College of Liberal Arts to Co-Sponsor 21st Annual CollegeTown Film Series

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2019 CollegeTown Film Festival

MACON – Macon’s 21st annual CollegeTown Film Series, sponsored by Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts, Middle Georgia State University, Wesleyan College, The 11th Hour and The Creek, opens Jan. 24 at the Douglass Theatre.

The CollegeTown Film Series compliments student life activities, supports downtown revitalization and gives students an enriching experience in Middle Georgia’s historically significant and completely restored Douglass Theatre.

This year’s series is based on the theme “Street Life” and includes three films – “Kedi,” “The Bicycle Thief” and “Boom for Real” – that will be screened Jan. 24,  Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, respectively, at 7:30 p.m., followed by discussions with the audience.

Admission is free for Mercer, Middle Georgia State and Wesleyan students with valid ID. General admission is $5, and tickets may be purchased at the door.

Dr. Michele Prettyman, assistant professor of media studies in Mercer’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies, will introduce “Boom For Real” and lead discussion on Feb. 7. The 2017 film explores the pre-fame years of the celebrated American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and how New York City, its people and its tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970s and ’80s shaped his vision.

“Mercer has had a long history of engagement with media and film studies, and I am excited to see us continue this tradition with our participation in the CollegeTown Film Festival,” said Dr. Prettyman. “This festival is an important part of connecting to the larger community and bringing students from different schools together to celebrate film culture.”

Along with her extensive teaching background, Dr. Beverly writes in the areas of film, race, visual and popular culture, African-American cinema and Southern film and race. She has presented at forums such as the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, the Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present, the World Picture Conference, the National Communication Association and the National Council of Black Studies. Her work appears in Black Camera journal, the African-American literary journal Callaloo and in online publications liquid blackness and Scope.

As co-founder of Daughters of Eve Media, she curates and develops content for film festivals and cultural events. For several years, she has developed panels for the American Black Film Festival, an internationally renowned festival that provides a platform for films produced by black filmmakers around the world. In 2013, she helped coordinate the historic LA Rebellion film series in Atlanta and moderated panels with renowned independent filmmakers.

Dr. Tom Ellington, associate professor of political science at Wesleyan, and Dr. Patrick Brennan, professor of English at Middle Georgia State, will introduce and lead discussion on the other two films.

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