'She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry' and the Mountain Tour!

Monday started off the third day of Southern Circuit, driving from Athens, Georgia to Johnson City, Tennessee, an epic adventure – thrilled by the mountains, lakes, and gorgeous scenery on I-26 W.  I wanted to stop and take it all in; however, it was hard to keep driving.  But there were students to meet!   

I arrived at Eastern Tennessee State University early that afternoon and met with two terrific classes on women’s issues and gender studies taught by Hilary Malatino. The students had great questions, and it was such a pleasure to get to talk with them.    

  

I enjoyed a delicious Thai dinner with some of the ETSU staff and students before screening 'She’s Beautiful' to a packed audience that night.

An additional treat, our youngest viewer ever, nine-month-old Charlie, was all eyes for the film!

The ETSU team did a fantastic job of publicizing the event.  Many thanks to Heidi Ehle and Phyllis Thompson, and Anita DeAngelis, the Director of Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, for sponsoring this whole event.  There was a lovely reception afterwards in a gallery with a brilliant installation on violence against women, the body and blood, by Native American contemporary artist Luzene Hill. What a powerhouse team! Many thanks to Lisa Gail Cutshaw for the great photographs.

As I was driving back down the mountain roads the next day, I became a fan of country music radio, especially the song, “Crash and Burn,” which I sang along with in the car because it’s on all the stations and no one could hear me!  My next stop would be Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. I drove through so many fascinating places, including Maggie Valley, and realized that the South can be habit-forming. Yes, I love the Smoky Mountains!

At Western Carolina University, I met with the next dynamic duo Francis Ann Ortiz from Campus Programs and Maven Mayfield, her student associate – what an amazing team! 

They made the screening fun and interactive with a wall poster for students to write about their views on feminism as well as a special frame for photos, not to mention popcorn!! There was a great Q & A after the screening and then more discussions about the film and feminism in the hallways.

By then it dawned on me - every site on Southern Circuit is full of more than great audiences, but also deeply dedicated staffers who are making sure that it’s a wonderful experience for everyone. Lucky me! 

Two more stops on the road to go,  TO BE CONTINUED……..

All best,   

Mary Dore

Danielle Beverly from Old South visits Auburn University

From filmmaker Danielle Beverly:

Auburn, AL was my second stop with Old South on The Southern Circuit. I nearly didn't make the screening on time when I discovered I'd reserved a car at the Columbia SC airport, and not the Columbus GA airport. Doh!

"I'm sorry Ma'am we don't have any cars. Completely sold out," was the response I got from each of the apologetic rental agencies. Some quick producing got me into a cab and across the state line to the Jule Collins Museum of Fine Art on the campus of Auburn University

I was met by "Super Docent" Virginia Transue. She was working an afternoon chamber music event in the atrium, a series she is deeply involved with there. Virginia was to be my host and liaison. She and I hit off immediately. As the concert was ending I did my tech check in the theatre, and then Virginia drove us the mile to her home to have  a lovely egg salad sandwich lunch before the screening.

We talked about music, politics, Southern identities, and super computers. She shared the press clipping she'd saved, promoting Old South. We did some bird-watching - an energetic woodpecker was the highlight. She told me about her departed husband Bill, who was clearly the love of her life for over 45 years - a mathematician from French ancestry, who fell in love with the plucky young Virginia, from rural Louisiana.

As we got ready to drive back to the museum the sky had darkened. Thankfully, a torrential late afternoon rain still did not keep the audience away. Students arrived soaking wet, but ready to watch the film.

Afterwards a great Q&A with questions about fraternities and the eerie timeliness of Old South's release, why and how I made the film, and a reflection from a man who'd lived in Athens, GA and knew the neighborhood in the film. (Each screening seems to have at least one former Athens resident).

The conversation continued in the museum's cafe as a jazz band played in the atrium. Virginia's offered this sage observation on life in the South, "Alabama is frustrating often, discouraging often, but it is never boring".

