Oxford Film Festival and Southern Foodways Alliance to present MLK Day screenings

Published 8:00 am Monday, January 6, 2020

In a partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Oxford Film Festival is presenting a free screening on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Three films will be shown at the Powerhouse from 2 to 4 p.m. on Jan. 20. The event is free to the public.

Two of the films are from the Counter Histories series at Southern Foodways. The series profiles the lunch counter sit-ins of the 1960s, connects the protests and demonstrations of today and yesterday and equips viewers to ask questions about the role of civil disobedience in the face of systemic racism and injustice. There will be a film featuring Nashville, by Wyatt Williams and Dustin Chambers, and one featuring Jackson, by Kate Medley and Mimi Schiffman.

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A third film will be shown, titled “Moving Spirits: History of the Enslaved & Civil Rights: Through Movement, Dance & Song.” The movie is by University of Mississippi professors Jennifer Mizenko and Rhondalyn Peairs and is about educating members of the LOU Community who walk past history in plain sight and do not know the stories behind buildings that were built by slaves. The film also discusses the ideology behind symbols people frequently pass by.

“We love partnering with (Southern Foodways Alliance) to showcase important Southern films about civil rights and our new local film “Moving Spirits” by two Ole Miss professors that shows the ongoing spirit of peaceful protest,” said Oxford Film Festival executive director Melanie Addington.

There will be Q&A sessions with filmmakers from all three films after the screenings. Concessions will be available for purchase as well.