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. Tickets are $5 for adults and free for students. Tickets will be sold at the door.
Upcoming Shows
February 6 @ 6 pm: Butterfly in the Sky
Q&A with executive producer and consulting editor Dava Whisenant immediately following screening (87 minute run time)
Butterfly in the Sky tells the story of the beloved PBS children’s series "Reading Rainbow," its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television. Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or ‘90s exclaiming “Reading Rainbow!” Such is the beloved nature of the classic children’s literary television show that introduced millions of kids to the wonder of books. Not only did the series insist on having kids speak to kids about their favorite stories, Reading Rainbow introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time, LeVar Burton. Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit to learning for children of every background - delving behind the pages to the people, places, and things each new story explored.
March 5 @ 6 pm: Master of Light
Online Q&A with protagonist George Anthony Morton following screening (84 minute run time)
Master of Light is a portrait of George Anthony Morton, a renowned classical painter, who spent a decade in federal prison for drug charges. While he was incarcerated, George turned to painting as a means of survival and a tool for healing. In the years since his release, George is doing everything he can to defy society’s unlevel playing field and tackle the white-dominant art world, including graduating from the prestigious Florence Academy of Art and opening his own studio, Atelier South, in Atlanta. Master of Light is an inspirational story of resilience and immense talent emerging in the face of the oppressive circumstances of prison, and a powerful lens into breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma that fuel mass incarceration. Master of Light is a film by Rosa Ruth Boesten and George Anthony Morton, directed by Rosa Ruth Boesten, and produced by Roger Ross Williams, Anousha Nzume, and Ilja Roomans. Master of Light has won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Award for Documentary Feature at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival. Master of Light premiered on HBO and HBO Max on November 16.
April 10 @ 6 pm: King Coal
Q&A with director and producer Elaine McMillion Sheldon immediately following screening (80 minute run time)
A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life.
While deeply situated in the communities under the reign of King Coal, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing the ways in which all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, King Coal untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change.
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking. Southern Circuit works with a network of Screening Partner organizations across the region to present screenings alongside Q&As and other community/educational engagements with touring filmmakers. Screening Partners include a range of organizations such as universities, community arts centers, historic cinemas, and more, serving diverse audiences of all ages.
Since Southern Circuit’s inception in 1975, hundreds of filmmakers from around the country have toured, sharing their work and perspectives with over one hundred Screening Partner communities across the South. Southern Circuit is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Visit our website for the full schedule of events. To learn more about the Southern Circuit and browse other stops on the tour click here.
