What: 87 Minutes (Feature)
Where: Jackson
When: September-October
Positions needed: Production assistants needed to assist the director, producers and key talent.
Email for resumes: 87minutesproduction@gmail.com
What: 87 Minutes (Feature)
Where: Jackson
When: September-October
Positions needed: Production assistants needed to assist the director, producers and key talent.
Email for resumes: 87minutesproduction@gmail.com
I was born in Oklahoma in a super small town called Pryor. I ended up moving to Hattiesburg when I was about 8 or 9 for my dad’s job. I have three brothers. My oldest brother was very artistic; he was in the band and theater. My other brothers are twins that are very athletic. I was close with my big brother, and I wanted to be as much like him as I could. When I got to middle school and could start venturing out into the arts, I went full force. My freshman year I joined our theater department at Oak Grove High School.
Surprisingly, they have a big theater department, and we did a lot of competitive theater. Things like we would have to do a show in 45 minutes from clean stage to clean stage and have all our gear fit in a 12×12 box before time was up. That was my first experience with an actual production. At that time, I had worked on the crew, and I acted and played music, but I never thought that it was a career or something I wanted to do for a living. It was just something I loved. My theater director, Suzanne Ullman, is absolutely one of the best in the state. And she really instilled in me that, if making art is what makes you happy, then this is what you should do.
When my senior year came around and it was time for me to pick what college I wanted to go to, I originally wanted to go to school for music, like audio engineering. But I majored in journalism at Ole Miss. I enjoyed it, but I felt like I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing. Something didn’t feel right.
At the end of my sophomore year, I decided to take a year off and go home and figure out what really made me happy. I started working at a restaurant just to make some money and pass the time. I had zero ambition of working in film at that point. I had no clue what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be in a creative field, working with other artists to make something. What’s always really inspired me about the arts is that people can make something from nothing. I’ve always thought that was immensely beautiful.
I was working at a restaurant in Jackson, and one night Rick Moore (owner of Ridgeland production company Eyevox Entertainment) came in. I think he asked me for a cup of ice, and somehow, we got to talking. And I told him I was taking some time off from school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, snd he asked me if I had ever thought about working on movies. I had thought before about working in film, but it always felt like such an unachievable goal. But here was Rick Moore saying, hey, this is what I do. Projects are happening in Mississippi. He said come and just see what a movie set is like. And with that conversation, he offered me an opportunity to intern on Neglected.
On the first day, call time was like 5 or 6 a.m., and I was like, what am I getting myself into? But I showed up and I was immediately in awe of how many people it took to come together to make this project, and just to be there in Mississippi of all places, watching this movie being made. I was hooked. I just showed up every day, and I was hired on as a production assistant. And since then, one thing has led to another.
From that movie, I was able to meet a lot of people who work in film in Mississippi and work closely with some assistant directors. Savannah Belcher, who was second AD on Neglected, we just really like vibed and bonded together. She really liked my work ethic and I’m grateful for her putting the time and patience into training me because I didn’t know anything. After that movie, she was like, if there’s another project that comes up and you’re still not in school and still don’t know what you’re doing long-term, we can find a place for you.
A couple of weeks later, I got a call from Rick, and he said if you want to keep doing this, I have another project that’s coming. Jackson Dukes is also a second AD who has worked with Savannah, and she recommended me for a job to work underneath him. So that’s how I lucked my way into working on Lazarus: The Awakening, which was filmed in Jackson. And then with that, I met even more people who work in Mississippi film like Julie Toche and producer Andrew Stevens. I was the only PA on that. I went from being an intern not having much responsibility to the only one to run around and do all the things. It was sink or swim at times. (laughs)
After that they called me to work on In Starland. After that, Savannah offered me an opportunity to go with her to LA to PA a nonunion film, and to be honest, it made me miss Mississippi more. It was like, this is fun, but this is not home. hen I got a call to do The Man in the Window. I knew zero people working on it that I had worked with before.  It was a kind of life-changing experience that I wasn’t necessarily recommended or anything for this job. I had done on my part to get myself out there by making a profile in the Film Mississippi crew directory. It was really cool to get my first job offer that was just like, “Hey, this is what you do. We need someone to do it.” After that, I did The Girl in the River. Then I went to Vicksburg for Before Daylight, and then Alterity. That was my first job as a second second AD. After that was The 12 Dates of Christmas, and then As Good As Dead 2, which was my first big unit film, and then The Tempering. Last thing I got the call to work on was Ping (which wrapped recently).
Working in film has changed my entire view of what Mississippi means to me. There are amazing, beautiful people here that care about art and creating things. I had always told myself growing up, I want to leave Mississippi as soon as possible. But after just my second film, I knew I wanted to stay here. It made me care about the state and made me care about the community and being a part of it.
Rick Moore is a humongous inspiration to me. The fact that he’s from Mississippi and he just started as this guy who loves film, video games, board games, and so on, and he was like, I’m going to make this work right here. And he wants to give opportunities to like-minded people, and that is beautiful to me. I hope to be able to do the same for others one day.
Also, on set Matthew Bush is a crazy inspiration. He’s been my production coordinator or UPM on multiple jobs. The way he’s been able to move up and do what he wants to do because he does great work and has a good head on his shoulders. And also Jack Dukes taught me how to be an AD. We’re both learning and figuring it out, and we both want to make the production as best as it can be.
Besides the feature film work, I’ve been doing some work down in Hattiesburg for Thorne Hood and Noah Maddox and their company Kudzu Vision. Helping with stuff like filming like live bands, the underground pizza documentary they’ve been working on and small commercials around Hattiesburg. That’s inspiring to me in its own way because they are making a thing for themselves and helping prop up what’s important to them, like local music. I love that.
