1/29-31 – CLARKSDALE FILM FESTIVAL
Delta Cinema (11 Third St.) • Clarksdale, MS
THURS-SAT -Celebrate the 5th anniversary of this uniquely Delta film fest in theland of the Crossroads! Enjoy great Mississippi movies, indie films,music documentaries, live blues music, special guests, history bustours, film workshops and more at historic Delta Cinema. Plenty ofofficial events PLUS Clarksdale’s usual 7-nights-a-week live blues atthe clubs and jukes at night! Info: http://www.jukejointfestival.com/film_fest.php
THURSDAY, JAN. 29, 2015 – CINEMA LOBBY:
5pm
Music Reception in Cinema Lobby
Clarksdale’sPreston Rumbaugh & special guests perform live Delta blues forfestival reception in the lobby! Plus, official festival merchandisesales — tees, hats and more.
6pm
“Welcome” & Special Guests in Lobby
Officialwelcome by Clarksdale Film Festival organizers… Plus, special guests,including football’s Brad Gaines (from tonight’s feature film) andauthor Jody Hill (38: The Chucky Mullins Effect).
8pm
Booksigning in Lobby
After film… book signing in lobby with author Jody Hill (38: The Chucky Mullins Effect).
THURSDAY, JAN. 29, 2015 – DOWNSTAIRS MAIN THEATER:
6:30pm
It’s Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins
(90 min.) Clarksdale premiere with special guests Brad Gaines (from the movie) and Jody Hill (author of 38: The Chucky Mullins Effect).On October 28, 1989, Ole Miss defensive back Chucky Mullins hitVanderbilt running back Brad Gaines in the back and separated him fromthe ball. While Gaines was uninjured, Mullins suffered a broken neck onthe play, leaving him a quadriplegic. The SEC Storied (ESPN) documentarychronicles the touching friendship between Gaines and Mullins, two menwho were brought together through tragedy. Author Jody Hill will signcopies of 38: The Chucky Mullins Effect after the film.
THURSDAY, JAN. 29, 2015 – UPSTAIRS THEATER:
6:45pm
M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues
(94 min.) Award-winningtravelogue follows blues fans Jeff Konkel and Roger Stolle on their 2008pilgrimage from Clarksdale through the Mississippi Delta in search ofthe region’s last great bluesmen. Includes music and interviews withT-Model Ford, Mr. Tater, R.L. Boyce, L.C. Ulmer, Duck Holmes, BilboWalker, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, The Mississippi Marvel and other bluescharacters. www.mformississippi.com
FRIDAY, JAN. 30, 2015 – UPSTAIRS THEATER:
11:30am
Canoeing into Confidence: A Film about Overcoming Fear
(22 min.) Followsseveral Spring Initiative teenagers on their journey to and on theriver, as they each face different fears and discomforts — and discoverstrength, freedom, and joy on the other side. Spring Initiative is anafter-school program where participants get to push themselves and eachother to be all that they can be. Directed by Bianca Zaharescu.
12 noon
The River Sonnet
(44 min.) Mississippipremiere. Slideshow of photographs overdubbed by an intersplicing ofbraided clips including ambient sound recordings, regional dialects andfractured audio readings of original poetry. The primary goal of thefilm is to track shifts in natural and cultural land and soundscapes inorder to present a realistic assessment of the state of life in theMississippi River Valley biosphere. Directed by Matthew Leavitt Brownand Justin Orlowski. www.riversonnet.org
1pm
Hard Times
(69 min.) The classicstory of Delta blues gone North — told through the eyes of sharecropper,boxer, club owner and bluesman Big George Brock. Hard Timesmixes live concert footage in Clarksdale and St. Louis with on-locationinterviews and archival photos. Directed/produced by Damien Blaylockand Roger Stolle.
2:30pm
Mississippi Madam: The Life of Nellie Jackson — The Trailer
(6 min.) Clarksdalepremiere. Preview trailer for forthcoming documentary film on the lifeand times of Natchez, Mississippi’s infamous brothel owner — NellieJackson. Directed by Mark Brockway.
