WSLR in Sarasota to Present Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers
Ten films and filmmaking teams have been selected for the South Arts 2021-2022 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. This long-running South Arts program connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South to share their work, discuss the art and process of filmmaking, and engage with audiences about issues impacting their communities. WSLR will be one of 24 organizations throughout the Southeast presenting the films.
“This year’s selections broach a range of important, timely topics including border and immigration issues, confederate monuments, healthcare justice, and domestic violence,” said Teresa Hollingsworth, program director. “South Arts has a strong commitment to equity and inclusion in all of our programs. We are proud to affirm that commitment in our selection of feature-length documentaries and their creators, with many sharing a direct connection to the subject matter and communities represented.”
2021-2022 Southern Circuit Official Selections
- And So I Stayed – Directed by Natalie Pattillo and Daniel A. Nelson
- At the Ready – Directed by Maisie Crow
- Duty Free – Directed by Sian-Pierre Regis
- Lily Topples the World – Directed by Jeremy Workman
- Los Hermanos [The Brothers] – Directed by Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider
- My Name is Pauli Murray – Directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen
- Not Going Quietly – Directed by Nicholas Bruckman
- The Neutral Ground – Directed by CJ Hunt
- Proper Pronouns – Directed by Megan Daniels
- Stateless – Directed by Michèle Stephenson
All films will be screened online for audiences, with each screening followed by a pre-recorded 30-minute conversation with the filmmakers discussing their film’s subject matter and the filmmaking process. Each film will be available for attendees to view on demand during a four-day window allowing viewers to stop and resume at their leisure. As a precaution for health and safety in the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers will not tour in the Fall. WSLR will also host in-person screenings with local panel discussions for all the films with covid protocols in place. For the in-person screenings, WSLR will be partnering with a nonprofit organization in the community that addresses issues discussed in the film. Those who wish to attend an online or in-person screening can visit WSLR website for more information.
The first in-person screening will be for the film ‘Stateless’ on Tuesday, September 14 at 7pm at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. This new film from Michele Stephenson, the critically acclaimed filmmaker of “American Promise,” looks at the complex politics of immigration and race in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, using a combination of magical realism and hidden camera techniques. A panel discussion following the film will feature Hugo Viera-Vargas, an Assistant Professor of Caribbean and Latin American Studies and Music at New College of Florida and Margie Wine from the Margwine Organization, our local nonprofit partner. Tickets for the in-person screening are $10 and proceeds will be split with the Margwine Organization to benefit relief efforts in Haiti. WSLR will also be collecting disaster relief the night of the screening. For a list of appropriate items, please visit HERE.
Since its inception in 1975, Southern Circuit has brought some of the best independent filmmakers and their films from around the country to communities throughout the South. The program is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Local sponsors include the Peace Education and Action Center and the Boxser Diversity Initiative.
About South Arts
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.
Our mission: advancing Southern vitality through the arts. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. For more information, visit HERE.
Photos courtesy of WSLR