You have to be able to get yourself out there even if it’s saying yes to intern for free and show up at 5 a.m. with people you don’t know. (laughs) It’s super scary and intimidating, but you just have to do it. As soon as you do that, other people will see and recognize you, that this person puts in the effort and they care and then that’s all it takes.
The film crew here really is family. It doesn’t matter what production company comes in here to make a movie in Mississippi, they should know that the crew that they are going to get loves what they are doing. We are going to put our very best foot forward to make your product good.
I’m working hard to get my days to join the DGA as an AD. I want to be a first AD, maybe have the option to do super big projects and learn new skills and meet new people and bring them back to Mississippi. That’s my long-term goal; I want to become a great AD and be able to play a part in bringing projects home. I want to help grow Mississippi’s film industry, I really do.
For those that don’t know exactly what an assistant director does, they really run the day-to-day logistics on set. I think about it like court, all it takes is the judge pounding his gavel and everyone goes quiet and listens, right? That’s essentially what a first AD is there to do, establish order. It’s chaotic without them. It can get unorganized and hectic and emotions can run high, but a great first AD is able to take the emotion out of any problem and be like, “This is what we need to do in this amount of time.” When I was first on set watching that person be the glue that holds it together, that’s what hooked me. Knowing you’re the person keeping it all together is super satisfying.
Honestly, it is mind blowing to me that I am even here, much less having already done 15 projects. I’ve talked to people who have worked in this industry for years who haven’t done that many projects ever. I feel so incredibly blessed and honored to be a 22-year-old that is making a name for myself in the movie industry.
Looking for “real kids” in the community with natural acting abilities and the confidence to try out for a major role in a TV Pilot for the upcoming series, AMERICAN MUSCLE, a SAG-AFTRA project due to shoot in Jackson.
Dates: October 1-10, 2026
Rate: $449/day + 10% agency fee. Needed several days on set.
Storyline: American Muscle is a high-octane family drama set on the forgotten dirt tracks that started NASCAR. After his father’s passing, HAYES TURNER shoulders his family’s struggling garage while fighting to create his own legacy – one stock car race at a time. Like the Turner family, this sport and culture is vying for existence. The pilot is partnered with the Jackson Motor Speedway to film during live races. And the series will film during the World of Outlaws “Hell Tour” at tracks all over the country next spring/summer.
[BANKS] Male, can play 12 to 15, White. Would love 18 to play younger, but 100% open to a minor. Brash, brazen, smartass, and everything else a boy raised on the dirt tracks of Texas ought to be. After recently losing his father, Banks isn’t sure how to cope with the loss. If he let himself slow down for a moment, he might admit he’s a little adrift–but like his older brother, that isn’t something he’s willing to do. Banks is Hayes in miniature: tough, loyal, protective, ambitious, and not afraid to make enemies if that’s what it takes. He has a soft spot for his mother, but he’s at an age now where he’s not as comfortable showing it… SERIES REGULAR
This is a call for real kids (with no representation) in Mississippi and/or surrounding areas who would like to give it a shot. No experience needed. Please send at least 2 clear, up-to-date photos (1 close-up + 1 full body) to CastingAmericanMuscle@gmail.com
Subject Line: YOUR CHILD’S NAME for BANKS for AMERICAN MUSCLE
Please be sure to include the following written information in the body of your message, in addition to your attached photos.
If you do have an acting resume, we’ll happily take it but not required.
Deadline to suggest is Thursday, August 27 at 5 p.m. CT… the sooner the better as auditions will start going out asap!
Only those selected for the audition process will receive a reply with the details for a self-taped audition.
If you are a professionally represented actor, please DO NOT EMAIL, and ask your agent to suggest you on Breakdown Services.
Morgan Casting is on board THE LINE, a non-union short film due to shoot in both Indianola and Canton, Mississippi.
Dates: October 18-21, 2026
Storyline: The Line is set in the Mississippi Delta and follows Nora Lyn, a dedicated nurse who runs a rural community clinic where women wait for access to a mobile mammography unit. The film explores preventive care, health equity, rural healthcare access, and the women who continue to show up for care despite the barriers in front of them.
If you are a represented actor, please allow your agent to suggest you as this breakdown has been released on Breakdown Services. For those with Actors Access accounts, please suggest there. Emailed suggestions are strictly for those with no agent and/or no Actors Access account….an opportunity for local actors and those in the “real community” who wish to try out for a speaking part for the film. We will give preference to pro-agency and Actors Access submissions over emailed submissions, meaning we look at those first (and all submissions are indeed considered as we prep in stages).
Pays: $200/day + 20% AF (if represented) up to $750/day + 20% AF (See rates in character descriptions as they vary per role)
Production is seeking Local Hires for all roles. This means that one must work the same as a true local who lives in each city in which production is filming.
The shoot location/s for each role is/are notated in the specs.