3pm
We Juke Up in Here: Mississippi’s Juke Joint Culture at the Crossroads
(63 min.) Award-winningblues film follows blues fans Jeff Konkel & Roger Stolle as theyvisit Mississippi’s surviving juke joints. Includes live performances byAnthony “Big A” Sherrod, Elmo Williams, Hezekiah Early, Gearshifter,Duck Holmes, Big George Brock, Terry “Harmonica” Bean and more… but thestar of the show is the self-proclaimed “King of the Juke JointRunners”, Red Paden of Red’s Lounge in Clarksdale. www.wejukeupinhere.com
4:15pm
Clarksdale Municipal School District Film
(6 min.) Promotional yetinspirational educational film short presented by Clarksdale MunicipalSchool District (CMSD). CMSD is committed to giving students theopportunity to explore skills that will enable them to excel in theareas of technology, science, medical sciences, and much more.
4:30pm
The Mighty Quapaws
(17 min.) Newdocumentary tells the story of the Mighty Quapaw Apprenticeship Programin Clarksdale, Mississippi. Founded by John “Riverman” Ruskey of QuapawCanoe Company, the young program teaches “canoe ethics” — using the “Mr.Johnnie method — to brighten the lives of his students and the futureof the river itself. Directed by Joseph Dickinson.
FRIDAY, JAN. 30, 2015 – DOWNSTAIRS MAIN THEATER:
12 noon
Barefoot Workshops — New Clarksdale Films
(45 min. total) Barefoot Workshops returns to Clarksdale to tell the memorable food-related stories of Lil’ Kitchen, Big Sauce — the owners of Wops BBQ — and Kim’s Way— the founder of Kim’s Processing (pork skins, etc.). Clarksdale lovesBarefoot Workshops, by the way. Join ‘em, and make your own films! Thenext workshops start February 1st — www.barefootworkshops.org
1:15pm
Fever Dreams
(62 min.) Clarksdale premiere. Four new, spellbinding vignettes of suspense described as “Twilight Zone meets Tales from the Crypt”: The Agent, The Entertainer, Timed Romance and The Cameraman. Directed by Rob Underhill. (Join Underhill for his Saturday lobby workshop at 3pm.)
2:30pm
Bragg N East
(24 min.) Clarksdalepremiere. In the time of Ferguson, this gritty police drama explorespowerful ways for law enforcement to bridge the gap of communication andunderstanding with the communities they serve. Directed by RobUnderhill. (Join Underhill for his Saturday lobby workshop at 3pm.)
3:15pm
Time Brings About a Change: A Floyd Dixon Celebration
(134 min.) Clarksdalepremiere. In June 2006, a special concert event honored blues pianolegend Floyd Dixon. Dixon succumbed to cancer just 55 days later. Thisis the story behind the landmark live recording. Floyd Dixon, PinetopPerkins, Henry Gray and other blues legends are immortalized throughlive music and special interviews filmed during that one historicweekend in 2006. Directed by Phillip Cruess. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oISOLhCF5D4
6:15pm
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll
(105 min.) Mississippipremiere. A roots music documentary set in another “Deep South” — a halfa world away. During the 60’s and early 70’s as the war in Vietnamthreatened its borders, a new music scene emerged in Cambodia that tookWestern rock ‘n roll and stood it on its head – creating a sound like noother. But as Cambodian society — young creative musicians inparticular — embraced western culture and flourished under itsinfluence, the rest of the country was rapidly moving to war. Aftertaking over the country in April 1975, the Khmer Rouge began wiping outall traces of modernity and Western influence. Intellectuals, artistsand musicians were specifically and systematically targeted andeliminated. Thus began one of the most brutal genocides in history,killing an estimated two million people. Directed by John Pirozzi. www.dtifcambodia.com/#!trailer/c1t44
FRIDAY, JAN. 30, 2015 – CINEMA LOBBY:
5pm
Music Reception in Cinema Lobby
Clarksdale’sPreston Rumbaugh & special guests perform live Delta blues forfestival reception in the lobby! Plus, official festival merchandisesales — tees, hats and more.
