Filmmakers will be guests for six indie films

IF YOU GOWhat: Chattanooga Film Society screening of "Concrete Steel & Paint."When: 7 p.m. Monday (doors open at 6:30 p.m.).Where: Loose Cannon Gallery, 1800-A Rossville Ave.Admission: $10 (discounts available to CFS members).Website: www.cfs.eventbrite.com (for tickets), www.chattanoogafilmsociety.org (for information).

The Chattanooga Film Society has been selected as a regional host for the acclaimed Southern Circuit tour of independent films, a program that brings independent filmmakers into Southern communities to talk about their films.

Chattanooga Film Society board president Dave Porfiri said the tour will bring in smaller films that discuss current issues with local significance as a way to promote engagement and build community

"With each film we are working to partner with local nonprofits, artisans and locally based companies to build a screening series unique to this city," he said. "Each film provides an opportunity to bring our community together, inspire advocacy and offer people a direct way to get involved locally."

Six films -- three this fall and three next spring -- will be screened on second Mondays at Loose Cannon Gallery. Leading off is "Concrete Steel & Paint," a story from director Cindy Burstein about what happens when men in a Pennsylvania state prison join with victims of crime to create a mural about healing. Rated PG, it has a running time of 55 minutes.

"Each screening will be introduced by the filmmaker and, of course, there will be time immediately after each film for Q&A," said CFS spokeswoman Heather Huston.

A half-hour mixer before each screening offers an opportunity to chat one-on-one with the directors and enjoy local food and beverages, she said.

According to Porfiri, the series also is "an opportunity to build an audience for a full-fledged Chattanooga Film Festival, which we hope to launch in the next few years."

SAVE THE DATE

Oct. 10: "The Wise Kids," about the transition between high school and college, shot in and around Charleston, S.C.

Nov. 14: "Welcome to Shelbyville," examines the friction stemming from the Tennessee town's changing demographics (whites, blacks, Latinos and Muslim Somali refugees) on the eve of the 2008 presidential election.

Feb. 13: "The Toe Tactic," about a woman overwhelmed by grief and depression who's watched over by comic extraterrestrial beings portrayed on-screen as cartoon squiggles.

March 12: "A Good Man," follows director/choreographer Bill T. Jones as he and his company stage an original dance-theater piece for the Abraham Lincoln birthday bicentennial.

April 16: "My Perestroika," about five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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