Day 1 October 19, Indianola, MS, Outside all day
Day 2 October 20, Canton, MS, Inside all day
Day 3 October 21, Canton, MS, Inside all day
[NORA LYN] Female, early 40s, mixed race (Black and White). A dedicated nurse/clinic administrator who knows the healthcare system and is fighting through frustration and inequity to keep care available. Emotional center of the present-day story. Think Tessa Thompson; Ruth Negga; Candice Patton, but please do not limit. Rate: $750/day + 20% AF. Needed 4 days. 1 x Read through and 3 x Shoot Days. Locations: Indianola, MS (for Read through & Day1 shoot). Canton, MS (Day 2 and Day 3 shoot)… LEAD
[BETTY] Female, mid 60s, Black. Nora Lyn’s aunt and second mother figure. Truth-teller, protector, and conscience of the story. Carries the past and refuses to let Pearl’s memory disappear. Warm but direct. Grounded wisdom. Should have humor, history, and an ability to cut through denial with a look or a line. Think Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor; Octavia Spencer; Wanda Sykes. Rate: $750/day + 20% AF. Needed 4 days. 1 x Read through and 3 x Shoot Days. Locations: Indianola, MS (for Read through & Day1 shoot). Canton, MS (Day 2 and Day 3 shoot)… CO-STAR
[CAROLINE SINCLAIR] Female, early 40s, White. A polished healthcare executive and survivor whose public story promotes early detection. Mirror and contrast to Nora Lyn. Elegant, composed, privileged, but emotionally accessible. Think Alexandra Breckenridge; Katherine Bailess; Mary Elizabeth Ellis; Hilary Duff. Rate: $500/day + 20% AF. Needed 2 days. Locations: Indianola, MS (Day1 shoot). Canton, MS (Day 3 shoot)… CO-STAR
[C.J. SINCLAIR] Male, late 60s to 70s, White. Old-money, politically connected, used to getting what he wants. Charming, powerful, image-conscious, and central to the story’s pain. Rate: $300/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Canton, MS (Day 3 shoot)… SUPPORTING
[LACY] Female, mid 30s, Black. Medical tech working with the mobile mammography unit. Capable, practical, and committed to providing health services to women in the community. Rate: $300/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Indianola, MS (Day 1 shoot)… SUPPORTING
[ANNA] Female, early 40s, Black. Waiting in line at the clinic. Working woman casual, possibly slightly dressed up because she is proud and wants to present well. Rate: $250/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Indianola, MS (Day 1 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[BARBARA] Female, late 30s, Black. Possibly a mother of three. Worried about getting tested while waiting in line at the clinic. Rate: $250/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Indianola, MS (Day 1 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[CATHY] Female, mid 40s, Black. Seeking equal access to healthcare in a community deprived of it. Struggles with the situation but continues to show up. Rate: $250/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Indianola, MS (Day 1 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[DARLA] Female, early 30s, White. Woman with one short line that requires deep emotion. The line is brief but pivotal to the story. Rate: $250/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Indianola, MS (Day 1 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[WILLIE MAY] Female, approximately 40, Black. Daughter of Betty’s friend. Bright, efficient, and fully in control as a backstage manager at the gala. Dressed in show blacks with an intercom headset. Rate: $300/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Canton, MS (Day 3 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[SUSAN] Female, 60s+, White. Formal gown. Partner to the male donor. Interacts with Willie May, listens to Caroline’s speech, and appears in group scene with C.J., Caroline, Nora Lyn, and Betty. A little snooty but believable. Should convey wealth, social polish, and performative philanthropy. Rate: $200/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Canton, MS (Day 3 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
[BOB] Male, 60s+, White. Formal black-tie attire. Partner to female donor. Interacts with C.J. and admires him personally and professionally. A little snooty but believable. Polished, wealthy, socially confident. Rate: $200/day + 20% AF. Works 1 day. Location: Canton, MS (Day 3 shoot)… DAY PLAYER
Once again, for those without an agent and/or an Actors Access account, we invite you to email us for consideration: Please send at least 2 clear, up-to-date photos (1 close-up + 1 full body) to CastingForTheLine@gmail.com
Subject Link YOUR NAME for ROLE for THE LINE
Please be sure to include the following written information in the body of your message, in addition to your attached photos.
Name:
Age:
City/State in which you currently live:
Phone number:
Height:
If you do have an acting resume, they will take it but not required.
Deadline to suggest is Sunday, August 23 at 5 p.m. CT
Only those selected for the audition process will receive a reply with the details for a self-taped audition.
It’s time once again to celebrate film in your finest attire –the sixth annual Jxn Film Festival will be held July 26-31 at Tougaloo College.
This year will feature the festival’s first-ever 48-Hour Film Competition, as well as a host of film screenings, masterclasses and the festival’s ever-popular Black Tie Awards Gala to close out the week’s events.
A highlight of the screenings is the world premiere of the Mississippi-made feature thriller Harmless (July 29, 5:15 p.m.)It was shot completely on Super 8 film in the Jackson area in April 2025, a project that was conceptualized by producer/writer Eric Player.
“When I was a kid, Super 8 was what my dad used, so I developed an affection for it,” he said. “And with everything digital now, it all looks like a car commercial. There’s not enough variety. I think that Super 8 is always underestimated. I’ve always wanted to do a project on film but knew I couldn’t afford the higher formats, so I started collecting cameras and getting them fixed up. I wanted a good, unique aesthetic, and I knew Super 8 could really set us apart.”
To accomplish the task of shooting in what is essentially a vintage film format, Player teamed with prolific cinematographer Adrian Sierkowski, a 2026 News and Documentary Emmy nominee for Turning Point: The Vietnam War. He relished the challenge of making it work.
“The camera in my cell phone is so far advanced from any camera I would have ever used when I was coming up,” he said. “But modern cameras have created a representation of the world that is kind of commodified and universal. Using an older format, you add layers of interpretation between reality and what the film stock or the lens can actually provide. That abstraction, that kind of poetic interplay, can feed into your narrative.”