6pm
“Welcome” by Festival Organizers in Lobby
Official welcome by Clarksdale Film Festival organizers, and thanks to sponsors and volunteers.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015 – CINEMA FRONT PORCH:
12 noon
CLARKSDALE HISTORY BUS TOUR #1 with historian Robert Birdsong
Experience fascinatingmovie, literary, civil rights and blues music history from the comfortof a bus seat. Clarksdale Film Festival ticket required.
1:30pm
CLARKSDALE HISTORY BUS TOUR #2 with historian Robert Birdsong
Experience fascinatingmovie, literary, civil rights and blues music history from the comfortof a bus seat. Clarksdale Film Festival ticket required.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015 – LOBBY WORKSHOPS:
1pm
WORKSHOP — Filmmaking with Cellphones: A Workshop for Kids* with Coop Cooper
Join experiencedfilmmaker Coop Cooper in the Delta Cinema lobby — and outside — as heshares his ideas and methods for young folks (*recommended for ages 7-18but everyone is welcome) who want to make movies with their cellphones! Cooper is a Clarksdale-based writer/director and Press Register movie critic; he is best known for the films Regress (2012), The Best Day (2011) and S for Sally (2013). www.imdb.com/name/nm4684369/
3pm
WORKSHOP — A Movie: Making it Happen on Low/No Budget with Rob Underhill
Join special guest RobUnderhill in the Delta Cinema lobby as he shares his vast knowledge as asuccessful film/TV director, producer, writer and editor. HisClarksdale Film Festival WORKSHOP will show burgeoning filmmakers thesecrets of making affordable movies in any genre. Underhill’s films havecompeted in over 200 film festivals worldwide, receiving over 70awards; watch his new Fever Dreams, This Was My Son, Bragg N East and The Wheeler Parker Story film’s at this weekend’s festival. www.robunderhill.com
SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015 – UPSTAIRS THEATER:
11:15pm
2014 Clarksdale Christmas Parade
(35 min.) Worldpremiere. Relive Clarksdale, Mississippi’s annual downtown holidayparade as captured on film by local filmmaker Conor Coughlin.
12:15pm
This Was My Son
(7 min.) Mississippipremiere. The true story of the American Civil Rights icon, Mamie Till(mother of Emmitt Till), and the tragedy that inspired her to spend herlife battling social injustice and racial prejudice. Directed by RobUnderhill. (Join Underhill for his lobby workshop at 3pm.)
12:30pm
The Wheeler Parker Story
(16 min.) Clarksdalepremiere. Constructed from historic interviews, one actor (Mike Wiley)portrays Wheeler Parker as he gives his firsthand account of eventsleading up to the abduction and eventual murder of his cousin, EmmettTill, in 1955. Directed by Rob Underhill. (Join Underhill for his lobbyworkshop at 3pm.)
1:15pm
subSIPPI
(56 min.) Clarksdalepremiere of exploratory documentary highlighting the incrediblediversity of people and personalities in Mississippi. The goal is topresent modern Mississippi — not one fabricated on myth or romanticizednotions but one showcasing the progression and evolution of the state.Directed by Vincent Jude Chaney. www.subsippi.com
2:45pm
Will To Change
(45 min.) Theinspirational true story of William Kozielski, a 29-year-old parolee whois breaking the cycle of violence in his community, and mentoring youthout of delinquent behavior. Created as an intervention tool for youthand residents of Clarksdale, Mississippi, it is also being used by theMississippi Department of Corrections to support pre-release andre-entry programs. A film by Alison Fast and Chandler Griffin. www.W2Cmovie.com
3:30pm
Cheesehead Blues: Adventures of a Dutchman in the Mississippi Delta
(82 min.) U.S. premiereof final cut with introduction by Theo “Boogieman” Dasbach. Dutchdirector (and blues fanatic) Jan Doense tells the story of Rock &Blues Museum founder Dasbach’s Rock & Blues Museum and his bluesfriends in Clarksdale — a town reinventing itself to keep the bluesalive. Includes James “T-Model” Ford, James “Super Chikan” Johnson,Frank “Rat” Ratliff, Watermelon Slim, Red Paden and other local bluescharacters. Rough cut of film received Best Blues & Roots Music FilmAward at 2014 Clarksdale Film Festival. www.vimeo.com/58095701
5:30pm
Howl-N-Madd: Mississippi Blues Family Man
(27 min.) The story ofAbbeville, Mississippi, bluesman Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry, his musicallife and family. From picking cotton in the Mississippi Hill Country toplaying music on the Chicago blues scene… and ultimately, returning toMississippi some 40 years later… this new film celebrates Perry’ssurvival and success. Highlights blues performances in the Delta andNYC. Directed by Lee Quinby. www.truedeltaproject.org
SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015 – DOWNSTAIRS MAIN THEATER:
11am
Tom Sawyer
(44 min.) Mississippipremiere. Maria Newman is an award-winning composer, violinist andpianist who has scored a number of restored vintage silent films —including this classic, 1917 silent film version of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer— the story of a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. Born into amusical family with ties to Clarksdale, Maria Newman is an AnnenbergFoundation Composition Fellow, Mary Pickford Foundation CompositionFellow, Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, Louis& Annette Kaufman Composition Chair and Joachim Chassman ViolinFellow.
