JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 21, 2021) – For more than a decade, East Tennessee State University’s Mary B. Martin School of the Arts has brought to the region the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.
This year, because of its streaming format, rather than in-person, the series is featuring five films this fall and five in spring 2022 – an increase from three films a semester in past seasons – for all 24 screening venues, including ETSU.
The long-running South Arts program connects U.S.-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.
“This year’s selections broach a range of important, timely topics, including border and immigration issues, Confederate monuments, health care justice and domestic violence,” says Teresa Hollingsworth, program director. “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.”
The series began in early September with “Stateless,” directed by Michèle Stephenson, and continues Sept. 26-29 with “At the Ready,” directed by Maisie Crow. This 2021 documentary provides an inside perspective of high school seniors as they participate in a law enforcement education program aimed at training future police and border officers.
October features two more streaming documentaries: “Not Going Quietly” by filmmakers Nicholas Bruckman and Amanda Roddy and “And So I Stayed,” directed by Natalie Pattillo and Daniel A. Nelson.
“Not Going Quietly,” which streams Oct. 10-13, documents a 33-year-old father’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease and his political activism for health care justice, while “And So I Stayed” is available Oct. 24-27, featuring survivors of abuse fighting for their lives while spending years behind bars for their acts of survival.
The final film in this fall’s series is “Duty Free,” directed by Sian-Pierre Regis, which will stream Nov. 7-10. Called “a tender love poem from son to mother” by CBS News, “Duty Free” examines ageism, the care crisis and economic insecurity in America.
All the Southern Circuit documentaries can be streamed free of charge any time from the designated Sunday until Wednesday night of that week. Each documentary screening is followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with one or more of its filmmakers.
To view the trailer and register for, or “pre-order,” the free virtual screening of “At the Ready” and subsequent films in the series, visit etsu.edu/martin. 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.
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, visit southarts.org/southerncircuit.