Harmless follows a pair of neighbors whose spouses seemingly ran off together, but their disappearance soon leads to a conclusion much more sinister. The somewhat grungy, grainy, soft, and dreamy look of Super 8 plays right into the mystery.
“In this film, you’re dealing with people who are a little insane,” Sierkowski said. “We used Super 8’s look to play on nostalgia, subjectivity and false memory to build something interesting.”
The film was the first feature directed by Charles Box, a 20-year film industry veteran who was instrumental in bringing the project to Mississippi after a positive experience working in the state as a line producer on the Hulu documentary Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story.
“I went back and forth to Mississippi for that project for about a year,” he said. “Harmless is kind of an ode to classic cinema, so I thought Mississippi would be the perfect place. I knew the dollar would stretch and that the people were nice and friendly. I knew we could do it here as well as anywhere else.”
“I was delighted to be in Mississippi,” Sierkowski said. “The crew was great. There weren’t the usual difficulties of filming in LA or New York or even Oklahoma or Atlanta. Everyone, including Film Mississippi, was super welcoming and went out of their way to support us. Apart from a light bulb for one light, there was nothing that we could not find we needed, and, oh, the food! It was one of the best experiences I’ve had filming anywhere in the U.S.”
Some other highlights of this year’s Jxn Film Festival:
Rocky Screening and Panel Discussion (July 26, 4 p.m.) – The festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of this landmark Best Picture Oscar-winner.
Black Longevity (July 27, 1 p.m.) and Deliver Us (July 27, 3 p.m.) – First, Black Longevity is a documentary short that takes a look at the lives of a group of black seniors, including a 100-year-old, and the conversation around aging. Then, the feature documentary Deliver Us examines the rise of midwives and birthing centers in a time when black mothers are dying in childbirth at a 4x higher rate. A health and wellness activation will be held from noon-4 p.m. to coincide with these screenings.
Mission Recompense (July 28, 1:30 p.m.) – This short documentary, subtitled Love Letters to a Mississippi Delta, is a portrait of the people, places and culture of the Delta from filmmaker Erica M. Sandifer, a native of the region now based in Birmingham.
The Bennetts: A Family Dilemma (July 28, 7:30 p.m.) – a short drama written, directed, produced and edited by University of Southern Mississippi graduate Lohn Lenoir, who is a member of the production staff of HGTV’s Home Town series filmed in Laurel.
Masterclass: AI Workshop (July 28, 6 p.m.) – Hosted by filmmaker and Jackson State University alum Marc Harris, this workshop explores how “AI is reshaping Hollywood — not replacing storytellers but empowering them to do more with less.”
Tornado ’76 (July 29, 3 p.m.) – A short documentary about the tornado that tore through Canton in March 1976 by Mississippi filmmakers Cami Roebuck and Derek Bond.
Hoop Street (July 29, 6:45 p.m.) – a feature drama from Memphis-based playwright and filmmaker Princeton James, who is a native of Coldwater, Miss.
Table of the Flowers (July 30, 12 p.m.) – From Tokyo-based director Ryuta Lee Hayashi, this feature documentary looks at the lives of Chinese chefs living in Japan.
Farming Freedom (July 30, 1:30 p.m.) – Subtitled The Inspiring True Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi, this feature documentary was produced by WLBT marketing director Kayla Thomas. A farming activation with a mini farmer’s market will be held in conjunction with this screening from noon-4 p.m.
48-Hour Film Competition Showcase (July 30, 4:30 p.m.) – Films from the festival’s first-ever 48-Hour Competition will be screened, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaking teams.
Uncommon Cents: The Lamar Powell Story (July 30, 7 p.m.) – This feature documentary by Jxn Film Festival founder Maximus Wright chronicles the life of Liberty, Miss. native Lamar W. Powell, a WWII army veteran and U.S. Department of State employee whose financial savvy in the stock market led to great success. Upon his death in 2015, the Lamar W. Powell Scholarship Endowment was established at the University of Southern Mississippi, providing scholarships for 80 students per year.
For tickets and a full schedule, visit jxnfilmfestival.com.
Amia Edwards is an actress who has appeared in Mississippi-made films such as The Card Counter and Every Time a Bell Rings. She is the founder of Amiable Arts Foundation, a Jackson-area nonprofit whose mission is “to empower youth through the arts, fostering creativity, confidence, and a diverse set of skills that prepare them for a bright future.”
I grew up in Bolton and went to school in Clinton. At junior high there, I participated in Arrow Vision, which was kind of like our own Channel One—a student-produced news show. It was run by Anthony Thaxton, who now heads the Center for Southern Storytelling at Mississippi College.
I was the news anchor in my seventh and eighth grade years. By the time I got to Clinton High School, I was a member of the cooperative education program and utilized that opportunity to start an internship at WLBT. By the time I graduated from Jackson State in 2004, I was a full-time news producer at channel three and then did the news circuit across the country for a while before coming back home.
Back home, I think I was still running from my dream of acting because I was always told that it was something you didn’t do when you were from a rural area. So, I started a few other careers, like real estate. But one day I had an audition opportunity and just went for it. I started following Matthew Morgan and Morgan Casting, I sent him some self-tapes, and it just started taking off from there.
I’ve done work here in Jackson, Natchez, some New Orleans gigs, and now I have an agent. Now I also have this short film piece and extended monologue that I wrote for my church called Got a Light. It’s about a lady dealing with substance abuse issues, and I put it on YouTube and I started getting all these accolades for the film.
My now-agent just hit me up and said, “I want to sign you.” And that’s how it started. Later through a connection at Jackson Public Schools, I learned I could possibly be a mentor for some students here in Jackson. And that’s when I started the Amiable Arts Foundation.
