Southern Gothic Film Hour – November 9, 2015

TRIANGLE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

A SOUTHERN GOTHIC FILM HOUR

Two veteran Triangle filmmakers debut their first directorial efforts in advance of festival season

On Monday, November 9th, the bar at 106 Main in downtown Durham will host two local filmmakers as they debut their films in advance of the film festival submission. Cast, crew, and a lively audience will be on hand to screen a pair of short, Southern Gothic films created inside the Bull City.

Eryk Pruitt, award-winning novelist and screenwriter ("Foodie", "Disengaged," Dirtbags) will premiere his short Southern thriller "The HooDoo of Sweet Mama Rosa" (27 minutes) alongside the work of celebrated actor and editor Meredith Sause's "Keepsake" (17 minutes). Both films have been entered into top film festivals around the country, and "Keepsake" screens at the Alexandria Film Festival and the Carrboro Film Festival in November 2015.

"Keepsake" tells the story of two sisters who arrive at the home of their mother, a recently deceased hoarder, and discover secrets long left buried. It stars Tracey Coppedge and Meredith Sause. "The HooDoo of Sweet Mama Rosa" is the plight of Old Poke Billet, a man who's been mowing yards in a small Southern town for as long as anyone can remember, and the thirteen year-old boy who will stop at nothing to squeeze in on his action. It stars veteran actor J.W. Smith (The Warriors, Red Heat, Johnny Handsome) as well as newcomer Logan Harrison and a host of Triangle talent (Rita Gonzalez, Jeffrey Moore, Meredith Sause and Tracey Coppedge).

"There is no better venue than Durham to showcase original, homegrown work," says filmmaker Eryk Pruitt, who wrote the award-winning short film "Foodie" in 2012. "This is a town full of amazing musicians, artists, and writers, as well as patrons and fans of local talent. It's an incubator and I'm proud to be part of it."

"It's exciting to send the film out into the world with a potential to be seen in far-away lands, " says Keepsake producer/director Meredith Sause, winner of the Best Actor Award at the 2014 Carrboro Film Festival, "but there is no greater thrill than screening it in the community that helped create and inspire it."

he event starts at 6:30 and will feature special cocktails crafted for the event by 106 Main's owner and bartender Mike Bourquin. The first film starts at 7:15 and the programming will include trailers for films by local Triangle filmmakers. A second screening is planned for 8:45. Admission is $5 (five dollars) which is being used to further circulate the films into festivals.

"It feels pretty dreamy," says Sause. "This film has been a long time coming and I'm happy to finally be sharing it."

WHAT: The Southern Gothic Film Hour

WHEN: Monday, November 9, 2015, 6:30 – 8:30pm

WHO: Meredith Sause's "Keepsake" and Eryk Pruitt's "The HooDoo of Sweet Mama Rosa."

WHERE: 106 Main, 106 E. Main, Durham, NC, 27701

TICKETS: $5.00