Ellington

This week marks the Sixth Annual Crossroads Film Festival, and in this issue of the Jackson Free Press you'll find reviews, recommendations and a program guide to give you a sense of what to look for this Thursday through Sunday as the film festival is going on. I hope, if you're reading these words, you'll make an effort to attend. It takes all of us to bring quality independent film to Jackson, and attending the Crossroads Film Festival is a big part of making that possible.

This past year I've had the opportunity to serve on the Crossroads Board and as part of the Special Events subcommittee. We've had quite a year since this past summer, when the momentum of a petition drive drive by Knol Aust and the JFP helped get capacity crowds to the first few showings of "Fahrenheit 911" when it finally opened in Jackson. After that effort, some of us began to feel that it wouldn't be that difficult to bring other indie films that would normally bypass Jackson but that we wanted to see in the theater.

The Special Events committee (brought and kept together largely due to the energy of Nina Parikh) was able to bring films we normally wouldn't get here, thanks to support from two different venues—Regal Cinemas and Hal and Mal's—and a grant from the Mississippi Film Office that provided the budget we needed to rent and ship films from the distributors.

At that point, Ed Inman stepped in with his contacts at the distribution houses and, when we showed at Hal & Mal's, his expertise and willingness to screen 35-millimeter prints using the vintage projector that he rebuilt for the purpose. Herman Snell, who is also the JFP's music editor, showed his dedication to promoting the films by printing his personal cell phone number on the posters, telling all callers (and tons of other folks) about the films and encouraging them to consider membership.

As a result, people were not only able to see great indie features such as "Shawn of the Dead" and "Garden State" in their full-on 35 millimeter glory, but they were able to do it while enjoying their favorite adult beverage and some popcorn from the popper that Hal and Mal's brought out of storage. And some of those attendees threw their hat in the ring in support of Crossroads by filling out membership brochures and writing a check.

Those films at the UA in Flowood and Hal and Mal's throughout the year—coupled with mixers, parties and other important events held by the Membership committee—resulted in a massive influx of new members to Crossroads Film Society. This week, at the festival, those members benefit from discount ticket prices, access to the before and after-parties—and the undying appreciation of those of us who are members of the Crossroads board.

Crossroads Film Society is the first non-profit board that I've served on, and I think that's true of many of the new members who joined this past summer. We've had a great time, and I've learned quite a bit about what it takes to put together something like a film series and film festival—and, more to the point, to keep such a thing together (and funded) as the core members and leaders in Crossroads have for many years now.

Not surprisingly, though, what it really takes is an active, demanding membership, which we hope Crossroads now has and will continue to grow. If you come to the festival and enjoy the experience this weekend, please consider becoming a member of the film society as well; every new member helps us to justify more special events focused on film and a bigger and better film festival that can really showcase the natural talent that we find in Mississippi for—what else?—storytelling.

And if you don't think you can get out to the festival and see a film this weekend—well, get out and see one anyway. No excuses. There's something for everyone at the film festival, from features to short films to thought-provoking documentaries like "The Most Segregated Hour" (about black and white churches in Oxford, Miss., that have tried to learn from one another), "Kinsey" (about the professor who first brought "sex education" to the national consciousness) and "Beanland," a look at one of Mississippi's most popular "jam bands" of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Seriously—there's something for everyone.

Membership in Crossroads is inexpensive—$35 for individuals, $25 for students, $50 for couples—and every membership gives us more ammunition to go get great films and bring them to Jackson. At the same time, the larger the film society is, the more we can reach out to native filmmakers and offer them more support—a larger film festival audience each year, more film seminars and mentor opportunities, more access to grants and seed money and talent.

To me, Crossroads Film Society is both a component and a symbol of where we're going to go in Jackson's future. If we have a thriving arts scene that promotes people watching and making independent film—and finding other ways to tell their own stories—then we're building the amenities that will keep Mississippi's talented young people in the state (and encourage others to come here) by creating a place that understands and supports their desire to be creative and express themselves.

It doesn't take a million-dollar ball field, a billion-dollar lake or a river running through downtown to make Jackson the sort of place where people want to live. What it takes is tolerance for and acceptance of creative people—the people who are going to challenge you, entertain you, and make you think about who you are and what you're trying to accomplish. It takes an open mind, a little support and a decent venue or two.

I encourage you to help build Jackson's creative community this weekend. Come out and see a movie.