It addresses what I did not have: a place where I could truly explore what it is to be a part of the film industry, whether that’s in front of the camera or behind it.
Our high school students focus on their own short films while taking masterclasses. I utilize the relationships that I’ve had in the film industry, such as with Morgan Casting, my agent, several of my mentors, people I’ve met on set who do lights, makeup, etc., and they’ll host a masterclass via zoom for my kids in high school.
And while they’re learning all the different things and learning the history of film, they’re working on their own short film. At the end of the school year, we have our own film festival. After that, we have our own version of the Academy Awards, and the students are always super excited about that. It’s black tie, red carpet, all the bells and whistles. Best actor, Best actress, best set design, best film, best director, best screenplay, all of those things. Everything grew from there.
I had a big demand to offer classes for middle schoolers, but for them diving right into film can be a bit much. We started addressing literacy issues by doing stage plays and exposing them to careers that are also behind the curtain.
I’m very proud of how we’ve grown at the Amiable Arts Foundation, to be a place of enrichment for kids that may not have access to, or whose family may not be able to afford, after school or summer curriculums.
We started doing piano lessons and people ask me, “Why are you doing piano lessons?” Because some children want to write a score. We learn about the history of music and how impactful a score is to a film. The children get excited to make their own score for their own short film. It’s something that just keeps growing. We also teach dance, and the dance started turning into music videos.
We’ve just grown to include the Hinds County School District, where I am proud to say I took it back to my hometown of Bolton. Those children just did a phenomenal version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We just had our first star camp, a four-week program. They had acting class, dance class, piano class, set design makeup and other things for film. Then they’re labeled a well-rounded performer. And we just got done with that, so I’m catching my breath from Star Camp.
One of my favorite stories to tell—we provide transportation to families who may not be able to afford it. And one of the young men, who is 16 and from the Rebel Woods community, he missed the bus one day. I was leaving, going to a meeting, and I saw him walking and asked, “Where are you going?” He said, “I’m coming to class. I missed the bus, so I just walked.” That was the day that they had to write their own music and lyrics. He said, “I want to finish my song.” That’s the kind of story that makes it all worthwhile.
And then the amount of growth we see every year—last summer we had 14 students, this summer we had 60. That’s how I know that it’s something that my community needs.
I think that’s one thing that educators may be neglecting, as technology keeps growing: creativity. We test and test and test, but do we really enrich the lives of all students, not just those who are strong in science and math?
I always say our mission is “no star left behind.” What I want to make sure we always do is be accessible to those who may not have any other option, but have talent and don’t know how to realize it and really explore their full potential. Amiable Arts Foundation is a harbor for a child that knows they’re creative and trying to find their creative voice, and how to find a career that will sustain a life that means a lot to them.
I’m ashamed to say I was well into my 30s until I understood what a screenplay was. So, I think it’s important that we expose our young artists to the basics and make them accessible and attainable. If I had not had the opportunity to do Arrow Vision, for example, I would not have had the ambition to go to WLBT and be a news producer and would not have had the path that led me to where I am today.
Matthew Morgan has been a great mentor to the children. Every time we have a class or a new session, he comes in to talk to them because I want them to understand what a casting director is and what they do, and how preparation is key to being an actor. I always tell the kids, you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready. His involvement is one example of how we expose kids to all the various careers in the film industry and kind of broaden the lens.
My first on-set experience with a SAG credit was thanks to Matthew Morgan. It was The Card Counter, which filmed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I was in the same trailer as Tiffany Haddish for makeup, and I was like, oh, this is legit! (laughs) Matthew later told me that I got the gig because my audition made the director laugh. That was good to hear.
I was last on the set of The People We Meet on Vacation that was filmed in New Orleans. I think that’s still out there on Amazon. If anybody wants to watch it, my residuals will thank you. That experience led me to have peace with getting cut. I had a lot of dialog, but by the time the film was edited, all you see me doing is saying, “Oh!” I’m learning to be at peace with that. As they say in Disney’s Finding Nemo, just keep swimming.
That’s definitely Mr. Lance Nichols, an actor in New Orleans. He’s helped me be at peace with where I am and to also just keep my head down and do the work as an actor. As Lance says, God is going to put you where you’re supposed to be no matter what.
Mississippi is the source of America’s talent. And there’s the greenery, the buildings, the architecture, the southern drawl that can’t be impersonated. There’s so much that’s unique in our state. I really appreciate our film incentive that encourages hiring Mississippi talent for productions’ cast and crew. I think that’s beautiful. All the greats come from right here.
Number one, don’t be afraid. It’s a waste of emotion. Go after it. Don’t let it stop you from listening to yourself and your gifts. There’s only one you!
Number two, start following Film Mississippi, and start following casting directors like Matthew Morgan on social media. And with today’s cell phones, you’ve got the technology to make a short film. So just go do it, just get started. That’s the beauty of creativity. Once you start, you’re just going to get stronger and stronger. That’s the beauty of being an artist.
I would love for it to continue to grow to the level some other places in the South like New Orleans have become. Of course, New Orleans has its own very specific backdrop, but so does Mississippi. I want to see more amazing films where you couldn’t believe they were filmed right here in Mississippi.
My website is amiaedwards.com, my socials can be found there. You can also learn more about the Amiable Arts Foundation at amiableartsfoundation.org.
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs will host the inaugural Fisheye Film Festival June 11-13. James Karlson, the museum’s Program Coordinator, an avowed movie buff, created the festival. We spoke with him about how the festival came to be, its mission, and what festivalgoers can expect to experience. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.walterandersonmuseum.org/fisheye-film-festival.
