CLEVELAND, Miss.—The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects documentary filmmakers and their impactful work with audiences throughout the South. The Bologna Performing Arts Center (BPAC) is proud to be one of 12 selected Southern communities and the only Mississippi Screening Partner for the 2022 Fall Southern Circuit Tour.
From Sept. through Nov., the BPAC will present three films free of charge to the community. Along with a screening of the film, the filmmakers are made available to the local community for workshops and discussions. The filmmakers also conduct a Q&A with audiences immediately following the film screening to discuss the film, its subject and their work.
Screenings begin Sept. 15 with Refuge. A feature documentary that is set in the most diverse square mile in America—Clarkston, Georgia—and follows a Syrian Kurd, a former Klansman, and a town of refugees who seek belonging in a country that blames them for its problems. Ultimately, Refuge uncovers what is possible when we leave the security of our tribes and what is at stake for our country if we don’t.
In October the offerings continue with Stay Prayed Up, on Oct. 13. Stay Prayed Up is a spirited celebration, inviting audiences into “Mother” Perry’s close-knit community as the 82-year-old strives to extend her sacred song ministry ever forward. This fast-paced, foot-thumping documentary follows Perry and The Branchettes as they prepare to record their first, fully live album, a hallmark in the canon of Black gospel groups.
The Southern Circuit fall tour concludes with Outta the Muck on Nov. 10. Outta the Muck is a story about family, football, and history that comes to life in an intimate portrait of the Dean family, longtime residents of the historic town of Pahokee, Florida. Told through stories that transcend space and time, Outta the Muck presents a community, and a family, that resists despair with love, remaining fiercely self-determined, while forging its own unique narrative of Black achievement.
All films will be screened in the BPAC Recital Hall at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.bolognapac.com or contact the BPAC Ticket Office at (662) 846-4626.
Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts, a regional arts organization, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information about Southern Circuit and South Arts please visit http://www.southarts.org/southerncircuit.
