Tupelo, sweet Tupelo!

I knew I was in a special town as soon as I arrived and the wonderful head of the Tupelo Film Commission, Pat Rasberry, took me to the home of Tom Evans, a lovely man with the house to match.  I can't do it justice in words - so I had to take some pictures.

This is Tom's foyer. Beautiful!

A room of many instruments - that's a grand piano hiding a baby grand behind it!  And an organ on the right.

Another organ in the same room!  Tom has been collecting these beautiful pieces for years. And boy can he play.  I'm trying to recruit him for the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest in our film.

Everyone I met was so kind and gracious - I'm from New Jersey, so I'm not used to that kind of thing. (Ha)  There was a lovely reception at Tom's, where I got to meet a lot of nice folks: Melanie, Sonia, Steve, Doris, and Roy, among others.  What a great group of people.

The next day Pat took me on a tour of the city -- which, as you may know, is the birthplace of Elvis.  I saw quite a few spots of historical significance:

Look too deeply into Young Elvis's eyes, and your lip starts to curl...

Elvis's front porch.  Can you see my fear that the swing will break and I will have to be run out of town?

The Elvis Booth at Johnnie's Drive-In.  Home of the delicious Dough Burger.  Which I can confirm is delicious.  In fact, I confirmed it twice.

We had the screening at the Black Box theater at the Link Centre, which is in a converted church and houses not only the Tupelo Symphony, but lots of different non-profit organizations.  It was a nice space for a screening and I really appreciated the thoughtful questions and comments of the audience.

Melanie Deas, of the Link Centre, and Pat Rasberry, of the Tupelo Film Commission.

I was sad to leave town after such a wonderful experience.  But I know I will keep in touch with my new friends - and as an aside to my fellow filmmakers, Pat and her team are doing a whole lot to attract productions to the city, and I think it would be an incredible place to film. 

That's all for now - thanks again to everyone who came out to see THE ENTERTAINERS!  Please stay in touch at our website: www.theentertainersmovie.com and on Facebook here.  And thanks again to the Southern Circuit Tour... it has been a blast.

The Entertainers in lovely Madison GA

Hi everyone - I'm Michael Zimmer, director of THE ENTERTAINERS, and I wanted to report on the wonderful time we had last night in Madison, Georgia at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center.  We had the privilege of showing our film in their lovely auditorium, in what was formerly a school but which now hosts all kinds of wonderful cultural events.

Ragtime Piano Star Ethan Uslan gets ready to put on a show-stopping live piano performance

Our film is about the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, and so I was so thrilled that Ethan Uslan, one of the stars of our film, and his family (his lovely wife Kate and two precocious sons Ben and Henry - all featured in our film) were able to attend.

10 minutes before showtime in the auditorium.

The audience really seemed to enjoy the film, which, as a filmmaker, is always nice to see :).  After the screening, we had a special treat:  Ethan gave a live piano performance on the Steinway in the Auditorium.  It sounded terrific - and the audience gave him not one but TWO standing ovations.

Ethan on the piano

Michael does a somewhat fumbling job of capturing Standing O #2 (!)

After the performance, the audience asked a lot of thoughtful, engaging questions, both about the filmmaking process and about the music and Ethan's playing.  Ethan and I both enjoyed talking with everyone and sharing our experiences with the film.  Afterwards, we were able to talk individually with people at a very nice reception.  What a treat!

All in all, it was a wonderful night, and we were so pleased to have the opportunity.  Rob Seymour, Performance Director of the Cultural Center, and his team were such kind and excellent hosts.  We owe them our thanks for a special evening.

Madison Morgan Cultural Center's Performance Director Rob Seymour and Ethan

 In fact, we had such a great time that by the end of the night, none of us wanted to leave.  

Ethan, his wife Kate, sons Henry and Ben, and the director, Michael

But, I'm very much looking forward to our next screening, which will be at the Tupelo Film Commission in Tupelo, Mississippi next Tuesday night at 7pm.  I will be there, and I look forward to meeting a great new group of indie film fans!

Meet Michael Zimmer

Welcome Michael Zimmer to the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers! Michael and his film, The Entertainers, will begin their tour in Madison, GA on Tuesday, October 16. To learn more about this great documentary visit the Southern Circuit website.

More about Michael:

Michael Zimmer is a writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. He is currently developing screenplays with several major Hollywood production companies. The Entertainers, winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival and the Wisconsin Film Festival, is his directorial debut. Michael once bicycled across the United States to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

click below to view the trailer for The Entertainers

October on the Circuit!

We just finished up the first month of touring for the 2012/2013 Southern Circuit season. Now its October and that means its time for three new films and their filmmakers to hit the road. Check out the touring films for October below. To learn more about each of these films and see the complete October schedule visit the Southern Circuit website.

A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt
An intimate look inside the world of an immensely talented and driven young chef, Paul Liebrandt
filmmaker: Sally Rowe
cities: Suwanee, GA; Montgomery, AL; Gallatin, TN; Baton Rouge, LA; Charleston, SC

The Entertainers
For 35 years piano players from across the world have strapped on their bow-ties, armgarters, and straw boater hats to descend on Peoria, Illinois to battle for the title of World’s Greatest Old-Time Piano Player.

filmmaker: Michael Zimmer

cities: Madison, GA; Tupelo, MS

Otis Under Sky
Otis and his new friend, Ursula, are kindred spirits, but unable to express their bond physically.

filmmaker: Anlo Sepulveda

cities: Augusta, GA; Clemson, SC; Gainesville, GA; Hapeville, GA; Clinton, SC; Auburn, AL; Greenville, NC; Long Beach, MS

An Encounter with Simone Weil
Haslett's own struggles with suffering interweave with Weil's dramatic life story, to create a deeply moving film about living life with compassion.

filmmaker: Julia Haslett

cities: Cullowhee, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Miramar, FL; Manteo, NC; Savannah, GA; Alexandria, LA; Winder, GA; Johnson City, TN

Recent Accolades for Upcoming Circuit Films:

A Matter of Taste is nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming. The News and Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented Monday, October 1, 2012. Best of luck to Sally Rowe and her team!

Girl Model filmmakers, Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, successfully raised funds via their Kickstarter campaign to begin a national educational tour with their film. See all the details here.

Eating Alabama won Top Grit Award at Indie Grits 2012. Congrats to filmmaker, Andrew Grace!

The Entertainers won the Audience Award at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Congrats to filmmaker, Michael Zimmer!

Small, Beautifully Moving Parts won an Audience Award for Best American Independent Film at the River Run Film Festival 2012. Congrats to filmmakers, Lisa Robinson and Annie Howell!

See all of these films and more on the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers this season 2012/2013 in different locations around the southeast. To see all the films and where they are screening go to the Southern Circuit webpages.