The 15th annual Clarksdale Film and Music Festival offers a weekend of blues-themed entertainment for roughly the same paltry sum of a juke joint cover charge.
“Is it free? Nope,” said festival director Roger Stolle. “But darn near.”
The festival features film screenings and live blues performances Jan. 24-26, and tickets are $5 a day or $10 for a weekend pass. Screenings will be held at the Stone Pony’s Tack Room, with the festival closing out with a day of music at the Bluesberry Café on Sunday.
A highlight of this year’s festival is Friday’s world premiere of Talkin’ Clarksdale, a new documentary about the city’s contemporary blues scene. The film features local artists like Lucious Spiller, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod and Watermelon Slim, all of whom will perform live during the festival, as well as a host of other blues artists and local personalities.
The film was directed by Scottish filmmaker Tommy Slack, who will be in attendance for a Q&A. During his first visit to Clarksdale in 2016, Slack experienced the inimitable authenticity that draws thousands of blues fans from around the world.
“It’s very hard to put into words, but it felt more than special, it was almost haunting,” he said. “We met real people and real musicians that blew my mind. Everyone was super friendly. Despite being halfway around the world, I felt at home. I knew then that I loved Clarksdale – and Mississippi!”
Slack, an experienced storyteller who has made short films and music videos, knew he had to capture that feeling on film. He teamed with his friend, Atlanta music executive Demmette Guidry, who produced Talkin’ Clarksdale.
“The idea for the film was born out of passion and admiration for the culture there,” Slack said. “We decided very quickly we should capture people’s stories that are on the ground. Over the past few years, we’ve made numerous trips to Clarksdale, filming and engaging with the people. It’s truly a unique place, and we’ve managed to capture a significant moment in time.”
Also on Friday is I Believe I’ll Go Back Home: Robert Johnson’s Copiah County Roots and Living Legacy, a short about the influential Mississippi bluesman.
“I’m excited to have that one, it’s a new look at his life through stories from his family,” Stolle said.
Saturday’s main feature in the local premiere of A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt, a documentary about the legendary Carroll County native bluesman. The film won best documentary at the 2024 Jxn Film Festival. The screening will be preceded with a live performance by Memphis singer/guitarist Andy Cohen, who is featured in the film.
“Hurt’s granddaughter Mary Frances Hurt will also be in attendance the discuss the film,” Stolle said.
Some hard-to-find vintage blues films will also be screened, including two shorts by BAFTA Award-winning indie documentary filmmaker Les Blank. A Well Spent Life: Bluesman Mance Lipscomb is a 1971 portrait of the Texas blues legend screening Friday, while Saturday brings 1968’s The Blues According to Lightnin’ Hopkins, a moving snapshot of another Texas giant of the genre.
“They’re both total classics, but not a lot of people have had the chance to see them,” Stolle said.
On Saturday, festival goers will also get the opportunity to enjoy the 1973 French film The Blues Under the Skin. This feature-length work blurs the lines between documentary and fiction, intertwining a dramatic narrative with actual footage of blues greats in their prime including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bukka White and others.
“Even I hadn’t heard of this one until it screened recently in Memphis—it’s only been shown a couple of times in the U.S. ever, apparently,” Stolle said.
The festival isn’t all blues, though—there’s a jazz documentary, The Jazz Loft, on Saturday, and there’s a pair of documentaries of regional cultural and historical interest as well. On Friday there’s (I’m Not) Your Negroni, a short about a controversy stirred at an Oxford restaurant that got an honorable mention at last year’s Oxford Film Festival. Then on Saturday, a work-in-progress cut of Silent No More: The Descendants of the Elaine Massacre, a short about the 1919 tragedy in Elaine, Ark. from Helena filmmaker Nolan Dean screens.
For more information, visit clarksdalefilmfestival.com.