As we drove home, Virginia's eagle eye spotted a coyote loping across the road. We stopped the car and watched it as it watched us. Then it turned and disappeared into the woods. A beautiful way to end the night.

Katie Damien, My Toxic Backyard - Auburn, AL

We have the final post from filmmaker Katie Damien's tour of the Southern Circuit, with her work My Toxic Backyard:

The last screening at Auburn was fantastic. Had a packed house full of students in a beautiful screening location. Got to see cotton plants and listened to some great live music on a terrace. This concludes my amazingly awesome journey on the southern circuit.

Sara Nodjoumi - Atlanta, Milledgeville, Gainesville, and a Winter Update

The latest update from Sara Nodjoumi, producer of The Iran Job, on her Southern Circuit tour:

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Sunrise flight to Atlanta

My Southern Circuit tour started with an uneventful early morning flight to Atlanta on Sunday. I say uneventful because we had two other people from our filmmaking team attend the first half of the tour and the forecast called for snow right before each of our trips. So getting to Atlanta and finding a sunny 60 degree day was a lot like being in heaven.  (Till, the director - attending the first three screenings, Julien, our Associate Producer - was at the next two and I was scheduled to do the last five.)

The drive to Milledgeville was supposed to be two hours but it took me three. My big secret in life is that I'm not really an experienced driver. I've only really started driving over the last few years and in 2013 I finally overcame my biggest fear which was driving on the highway. So renting a car and driving three hours was definitely a personal challenge and I'm glad to say I overcame it!

In Milledgeville, my lovely host Joe Windish gave me a tour of the Georgia College campus while the screening was taking place. After the Q&A and reception, some of the faculty and I went out for pretty awesome brick oven pizza. I was impressed that such a varied faculty hung out together and lucky to meet a couple of lovely Iranian professors. One of whom knew my parents back in the day in NY.

On the road to Gainesville

The next day was another two hour drive to Gainesville, which of course took me three hours - but I didn't mind - by that time I located NPR and the classic rock station so between the two I stayed entertained. (Sadly I couldn't find a good country music station which was one of the things I was looking forward to!). Southern charm and hospitality abound, my hosts Gladys, Jeff, and Alan where absolutely lovely and I think we had quite possibly the longest Q&A afterwards. And I mean that as a compliment -- it's lovely to be able to answer questions and hear audience reactions. I especially love presenting the film to folks who are not always in touch with many Iranians/Middle Eaterners.

My hosts in Gainesville

Next on the list was Auburn on Tuesday night, Memphis on Wednesday night and Charlotte on Thursday night. But every time I looked at the weather it seemed the looming ice storm and I were going to be heading in the same direction all week. After much back and forth, Teresa and I decided it would be best for me to cut my trip short and head back home. Sad as it was, I think it was the right decision considering the many cancelled flights and thick ice that's settled over most of the region.

Teresa and her team have definitely started something special and I wish them the very best for the remaining tours for this year. Maybe summer tours are a better idea considering the weird weather we're all experiencing.

Three More Stops for Girl Model

We're on our way to Auburn, AL to screen Girl Model at the Jules Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts.    We've had 2 great screenings organized by Hapeville Association of Trade & Tourism (Hapeville, GA) and at Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC).  Check out the pics below.

Hapeville audience

Presbyterian College audience

Website: http://www.girlmodelthemovie.com

Facebook: girlmodelmovie

Twitter: @girlmodelmovie

Meet Ronnie Cramer

Welcome Ronnie Cramer to the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers! Ronnie will be touring with his film, Sixty in 60. The first stop for Ronnie is April 10th at the Jules Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn, Alabama. Don't forget your popcorn!

About Ronnie: Artist/Musician/Filmmaker Ronnie Cramer has been active in the arts community for over thirty years. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries and other venues across the country, his music has achieved airplay on over 100 radio stations nationwide and his critically-acclaimed films have been screened at festivals around the world. He has also been featured as a guest lecturer on art and media at numerous museums and universities.

Sixty in 60 will also be screened in Lafayette, Louisiana.

View the trailer for Sixty in 60 below:

David Simpson kicks off the tour for A Good Man

A GOOD MAN

David E. Simpson

This was my fourth time on the Circuit (Am I setting a record of any kind?). This one was a mini tour: Monsieurs Gordon Quinn and Bob Hercules, directors of A GOOD MAN, graciously allowed me to take a third of this tour due to my fondness for the open road and the warm Southern audiences that make up the circuit. My stops were Auburn, AL and Lafayette, LA.

Auburn was predictably pleasant. I’d been there on the 2009 tour with my film MILKING THE RHINO. That previous experience included a post-show soiree at someone’s home, where they fed me dinner and bourbon and the conversation went deep into the night. No such luck this time but the show was great anyway. The venue is a refreshing anomaly: a newish, stylish art museum on the outskirts of a university town otherwise devoted to football. The audience at each of my Auburn shows has been populated by several retired professors who seem to be regulars at the screenings, so the Q&As tend to be of a pretty high order.

The following night in Lafayette took the cake though. Screening in a state of the art theater in the brand new Acadiana Arts Center… the film never sounded better. But the real highlight was before and after the show. My host steered me towards Randols: a cavernous Cajun joint beloved by locals. It’s crawfish season! So I dared to have crawfish etouffee that was topped by a whole one of the little boogers, which I needed help from my waitress to figure out how to shell and eat. 

Then after the screening a local told me about the Blue Moon, just down the road, which hosted a Cajun jam session every Wednesday night. This place was the real deal: tucked out of the way on a side street, a dozen folks on stage w accordions, fiddles, guitars and washboard; a few younger folks on the periphery learning from the grizzled vets. Very cool.

All that, plus the 70-something weather, made it pretty hard to come back to Chicago.

The sorry thing is that I forgot to bring my camera (and my phone cam is crappola), so I can’t prove any of this.

Going on the Southern Circuit is a good reason to make more films.

The Adventures of Emily Hubley

Early morning to Newark Airport - gimping along on a bum leg and hoping it'll weather the trip. On BOTH planes, other passengers are in my seat, confusing "C" with some other letter. No big deal, but an interesting (or boring) pattern.

The rental car starts without an ignition key - again, no bother, but it takes getting used to. I'm terrified of locking the "keys" in the car. Lots of triple checking.

Drive to Auburn. Grand hotel.

I do some email in the room and realize I'm starving. Get a pork sandwich "Alabama style" at Moe's down the street.

Yummy, but - should have gotten the hot sauce.

As I'm leaving for the screening, I have a sudden tsunami of a nosebleed... (Comedy ensues).

I'm late arriving at the Jule Collins Smith Museum as night falls.

I meet my lovely host Scott Bishop at the auditoreum. The film looks dark, but people are arriving and there's nothing to do but hope for the best. The film runs. I'm relieved that people sound engaged - and then the Q+A is warm and fun - even though I grope the word "inevitable".. . But the audience bears with me and they're a super nice bunch.

We retire to the cafe for cookies and coffee and I meet Lexa, Paige and Isabella - 3 adorable (not to be condescending - they ARE) Auburn women studying graphic design, chemistry and engineering. Quite the trifecta. They like the movie enough to take dvds home which is great cuz my suitcase is stuffed! I close down the joint talking to Daniel, a budding filmmaker.

Back in my room, I'm grateful for the freezer - the "ice peas" are nice and cold as I ice my knee and write the blog.

Good night night one!

Welcome to Shelbyville

Does crawfish ever belong in a Louisiana gumbo? Sure, I would have said. I wouldn't have thought twice about it, before my visit to Lafayette this past week. But a testy debate took place at the bar I sat at just before the screening of my film at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. "You can be creative, but there are still some rules," the guy sitting next to me says. His friend seems to disagree but also seems a little intimidated, so he lets it go. Identifying himself as a young oil trader living between Lafayette and Houston, he also tells me first hand that well over double the amount of oil being reported during the spill had been pouring into the Gulf daily. "But the environment is incredibly resilient." Back to the oysters.

