Atlanta, GA – Featuring 24 films and filmmakers touring to 24 Screening Partner venues spanning eight states, South Arts announces the 2018-19 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.
Each film screening includes an opportunity for the audience to participate in a Q&A with the filmmaker, further exploring the content of the film or their work in the industry.
“We are passionate about connecting filmmakers with communities,” said Teresa Hollingsworth, program director with South Arts. “Film and media artists are at the forefront of countless important conversations. Their ability to develop thematically resonant work and tell stories opens audiences’ eyes and ears to new concepts and ideas.”
Films selected to tour include both narrative and documentaries. The Screening Partner venues, in coordination with South Arts, curated the selections from submissions earlier this summer.
“Our communities are hungry for films that explore a sense of place and the changes facing each of us,” continued Hollingsworth. “Films such as hillbilly, This is Home, and The Blood is at the Doorstep are vital explorations of these themes and what it means to be in the United States in 2018.”
Another highlight in the upcoming season is Dark Money with filmmaker Kimberly Reed. “As a piece of investigative journalism, Dark Money dives into the deep, dark pockets impacting our elections on local to national levels,” continued Hollingsworth.
Not every film is as heavy as Dark Money, though. “Here in the South, we love music,” continued Hollingsworth. “Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury documents the rise, fall, and reunion of a small-town rock n’ roll band from Georgia; over the years, three band members became priests, and how do their personal lives influence their creative process? Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind is a portrait of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, tracking their music from its roots and the history of the banjo through their blend of hip hop and old-time music.”
The Southern Circuit is about connecting audiences and filmmakers in a communal experience. The tours push back, explained Hollingsworth, against the growth of solitary viewings. “Our increased access to independent film through streaming services on TV and mobile devices is amazing. However, watching a film together as an audience and having a chance to collectively discuss it with the filmmaker is a fundamentally different experience. Come out, see a film, meet a filmmaker!”
Screenings and Q&As with the filmmakers will occur at each Screening Partner venue from September through April. A full schedule and links to purchase tickets are available at www.southarts.org. Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
About South Arts
South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.
The Screening Partners include:
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Arts Council of Central Louisiana. Alexandria, LA
- Broward College. Fort Lauderdale, FL
- City of Hapeville. Hapeville, GA
- Clayton Center for the Arts/Maryville College. Maryville, TN
- East Tennessee State University/Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. Johnson City, TN
- Fuquay-Varina Arts Center. Fuquay-Varina, NC
- Georgia Southern University. Statesboro, GA
- Global Education Center. Nashville, TN
- Jacksonville State University. Jacksonville, AL
- The Jessye Norman School of the Arts, Inc. Augusta, GA
- North Central Louisiana Arts Council. Ruston, LA
- Ocala Film Foundation. Ocala, FL
- Oxford College of Emory University. Oxford, GA
- Presbyterian College. Clinton, SC
- South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Cutler Bay, FL
- Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center. Bowling Green, KY
- The Tennessee Valley Art Association. Tuscumbia, AL
- Tropic Cinema/Key West Film Society. Key West, FL
- Troy University. Troy, AL
- Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, GA-Athens Cultural Affairs Commission. Athens, GA
- Union College. Barbourville, KY
- Union County Community Arts Council/Wingate University. Wingate, NC
- University of Tampa. Tampa, FL
Films and filmmakers on tour for the 2018-19 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers include:
- 306 Hollywood with filmmakers Elan and Jonathan Bogarin
- 93QUEEN with filmmakers Paula Eiselt and Heidi Reinberg
- Armed with Faith with filmmakers Geeta Gandbhir and Asad Faruqi
- Bathtubs Over Broadway with filmmaker Dava Whisenant
- The Blood is at the Doorstep with filmmaker Erik Ljung
- Breaking the Bee with filmmaker Sam Rega
- Chasing Portraits with filmmaker Elizabeth Rynecki
- Dark Money with filmmaker Kimberly Reed
- Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops Story with filmmaker John Whitehead
- Farmsteaders with filmmaker Shaena Mallett
- Hale County This Morning, This Evening with filmmaker RaMell Ross
- hillbilly with filmmakers Sally Rubin and Ashley York
- Inventing Tomorrow with filmmakers Laura Nix and Melanie Miller
- ¡Las Sandinistas! with filmmaker Jenny Murray
- Man Made with filmmaker T Cooper
- Minding the Gap with filmmaker Bing Liu
- Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury with filmmaker Matt Hinton
- The Pushouts with filmmakers Katie Galloway and Dawn Valadez
- Quiet Heroes with film subjects Maggie Snyder and Kristen Ries (Director: Jenny Mackenzie; Co-Directors: Jared Ruga and Amanda Stoddard
- Road to Race Day with filmmaker Cynthia Hill
- Sadie with filmmaker Megan Griffiths
- This Is Home: A Refugee Story with filmmaker Lindsay Megrue
- The Unafraid with filmmakers Anayansi Prado and Heather Courtney
- United Skates with filmmakers Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown