Phoebe Driscoll ’15, Emily Heine ’15, Lara Johnson ’16, and Shane Watson ’14 made films that are official juried selections of the 17th Annual Indie Memphis Film Festival. Driscoll, Heine, and Johnson’s films were made as part of the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies this summer, and Watson’s film was made in the ART 114 course. The films will be shown Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at various local theatres.
Driscoll’s documentary feature “Pharaohs of Memphis” will be shown Oct. 30 at 9:30 p.m. at Hattiloo Theatre. It is an up-close-and-personal look at the community of dancers shaping its legacy of Jookin, a style of dance that originated in Memphis in the 1980s.
The other three are short documentary films that will be shown Nov. 1 between 10:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. at Studio on the Square.
Heine’s “No One See’s You” explores the complex tension between graffiti and public art in Memphis and the artists that no one sees. Johnson’s “Geekland: Fan Culture in Memphis” is about the struggles of being a geek/nerd/fan in the South. Rhodes Professor Charles McKinney was interviewed for Watson’s “Untold Stories?” It brings awareness to the unjust murders of African Americans in the United States and the media representation of those who were murdered.
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Also at the film festival, Hollywood actor Harry Lennix will discuss “Romeo and Juliet in Harlem,” in which he stars as Lord Capulet. This screening will take place on Nov. 1 at 9:45 p.m. at Hattiloo Theatre. His appearance is presented by Rhodes’ Pearce Shakespeare Endowment. Director Aleta Chappelle (longtime casting director for Francis Ford Coppola) also has been invited to attend the screening.
The Center for Outreach in the Development of the Arts (CODA) will make day passes for Indie Memphis available to students, faculty, and staff.
Update 11/03/14: Phoebe Driscoll won Indie Memphis’ Hometowner Feature award for her documentary “Pharaohs of Memphis.” Also Harry Lennix mentioned Rhodes while being interviewed by local television station WMC/NBC-TV.