I'd always wanted to come here but this was a first. I consider myself a foodie and I'm still hoping for the perfect po' boy I've been dreaming about here in New Orleans before heading out to Clarkston Georgia tomorrow. Working backwards, the Southern Circuit tour I'm on began with what my friends would call a typical "Kim" story...arriving in Atlanta with my anal files in hand that mapquested me on to my first stop in Northern Alabama, within an hour I was lost in a desolate Georgian county on a road that took me a little too long to realize wasn't the interstate. It was when I had to find just the right country radio station that I probably missed that. Or could have been the gorgeous foliage I felt blessed to be getting for the third time this Fall. (In my defense, still jetlagged from having returned from Japan last week). I daydream about Japan. Flashing lights in the rear view mirror. Buzzkill. I have the worst cop karma on the planet. Yup - clocked 64 in a 55 zone. The big hat and shades and fears of a bad Harvey Keitel ending. Chalk it off to Southern hospitality, plain pity, or my own sincerity? - I got off with a verbal warning and detailed directions back to the interstate. I was so so grateful for the gracious welcome. Lesson learned - speed limit no joke here.

Auburn Alabama. I've tried to read up on Section 28 of the recent Alabama immigration law requiring schools to look into birth certificates of its students causing hundreds of immigrants to flee the borders overnight, and about the state challenge to the Justice Department...I wondered about university students here and if there was a sense of activism. One group walking in say the film was assigned to them in their sexuality class...interesting? I ask what students are thinking about it all after the screening at the campus art museum. Pretty much awkward silence. One young woman timidly says they've been discussing it in her political science class. Another man stands up and says as an Alabamian he feels shame. More awkward silence. Turns out he was a transplant professor from up North. Afterwards, over coffee, he, a German professor and another guy tell me they just don't talk about these things here.

Back to Lafayette and land of gumbo. I intro'd the film with how pleased I was to finally be in "Cajun country". Insensitive to some I later learn. I take this opportunity to listen and learn...about the places I am visiting and how the film and what it brings up for people is contextualized in each of these places. So in Lafayette LA, here's what I observed and learned. Much as I, as a northerner, have been seduced by fantasies of endless plates of crawfish, steaming gumbo, melodic Cajun jam sessions, and swamp alligators (all of which delivered without disappointment), a polite, yet firm conversation took place following the screening. Mainly between an older African American woman who identified as Creole, and a french-speaking Cajun woman of same generation. The black woman, who appreciated the film, was prompted to ask why the Lafayette football team's name had been changed to the "cajuns" and how it represented, in her mind, a more recent overreaction to past oppression and reclaiming of that cultural history in LA to the extent of negating Creole and African American contributions and even existence in the region's rich history. The Cajun woman went on to say that it is the "outsiders" who in fact come in and accentuate these labels and identities. My own associations with the region validated this I acknowledge. My takeaway from this was that one of the things I loved most about some of the subjects in my film was in fact their lack of PC consciousness. They say what's on their minds and fess up to what they don't know about the other. People need to risk sounding ignorant in order to simply talk about these issues. And that's what happened in Lafayette Wednesday night. A 30+ minute dialogue between locals about race, "cajun" and "creole" identities, and insensitivities they experience in local settings. This segued into a more universal consensus disproving recent immigration laws passed in neighboring Alabama and an explanation by one man about the local crawfish industry that similarly employs foreign newcomers and the fact that no locals still want to do that work, despite heightened unemployment. In the end it all circles back to my beloved topics - food and music and I ask about fusion? That solicited the best lecture ever on the roots of zydeco music from a resident master along with renewed debate over gumbo (oil trader guy from earlier bar has migrated here). Ice broken, I'm escorted over to Wednesday night jam session at the Blue Moon for a whiskey where local fiddlers and accordions serenade and I take a stab at the two step with a wannabe Cajun fiddler from Alaska.

Sacred Places (Halfway Through) - Stephen Cone for "The Wise Kids"

A bit late to the blog, but, you know, as they say...

I started the Tour without a laptop and spent about half an hour in Atlanta on my first day off changing that. So, here I am, typing this from the Marriott in Chattanooga (on my very first Apple product), where we're screening tonight at the Loose Cannon Gallery. The Chattanooga Film Society has impressed me in a big way with how they've prepped for and promoted the event over the past month or two (I did a radio interview for them 2 weeks prior to the Tour, and another this morning). I'm excited for the screening tonight.

There are a thousand ways I could go with this blog, but I'll just touch on two things:

Up to the tour we'd screened mostly at really wonderful and well-known gay & lesbian film festivals, winning several awards and playing to packed houses. It's been really great, as THE WISE KIDS deals with the private pain and joy that comes with grappling with and accepting one's own sexuality. What you get at themed festivals like those, though, is a very specific (and necessary) type of audience. And for a film that deals not only with sexuality but with faithand doubt and family and identity and growing up, there are more audiences to reach; audiences of a different sort. So, what I've looked forward to and enjoyed very much is playing to those new audiences on this Southern Circuit Tour, a tour that is bringing all sorts of people - southerners, northerners, gay, straight, young, old, Christian, non-Christian, etc. - to the film. From Unitarians to Catholics-turned-Baptists to young straight men and young gay women, I've had the opportunity to engage with folks who are grappling or have grappled with the same issues Brea, Laura, Tim, Austin and Elizabeth are grappling with in the film. These encounters have been so special to me, including a profoundly meaningful late-night discussion with two community college students in Gadsden, AL. How would they have seen this film otherwise, were it not for South Arts?

Secondly, and lastly (for now), I just want to state how inspiring it's been to venture to the cultural institutions hosting these screenings. The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art in Auburn, the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, LA, Wallace Hall in Gadsden, AL, the Clarkston Community Center in Clarkston, GA and three more I'll encounter this week. All of these places provide opportunities for people in the south to encounter the sacred, profound, silly, playful, intellectual, emotional and liberating qualities of art and it's expression. As I've walked onto these "sacred grounds" I've been moved by the architecture, the atmosphere, the cultural possibilities, and by the quiet cultural heroes doing their part to make the world a better, richer place. Fitting that I'm taking with me into these buildings a movie about finding holiness.

Auburn screening highlights arts in corrections in Alabama!

Hello Auburn! My first stop with Concrete, Steel & Paint on the Southern Circuit. The film's theme of arts in corrections was certainly a prominent feature in the post-screening discussion. Arts in Corrections is alive and well in the state of Alabama due to the tireless dedication of individuals like Kyes Stevens, Director of the Alabama Prison Art and Education Project (APAEP) and Jeannie Thompson, Director of the Alabama Writers Forum (AWF). I had been in touch with both of them prior to arriving in Auburn. I was fortunate that they were both available to attend my first screening of the tour, held at the Jule Collins Museum of Fine Arts. APAEP is headquarted at Auburn University - in the Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts. It is a remarkable program dedicated to bringing educational programs in the arts and humanities to prisoners in Alabama. It's an important resource for the Alabama Department of Corrections (DOC) and a favorite of Dr. Eddie Lancaster, Reentry Coordinator for the Alabama DOC who I had the opportunity during my stay. He is trained as a forensic psychologist, and lauds the importance of visual tools in prison settings as a pathway to higher learning and therapeutic self-expression. Pictured below, he proudly displays APAEP's traveling exhibit in the corridors of the DOC's downtown Montgomery office.

The Alabama Writers Forum serves the literary arts community in Alabama and through their work have developed a special partnership with Alabama's juvenile justice community. They manage "Writing Our Stories: An Anti-Violence Creative Writing Program" on three Department of Youth Services campuses. The Forum also collaborates with APAEP and other organizations to also serve adult prison populations. Having both Kyes and Jeannie present for ‘Concrete, Steel & Paint’ was an asset. “This is the best film I have seen about the struggle and strife between prisoners and crime victims, and that is very hard to capture," says Stevens. Thompson follows up by adding how well the film illustrates the power of art as a tool for dialogue. Their knowledge about arts in corrections programs contributed to the discussion. They also provided the audience with more information about their organizations and opportunities to connect with their work for anyone interested to get more involved. Thank you, Auburn, to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and to all of the film's friends and supporters who helped spread the word to everyone who joined us. It was a wonderful evening.

