band’s role in the vibrant and eclectic underground music community of Memphis, TN. Filmmaker John Rash in attendance; Negro Terror to play live score during the film. 2018, 54 min, Documentary WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY (Dir. Greg Carey, Wade Jackson) – World Premiere In the 1970’s, out of the Memphis-Big Star scene came Van Duren, who was tipped to be the next Paul McCartney but instead faded into obscurity. Forty years later, two Australian friends come across his record and set out to discover what went wrong. Filmmakers Greg Carey and Wade Jackson and subject Van Duren in attendance. 2018, 80 min, Documentary RUKUS (Dir. Brett Hanover) A hybrid of documentary and fiction, RUKUS is a queer coming-of-age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds. Filmmaker Brett Hanover in attendance. 2018, 87 min, Drama/LGBTQ

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    CABIN BOY with Chris Elliott (Dir. Adam Resnick) A fancy lad (Chris Elliott) en route to Hawaii meets unfriendly fishermen when he mistakenly boards their boat The Filthy Whore instead of a cruise ship to Hawaii. Star Chris Elliott in attendance. 1994, 81 min, Comedy Classic Picks with Boots Riley: BRAZIL (Dir. Terry Gilliam) Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) investigates a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro), and gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies. Introduced by filmmaker Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”). 1985, 143 min, Science Fiction

    Hong Sang-soo Recent Retro:

    Grass (2018, 66 min) In a small Café, Min-hee Kim plays a guest who prefers to observe but not interact with the other guests herself. The Day After (2017, 92 min) When a woman discovers a love poem that was written for her husband, she mistakenly believes that the author is her husband’s new secretary. On the Beach at Night Alone (2017, 101 min) After a publicized affair with her director, an actress leaves South Korea and goes to Hamburg, where she gains insight into the meanings of love and identity. My First Film: Live Cinema w/ Zia Anger Anger will offer live-commentary on previously unseen work, by way of a split screen and text edit, as she attempts to recount the stories behind her lost and abandoned work–including her first feature–and her struggles in an industry often hostile to women filmmakers. Southern Documentary Fund Presents Fresh Docs: Black Genius A free, work-in-progress screening of film by Memphis native Kalimah Abioto, who explores the brilliance of Memphis’ people while also confronting gentrification. This portrait of various Memphis black leaders will be presented by the director, and will be followed by a discussion. Southern Food & Music (Dir. Les Blank + Southern Foodways Shorts) From a Labor Day barbeque in Northern Mississippi with drummer Otha Turner to farm cooking with Texas musician Mance Lipscomb, from Louisiana Cajun cuisine to an award winning pastry chef in Alabama, and even a factory farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, this collection of short films by legendary documentarian Les Blank and Ava Lowrey (Southern Foodways) explores the intersection of music and food in the South. Blues Legend Otha Turner’s Truly Southern Barbecue (Ava Lowrey, 2016, 6 min) A Well Spent Life (Les Blank, 1971, 44 min) Yum! Yum! Yum! A Taste of Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana (Les Blank, 1990, 31 min) Dol (Ava Lowrey, 2018, 6 min) Chicken Real (Les Blank, 1970, 23 min) WANDA (Dir. Barbara Loden) This 1970 independent film was written and directed by actress Barbara Loden, who also plays the title role. Wanda is an abused woman who turns to a life of crime, where she finds more abuse from men. Loden stated she was inspired to write it after reading a newspaper report that a woman had thanked a judge after he sentenced her to prison. Introduced by filmmaker and actress Amy Seimetz (Showtime’s “The Girlfriend Experience”). 1970, 102 min, Drama

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