"you don't know what i got" in Hapeville

Historic Church In Hapeville

HAPEVILLE, GA.   The screening in Hapeville was just magical.   It was such a treat and honor to have Julie Brunzell, one of the "wise five" women featured in the film,  on hand.  The Church was beautiful and the community gave a warm and wonderful reception.

The great thing about screening with the Southern Circuit is each screening is different  and you learn something new about a community and your film as it seen through their eyes.   The mayor of Hapeville laughed the loudest and longest whenever Jimmie came on screen.  It was a treat to see someone enjoy her stories and is always interesting to see which characters people connect with in the film.

Julie Brunzell on hand at reception and screening

The Mindflow Media Posse made it down for the show

 

Linda Duvoisin from Gainesville, GA

Gainesville Screening

 GAINESVILLE GA.   We had our first screening last night in Gainesville GA.  Our beautiful evening started by getting a little lost on campus until a very kind professor offered to jump in our car and direct us to the proper venue.  No surprise to find out that Charles was a professor in philosophy.  It was wonderful to screen the film again and to have some of my family and friends on-hand - a great posse for the first screening!

Family and Friend Posse

Q & A with Jeff Marker

GSU film professor Jeff Marker led the Q&A and had some wonderful insights into the film.  On the whole it was a fantastic start to the series.  I look forward to our next screening on Saturday.  Julie Brunzell, a woman featured in the film, will be on hand - so it should prove to be another eventful evening.

Lemon bars and DVDs a killer combo

Its the Cake, not the Icing...

In a year's time much has happened in our world and community.  There have been employment gains and job loss, the graduation rates rose or fell  and income levels have shifted.   In many ways, these are the statistics we use to measure the well-being and health of a community.  As a whole, humans seem to like to measure progress with numbers.

But what about the number of creative ideas that gave birth to new jobs or the inspiration from a story heard, seen or read that kept a student in school?  It is very difficult, if not impossible to accurately measure the impact of creativity on a community.  Although many have tried over years to attach a number to it,  my guess is that for every art project that we have "measurable statistics" there are thousands of immeasurable benefits that go unnoticed.   And that is no small thing.    Art feeds our imagination and opens our minds. Our greatest problems are solved through innovation. Art is not the icing on the cake for a community, it is the cake.

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will." - George Bernard Shaw.

This past year makework grantees filled our community with art and creativity, some of their efforts are measurable but the impact of the inspiration created by their work is not.  As a one of the makework grantees, I felt lucky to be among such a inspiring group of artists.   And although I can't measure the impact their work, I know I am better for it and so is our community.

THANK YOU.

Leroy Phillips 1935-2011

Last month, as I sat working on a the Ed Johnson documentary, I received an email that Leroy Phillips had died.   Leroy was the reason I began the Ed Johnson documentary and he was also the reason I continued to work on the film.  His passion for the subject was contagious.  It was something we had in common.

I liked Leroy not just because he was a great interview with a natural gift to tell a story.  He was a nice man and always willing to help out or give me encouragement just when I was about to give up.  Independent films are hard to make. Inevitably you reach a point in the project where the money is dwindling or gone and the choice to continue on or quit  is before you.  I'm sure Leroy faced similar choices when he decided to defend a client that he knew would never be able to pay the bill. I never talked with Leroy about those choices, although I wish I had.   I do know that he would encourage me to keep working on the film.  


And I will.   I just wish he could have had a chance to see it....

Working on what I love...Yahoo!

The last few months have been a grind.  I have been mainly occupied with work for hire jobs.  Last week after a west coast sprint with a stop in Chicago to pick up a couple of interviews I am back in Tennessee.  I am setting aside the next six weeks to focus on the Ed Johnson film with the goal to hold a screening in early June.    I have much work to do, but it is a welcome relief to sink my teeth into a project I truly love.  I'll send updates about the film and its screening in the month to come.   For now its back to the edit - Oh happy days!

Wheels in motion...

I have put into motion my grant money with the purchase of a MacBook Pro.  Oh how sweet it is!  Last weekend while on a shoot I could watch footage from the field and start the editing process.  It was wonderful.  I have several shoots coming up in the next month and will be on the road and “editing on the fly”  Will keep you posted on my progress and hopefully include a couple of clips along the way. 

TV Premiere on WTCI We Shall Not Be Moved

I am thrilled that at 8 tonight on WTCI two films I made on the sit-in movement will air back to back.   They both document the important sit-in protests that took place in Chattanooga and Nashville. The Nashville piece was made for the Tennessee State Museum to accompany an exhibit last year and this will be the first time it has premiered on TV.  Several PBS stations across the state will be airing the films as well as a few film festivals.  It was a very rewarding experience to do both films.  I am happy that they are being show to a wider audience.