It developed from National Geographic’s Slingshot Challenge, which is a call for young people 13–18 to create a 60-second video highlighting and proposing a solution to local environmental issues. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art has been a programming partner with National Geographic over the past three years.
Each video has a chance to win funding to support the cause or issue they choose to highlight. Last year, National Geographic asked its partners to consider hosting watch parties and screenings of these student video submissions to celebrate their efforts and support the issues participants chose.
Each year with the Slingshot Challenge, we evaluate how we can make it more robust than the last. This past year, we chose to implement the filming of multiple behind-the-scenes documentaries to be a part of a series of “episodes” to showcase the opportunities and collaborative work we do at the museum as it relates to the Slingshot Challenge.
With the plan to create these documentary-style pieces and the desire from the National Geographic Society to host screenings, we felt it was appropriate to create a new platform for this content to live, and the Fisheye Film Festival was born.
Film is the most powerful storytelling medium we have available to us. I’d say that a film on any subject allows for a conversation to be had. With the fast-paced nature of the information age, films can hold your attention and allow for an audience to digest an idea that they might have zero knowledge of. Environmentalism is a subject with a wide umbrella and various disciplines, and it’s important to shine a light on everything that is happening or could happen to our planet and our local habitats.
Walter Anderson dismissed the idea of humans having dominion over nature. He believed that we should live in unison with it. And it is our duty to protect this planet, to tell stories, and educate the masses on how that must be done, and that is largely the goal of this festival. We aim to educate our audience and deepen their connection with their home. It is also a goal of ours to provide agency to young people and to reinforce that their ideas and goals are viable.
Glenn worked with the museum and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center to create a documentary piece outside the scope of the Slingshot Challenge and Fisheye Film Festival titled River City Voices. We recruited him as a contract filmmaker to document the program, capture B-roll for students to use in their videos and discuss the filmmaking industry’s challenges and rewards. The workshop was largely Digital Media students from the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven. His episode was meant to add exposition and context to this year’s cycle of the Slingshot Challenge and to cover the large, multi-school field trip to Buccaneer State Park, located in Waveland. He has also served as a consultant for the film festival, along with our other 4 filmmaking partners. It is hard to explain the depth of experience that occurs on a nature excursion field trip, so his job was to show that to our audiences and spark interest in the program. Â
As far as screenings, the films Chasing Coral and Hollow Tree act as our “bookend” feature-length films to start off and end our festival. Chasing Coral is an investigative documentary that follows a group of filmmakers and researchers set on capturing a time-lapse of coral bleaching. In recent years, the lives of many of the planet’s coral reefs have been dying or becoming “bleached,” and this is not only a hazard to the health of our oceans, but also a hazard to the many industries that provide food to our population. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the conversation of coral reefs, oysters, and the decline in our fishing industries is a very large one and one of deep concern. There have been numerous efforts by the Department of Marine Resources to offset this damage by creating artificial barrier reefs to promote the health of our waters. I chose this feature due to this close thematic tie to the issues we are currently facing at home, and for the strong sense of filmmaking ingenuity that is on display in this film.
Hollow Tree follows three young individuals from different parts of Louisiana who join filmmaker Kira Akerman in discovering more about the Mississippi River and the numerous ancestral ties to both our cultural and industrial identity. This film does much of the same work that the Slingshot Challenge does – getting young people to be curious about their natural world and providing them a platform to speak on it.
Outside of the feature films and the debut of our WAMA Slingshot Documentary series, the festival includes talks and workshops from Film Mississippi and the Mississippi Film Alliance. There is a student poster showcase from Mississippi State University Graphic Design students available to view online or in person at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art during the run of the festival. On Saturday, we will host an Arts and Science Field Day with various entities and education-based vendors showcasing the strength of filmmaking, environmental science, and community found on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Â
WHAT: Mizpah (Limited Series)
WHERE: Natchez
WHEN: June 22-23
CREW BREAKDOWN:
TO SUBMIT: info@reelpastmedia.com
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: June 11
Glenn Payne of Tupelo is a multihyphenate independent filmmaker who directs, writes, produces, edits and often acts in his projects. He’s made feature films like 2019’s award-winning Drive, the web comedy series Stargrassle Paranormal, and numerous short films. He’s also an accomplished visual artist as well as an improv comedy performer with the Tupelo -based troupe West of Shake Rag.
I was born in Jacksonville, Tennessee. My dad is from North Mississippi. He was in the Navy. We moved back when I was very, very small to Blue Springs, where I’ve lived for most of my life, and Tupelo is home now.
I was always an art kid, drawing constantly. I went to Northeast Community College for art and then Mississippi State after that. I studied painting and drawing. At the time they had a computer animation program, which I was excited to join. But they pulled the plug on it like the semester I showed up. So I had to pivot and stayed with fine art, which I’m glad happened that way.
My last semester at Mississippi State, I had an intro to film history course with Dr. Ben Harvey and he let us make a short film for our final exam if we wanted to give it a shot. I made this awful little thing with no dialogue at all. But I got really fascinated by the process and slowly began to get addicted to filmmaking, just making things on my own with a little bitty $100 or so camera from Walmart and then slowly trying to grow from there. That’s my super villain origin story. (laughs)
I made a lot of shorts on my own with family and then I started meeting other collaborators when I joined an improv group in Tupelo. I started meeting actors, and then I started slowly finding other people that were making films on their own too. Technology was tougher to come by at the time. I made a lot of stuff at first that is those kind of films you really don’t want anyone to go back and watch.