Pictured above (from left to right):

Kyes Stevens, Director-Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project;

Scott Bishop-Director, Jule Collins Museum of Fine Art; Cindy Burstein-Director/Producer, Concrete, Steel & Paint; Sheriff Jay Jones-Lee County;

Jeannie Thompson-Director, Alabama Writers' Forum

ABEL RAISES CAIN's Alabama adventure (cont'd)

My dad and I had no idea that we were about to discover paradise just a few short miles from the Piggly Wiggly. It was our second free day while on tour and so I had booked us a room at a bed and breakfast I found online. I knew right away that I had picked a gem as soon as we drove down the windy road to the Quaint on Brooklyn Bed & Breakfast.


Taking in the sight of this idyllic inn perched on a hilltop overlooking a beautiful farm, we were greeted by a funny little dog, named Burt, followed by his owner, Don.


Well, Burt was just the opening number as we would soon meet the rest of the animal cast, consisting of peacocks, bunnies, horses, and ducks. It was magical. When I described the place to my friends, they thought that I was either severely dehydrated and lacking fluids or hallucinating.


From the front porch the following morning, I watched the sunrise and soaked in the sight and sounds of the farm animals waking up. The haunting cry of peacocks rose above the clucking hens and muted clamor of the ducks while Burt barked at the resident horses.


Now I've never been a horse person. But on that particular morning, with the mist rising, all alone on the farm with just the animals and me, I felt like I was dreaming when I wandered over to an open grassy area in my pajamas and two beautiful honey-colored horses galloped toward me. Startled at first because there was no fence separating us, my instinct was to "play dead." And so I stood still as they took turns sniffing me, their giant fluttering nostrils tickling my hands. I soon relaxed into the newfound friendship with a giddy glee. The sense of trust was mutual. And from that moment on, my life would never be the same.


On the road again, it was hard to leave paradise. My dad and I were already reminiscing about the delicious home-cooked dinner Don and Carmen made for us the night before. What memorable folks, and what a cool place. Definitely worth a return trip to Alabama!


Although we were on a tight time crunch, this didn't stop me from pulling over to snap a photo of an old cafe sign, rusting but still standing proud along the desolate Alabama state road.



My dad was watching the clock and getting nervous. We didn't want to keep the crowd at the Jules Collins Smith Museum waiting.


It turned out to be a fun screening, attended by students and older folks alike. Special thanks to Scott Bishop and Debbie for hosting us. And to the eager and inquisitive bunch of students I had the pleasure of meeting afterwards, you guys were an inspiration and truly made my night!


Waking up the next morning, I peered out the window through blurry eyes. The view from our hotel room of the Auburn University campus was a continuation of the dreamlike experience I seemed to be having while exploring the South. In my half-sleep state, all I could see was a beckoning castle amidst the clouds at dawn. Tupelo, MS was our next stop, marking the halfway point of the tour. Was Mississippi ready for the weird world of Alan Abel and the man himself? We would soon find out.

Location:Auburn, AL

Cambria Matlow Digs Cajun Country

So….Lafayette, Louisiana. If you’re reading this, you just need to go there, shake your head in disbelief at how surprising the town is, how talented its artists, how rooted its traditions and how swingin’ its Cajun and Zydeco music is, and then you need Executive Director of the Acadiana Center for the Arts, German expat Gerd Wuestemann, to take you to the dancehall at Whiskey River, 25 minutes outside of town. I regret to tell the rest of my upcoming tour stops that they are going to have to really step it up if they wish to gain as much affection from me as I have for Lafayette and the surrounding areas. Definitely a showstopper, and this is after spending a day off in New Orleans. Unlike New Orleans, Lafayette is a little-known secret of Louisiana and the residents like to keep it that way, though I am here to blow their cover.