12:15pm
Love Them Well
(21 min.) Clarksdalepremiere. New documentary follows Clarksdale-raised Trey Lewis — aborn-again Christian with a checkered past — as the works to spread theword of God and touch the lives of at-risk people in the Atlanta area.From trailer parkes to the inner city, Lewis tries to make a differenceone prayer at a time. Directed/produced by Nick McNaughton.
1pm
Life of Riley — special engagement courtesy of B.B. King Museum
(123 min.) Visit the BBKing Museum in Indianola, Mississippi, and see this movie at theClarksdale Film Festival to fully understand the life, success andimportance of the Magnolia State’s most famous bluesman — Riley “B.B.”King. Mississippi’s Morgan Freeman narrates this moving story of King’srise from Delta cotton sharecropper to world-famous “King of the Blues”.Special thanks to our friends at the B.B. King Museum & DeltaInterpretive Center, www.bbkingmuseum.org
3:30pm
Yazoo Revisited: Integration and Segregation in a Deep Southern Town
(84 min.) Clarksdalepremiere with introduction by director. This compelling new documentarydirected/produced by David Rae Morris explores the history of racerelations and the 1970 integration of the public schools in Yazoo City,Mississippi. The integration there was considered by many to be a modelof success, unlike in many other districts where white families fled thepublic schools for private academies. Trailer: www.vimeo.com/67459498
4:30pm
Nobody
(17 Min.) Clarksdalepremiere. New short film about an 18-year-old kid named Elvis, before hebecame Elvis Presley. The biographical story features the tenderrelationship between a young man and his loving mother, his devotedteacher, and the senior year talent show that changed everything. It’san intimate portrait of a young dreamer, before the fame andrevolutionary fandom. Directed by William Bryan. www.nobodyshortfilm.com
SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 2015 – CINEMA LOBBY:
5pm
Music Reception in Cinema Lobby
Clarksdale’sPreston Rumbaugh & special guests perform live Delta blues forfestival reception in the lobby! Plus, official festival merchandisesales — tees, hats and more.
6pm
“Welcome” & Special Guests in Lobby
Official welcome by Clarksdale Film Festival organizers… Plus, special guests, including Take Me to the River director Martin Shore and musicians Charlie Musselwhite, William Bell, Boo Mitchell, Frayser Boy and more.
8pm
Q&A in Main Theater
After the film… ask Take Me to the River director Shore and the movie star musicians questions, etc. Then, meet and greet!
6:30pm
Take Me to the River
(95 min.) Clarksdale premiere with introduction and Q&A. Specialguests include director Martin Shore and musicians Charlie Musselwhite,William Bell, Boo Mitchell, Frayser Boy and more. New filmcelebrates the inter-generational and inter-racial musical influence ofMemphis in the face of pervasive discrimination and segregation. Bringsmultiple generations of award-winning Memphis and Mississippi Deltamusicians together, following them through the creative process ofrecording a historic new album. Film features Terrence Howard, WilliamBell, Snoop Dogg, Mavis Staples, Otis Clay, Lil P-Nut, CharlieMusselwhite, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Yo Gotti, Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy, TheNorth Mississippi All-Stars and many more. www.takemetotheriver.livingfilm.com
NOTE: SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.