Then I made a short film called The Fall of Henry. It was one of the first films where things really started coming together. It was something I felt proud of and wanted to let someone else watch, although there’s still a million things I would have changed about it now. That was one of the first ones that made me feel like we were starting to get a hold on things, you know?
That was 2011. Michael Williams and Casey Dillard worked on that. Michael was the DP, and I think it was the first film he ever DP’d for someone else. Casey wrote it and we’ve collaborated a lot over the years. Heather Roebuck was there too. It was one of the first that felt like a real team and that people had found the roles they really wanted to do. That was exciting. We kept making short films, all of us working on each other’s projects. Then about three years later, we made my sci-fi feature film Earthrise and Michael Williams’ feature Ozland. They were kind of like sister films happening at the same time that year.
Over the last few years, I’ve gotten a little more into teaching workshops, especially introducing teens to filmmaking and the career opportunities in Mississippi. Usually, we’ll make a film for those classes with the students. I teamed up with the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs and taught a week-long workshop there. And we made a short documentary called River City Voices that dealt with flooding in their area, especially in Moss Point. A lot of what they do at the museum involves both science and art, which I think is cool because I got to experience things that were different than what I would normally be doing myself. So, the students worked on that, and I helped show them the ropes and guided them through the process. It really turned out well and got the community involved.
Another workshop I’ve done is the Sunflower County Film Academy in Cleveland. We’ve done it for three years. We’re taking a year off this year, but hopefully we’ll be back going next year. It’s my little home away from home during June. That’s another one that’s focused on teens in that area. We’ve had some really good groups and done some interesting projects. I’ve also done a week-long workshop in Tupelo through the Link Centre as well as some one-to-two-day pop-up workshops for both adults or kids.
I have three feature films potentially coming out this same year, which is not how you should do it. I would not recommend. (laughs) That’s just the way things worked out, a couple got delayed, life happened, etc.
I have a ghost hunting documentary about the Lyric Theater in Tupelo, Mississippi, called The Most Haunted Theater in America. If anyone wants to contest that, hey, we can talk about it. (laughs) And then a thriller called Safe and Sound, which I made with Greg Gray, a filmmaker out of Memphis. We made that a few years ago, sort of a suspenseful Hitchcockian film. I’m excited that it’s finally coming out. And then there’s Alien Eyes, I guess you’d call it the biggest film I’ve made scope-wise and logistically. It required a lot of people and a lot of moving parts. But what was great about it was I made it so if anyone in the community wanted to get involved, they could and were welcome to do so, whether they wanted to come be an extra or come help decorate sets, because there was so much set design in the film. It’s sort of an alien slasher, so a lot of people get excited about those elements, too. So many people got to be involved, and I was very thankful for that. It very much had a community kind of feel to it, which was really, really nice. That should be a really fun time when we finally get around to screening it.
I have a few different distributors that I’ve worked with over the years. But it takes a lot of research to make sure you pick the right partner. A lot goes into that. And distribution keeps changing so dramatically and so quickly with streaming services that it’s changing not only viewing in America, but internationally, too. The way things used to be divided domestically and internationally has changed quite a bit from what I’ve been familiar with. I’m using a company called Indie Rights that I’ve used for four films or so for at least one of the new ones. We’ll figure it out with the other two. It is nice when you have someone that you know how they work and what their flow is, and you have that kind of communication already built in. But it is a very strange time distribution wise, and the returns you can get for films keeps changing. What streaming does or doesn’t pay changes rapidly, too.
I definitely have a mentor in the fine art realm, Brent Funderburk at MSU. But in filmmaking, I think it’s just more of a collection of experiences with everyone I’ve worked with. Because when I started making films, and this is true for some of the other guys too, I didn’t know of anyone else doing it. I would have been thrilled to have someone who knew what they were doing that I could have picked their brain, to show me what mistakes I was making in advance, but I kind of just had to make the mistakes myself. So, other than being inspired by peers and fellow filmmakers, I think that’s the closest thing in the film world to a mentor for me. Of course, I had my favorite directors that were already very noteworthy and famous that I pulled a lot from. Not that I got to talk to them on the phone and they gave me any advice or anything… (laughs) I gobbled up every DVD commentary I could find, that’s for sure.
As a painter and drawer, I used to travel the country before I got further into film. I traveled selling artwork at art festivals, outdoor shows a lot, and I would do galleries as well. I still have a painting studio, I still make work. It’s definitely less rapid than before, because film is sort of the primary thing now. I’m always exploring how I can use painting to counter filmmaking in a way that is therapeutic. Because, logistically, there’s so much involved in filmmaking with scheduling and making sure everything’s planned and feeding people and insurance and hotels and getting the shots and “where’s the sun?” It is nice to go back to the painting studio and it’s just me in a room alone, you know? A lot less hectic. At the same time, I would then get starved for socializing with other people because I like people. So, I’ll get bored to death in there, too. (laughs) It is nice bouncing back and forth.
I’ve been doing improv since 2009 or so with our group West of Shake Rag in Tupelo. We went to Second City as part of Chicago Improv Festival back in the day and studied under some mentors there. And I moved to both Chicago and L.A. briefly, and I really dived into the scene in Chicago, improv-wise. But I do shows regularly at the Link Center in Tupelo. I also do lots of film and art stuff there as well. But improv I love so much because unlike film, it’s so instantaneous. You get instant gratification. But it’s also similar because it’s almost like you’re writing, acting and editing a movie instantaneously on stage. You’re performing, you’re coming up with dialogue, you’re crafting a story, especially if you’re doing long form, and there’s usually a character arc of some sort, they’re facing a challenge, and you’re wiping from one scene to the next, so you’re editing. It’s some of the same things, but in a very different medium.