Here’s a sample of some Zydeco music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6U-5FEnomY&feature=related

The Acadiana Center for the Arts is a stunning, newly rebuilt facility with major gallery spaces and a brand new theater. Burning was playing at 8:30pm on the eve of Lafayette’s Art Walk as well as the Arts Center’s Grand Reopening. I heard 1200 people were on the premises throughout the evening, so I had high hopes for our turnout. I think people were pooped though at that point, and the film had a modest turnout of about 20 people. (The Acadiana Film Festival was also playing down the street, which might have affected the audience showing too). For whatever reason, this audience was extremely warm, and the Q & A turned into an intimate affair, mostly involving my riffing on the question: ‘How did the experience of making this film change you?” One would think this would be a question I’d fielded before, but I hadn’t, and it stirred up some emotions in me, and I think too in the audience members. I know it’s a good screening when I sell multiple DVD’s afterward, and this night I sold 3. Afterwards, E.D. Gerd and local artist Shawne Major took me to a classy Spanish restaurant to decompress. Friends Gerd and Shawne entered into a major discussion about Louisiana state arts funding priorities that set off some unexpected nerves between them, but provided me with some real insight into the tough choices that state legislatures, arts funders and artists alike are being forced to make these days under the duress of extreme budget cuts. After that, Shawne and I were ready to explore the Lafayette nightlife a bit more and headed out.

I had my next screening today in Auburn, AL, a 6-hour drive from New Orleans, through hurricane-battered Mississippi gulf towns along I-10 and then straight up through Alabama. Knowing the abundance of country roads all around me, it was hard to press on through the Interstates, but duty called for expediency and an on-time arrival. As I arrived in Auburn the sun was setting and the cumulous clouds were lit up a bright pink color. Soon thereafter, it began to rain. The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art was an elegant structure affiliated with Auburn University (which it seems like most everything is here). After saying hello to Curator of Education Scott Bishop, I was introduced to Liddy Biggs and Matt Williams from the University’s Office of Sustainability, who was co-sponsoring the event. While the film played in yet another stunningly updated theater, I took the opportunity to tour the museum. On permanent display in the Audobon Gallery were several prints from their large Audobon collection. As I’m a big fan, this pleased me. The text accompaniments had obviously been updated to include discussions of current environmental issues affecting Gulf-region birds such as the recent BP oil spill and runoff pollutants from chemical manufacturers along the Mississippi River. About 40 people, many of them AU students, had assembled to watch the film, and for the Q & A I invited Liddy and Matt onto the stage with me, hoping to open up the range of questions I could field. The students were rather timid, but Liddy and Matt were great in providing some additional perspectives on solar and sustainability issues. A quick session of coffee and cookies and I was beat!

Ryan White - Auburn

After my jaunt to New Orleans, I ended my portion of the Circuit at a screening at Auburn University’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art. My grandfather was trained down here during WWII to operate the radio on his battleship. We went to the drugstore where they served lemonade to him in the 1940’s, and where they still serve lemonade today.

The movie screened in a beautiful, modern auditorium with great sound and a blu-ray projector. Sometimes it’s nice to see the film play exactly the way you intended it to sound and hear. The crowd was a lot of college students and kids, so there was a lot of energy in the room. A wonderful way to wrap up my portion of the screenings – my co-director Gwendolyn has the final three covered!

Thanks to all the AMAZING hospitality of my Southern Circuit venues and hosts - and to the flawless organization of South Arts. I enjoyed every minute (minus the sickness.)

Trimpin: the reunion

Leaving Mobile in the rear view mirror, I drive northeast to Auburn University.  Here Trimpin himself has been in residence, talking with students at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art.  I haven't seen Trimpin in months; we celebrate our reunion at the hotel bar, and dead soldiers soon pile up.

(Sunburst, by Gustina Atlas)

The following morning, I meet with Prof. Hollie Lavenstein over coffee at Gnu's Room. Hollie is smart and quick - and seems to be Auburn's only resident filmmaker.  Kindred spirits, we hit it off, and this Yankee ends up talking with the prof's Intro to Film students.

(3 Crosses, by Mozell Benson)

Museum curator Scott Bishop has done an excellent job of promoting the screening of Trimpin: the sound of invention; the theatre is nearly full.  While the film plays, I amble through the galleries.  The textile art (by Gwendolyn Magee, Shawne Major, Gustina Atlas, and Mozell Benson) is especially stunning. 

(Blood and Gumbo, by Shawne Major.)

After the film, Trimpin and I do our customary Q+A (meaning that I hold the mic while Trimpin answers the questions).  It's a pleasure to see so many enthusiastic people at the screening.  

I can't get the images from the quilts out of my mind.

(God of our Silent Tears, 

by Gwendolyn Magee)

[[Please note that these images are not from the museum show, 

but were taken from various locations on the web.]]

MILKING THE RHINO barnstorms AL, GA and SC (again)

Well have I been the delinquent blogger!. I’ll try to make small amends quickly..

When we last left our hero he was driving headlong into Ida. I think I hit her right around the Alabama border. Fortunately she’d tapered off to a standard-issue deluge. Only side effects were some stressful driving and some Southern weather worse than that in Chicago. Allen, next time on the circuit I’m going back to March!

Auburn was a treat and a half. Hardly any time to see the town. But the beautiful, intimate screening room at the new-ish art museum had some of the best acoustics (and pretty nice image too) of anyplace I’ve ever screened. When audio and image are this good, I get to remember all the blood, sweat and tears that went into preserving every bit of technical juice we could during finishing (Thank you Liz Kaar!!!!) Many of those details are lost at so many screenings, but when they’re there, it’s easy to feel that all the pain was worth it. The audience was super engaged and engaging; and when the long-running Q&A bumped up against the limits of the poor security guard who’d been there since 7am, a woman in the crowd invited us to her home nearby for a post-screening soiree. Fed me dinner and whisky too! I could get accustomed to this southern hospitality thing. My bad for not thinking of taking out my camera, or I’d share my new-found friends.

Backtracked the next day (through post-Ida again) to Augusta, GA. The grand Imperial Theatre, which opened in early 1900s with Charlie Chaplin, hosted the next show. My theory about the inverse ratio of room size to crowd size was borne out here: by far the biggest theater and the smallest crowd. Still, very enjoyable thanks to Rick Pukis (a former Chicagoan who teaches at Augusta State Univ) for bringing some of his film production students. Plus the BIG screen and BIG sound is always fun.

Which brings me to Thursday night’s unique event at the art museum/planetarium at South Carolina State. First (and last) time I’ve ever seen my film projected on a planetarium ceiling. Gave me a bit of a neckache but the novelty was certainly worth it. Here’s where my room size/crowd theory collapsed. It was a small room, but mostly filled with students from this historically black college. It’s been one of my constant complains with RHINO screenings, that we made a film about Africa but we’re drawing relatively few African Americans to come see it at state-side screenings. So this stop on the tour was gratifying. The discussion was great. And afterwards another real treat: museum director Ellen Zisholtz took us on a tour of exhibits AND the archive. Got to see not only James Brown’s clothing, but recent donations of some amazing African artifacts, Plus a collection of original Polaroids that Andy Warhol took as studies for his celebrity portrait prints. What an amazing job that Ellen, Harriet Hilton, and the rest of the staff are doing at this very cool place.

Me with IP Stanback Museum & Planetarium director, Ellen Zisholz

Spent part of the off-day today yesterday hiking in the Congaree National Park, to flex the legs and add some nature to my culture.

I feel like a horse smelling the barn. Just two shows to go, and I’m looking forward (I hope) to the warmth of Florida. Tonight: Jacksonville, tomorrow, further south to Stuart.

Also, HELLO to Joshua Weinstein with whom I can see I’m now sharing the blog. I saw your film at DocReview in Warsaw, Joshua. Welcome to the tour!

Over and out

-David Simpson