When I was a teenager, the show Ghost Hunters was blowing up. I remember watching that, and I always thought paranormal investigation was very interesting. And then strangely enough, Casey Dillard, myself and Chris Counts, who was in our improv group, put together a show called Stargrassle Paranormal, which is this comedy ghost hunting show. But it was more focused on the characters and how ridiculous they were, along the lines of The Office or Parks and Recreation. They were ghost hunting in a small southern town. But I didn’t do any actual ghost hunting or paranormal investigating at that point. And now you fast forward years later, in the last few years, I’ve been going on actual investigations and getting to see some of that firsthand. It’s pretty fascinating and I’ve seen some interesting things. And now I have a documentary coming out about a paranormal investigation in Tupelo, and then another one we did, which I haven’t edited yet. God knows when I’ll be able to do that. In Eureka Springs, we went to a couple of well-known, historic hotels there that are very active. I tried to carry over my filmmaking experience, direction-wise to that, while also just embracing the experience. I’ve always been a fan of any sort of thriller, paranormal, offbeat content–Twilight Zone, old black and white episodes. I still watch those regularly.
Yeah, that’s pretty much how that works. I still do commercial work, things that I’ll produce and direct in the northeast Mississippi area. I’ve thought many times about focusing more on that and building that up more. But then again, I don’t want it to take away too much from my scripted filmmaking endeavors. I do commercials as they come. But it is cool that the same gear crosses over from making a movie to making commercials. You can more easily talk yourself into buying more equipment because you’re like, oh, I could use that on this commercial coming up and that’s a business thing. (laughs) So you must be careful and not go crazy on purchases, but you do get to practice some of the same skill sets, but in a very different manner, usually at a more laid back and slower pace.
I mostly do my own thing, but I will work on other indie projects and commercial projects. Because you can learn so much. I was watching a gaffer on a hospital commercial. Like, oh, that’s cool, they light it that way. I may steal that later. (laughs) Or getting to try out a different camera. You can observe while you’re working. I do like to do that, but I don’t do it constantly just because I have so much other stuff I’m trying to do myself. It’s a weird fine line of providing yourself with a living but also leaving yourself time to pursue your own dreams and put in the time that is required to make those things happen.
I wish somebody had told me this before I started, but I think it’s incredibly valuable to make a lot of short films for as little money as possible. Just so that you’re not hurting yourself financially while you learn. Don’t approach it like I’m making one movie in my whole life, and it’s going to be a huge investment. Think of it more like you’re making paintings or a pot on the pottery wheel – it takes practice. Get some friends that are very interested too or find some you can team up with and learn from their projects. Work on short films so you can practice the technical side of things. You can make some mistakes there. You can practice different genres, work with different actors, different cinematographers, be the cinematographer yourself, learn how to run sound, do every department. So later you can appreciate them and have a base understanding of what those departments need to do and how hard it is. If you’ve run sound and then you later have someone else booming a shot and you hold a 7-minute take that they’re trembling over, they’re sweating, dying, you will remember that it hurts and take care of them a little bit more!
I genuinely feel more inspired here and in small town settings. I don’t know why, I did dabble with other cities. Like I said, I went to Los Angeles for a very short amount of time and Chicago as well. I don’t know if it’s because I’m from a small town and that’s just in my blood, but I didn’t feel as inspired. I felt drained. I was like, okay, that’s not for me, and I came right back home to Mississippi, and instantly saw more inspiration in things here. And the communities are so supportive. They’re not jaded themselves by it or used to the business, so to speak. You can get other people very involved in your projects on a community level, whether you’re getting locations or asking for volunteers for this or that, people get excited. And that’s good for you because you can get more things you can afford more easily, but also it lets them be a part of something different that they can be very excited about too. And I think when it’s a win-win like that, that’s great.
When it comes to crowdfunding, I think it’s important to be realistic with what kind of reach you might have, because I feel that mostly you’re going to be hitting your own social circles. You may occasionally have some complete strangers stumble upon your fundraiser, though. Think of what might appeal to your audience as far as perks and things you can give out. I think in the early days of Kickstarter and others, you could raise quite a bit, because it was brand new and exciting for everyone. I think now it’s harder to raise larger amounts of money that way. But if you use every method you have at your disposal, between your own money, grants, fundraising and investors, then you can piece together a decent budget.
It’d be great to see more productions continue to come into the state that work well with the artists that are already here. There’s always that infrastructure thing where we need more and more crew members and available gear, those things that entice people to come here. But it’d be great if in the future, and I know this is way easier said than done, if there was some kind of micro-budget threshold that offered something to homegrown filmmakers doing projects under the film incentive’s $50,000 minimum, which I realize is already crazy low nationwide. Maybe there’s a local version of the rebate that could be for short films and smaller productions for filmmakers working with microbudgets. It could be a cool way to help grow the infrastructure, get more people involved, and have more homegrown projects.
No, that’s it. That’s all I can do. I don’t sing and I don’t dance.
My website is glennpayne.com, and I’m @glennematic on Instagram and Youtube.
WHAT: Mizpah (Limited Series)
WHERE: Natchez
WHEN: June 22-23
ROLE: Caucasian, Female, late 20s
RATE: $259/day
INFORMATION NEEEDED:
TO SUBMIT: casting@reelpastmedia.com
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: June 6