Indie Memphis Film Festival will close this year’s edition with JUST MERCY by Destin Daniel Cretton, in which he reunites with his SHORT TERM 12 leading lady Brie Larson; the film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, and Rafe Spall and tells the powerful true story of Walter McMillian, who with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson appeals his murder conviction.
In addition, Indie Memphis will present this year’s Cinematographer Spotlight to Sean Price Williams. Williams will attend the festival and take part in retrospective screenings of some of his past work, as well as receive this year’s annual Cinematography Award (last year’s recipient was Oscar-nominee James Laxton of MOONLIGHT). He is most notably DPed the seminal films auteurs like The Safdie Brothers (GOOD TIME, HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT), Nathan Silver (THIRST STREET, THE GREAT PRETENDER), and Alex Ross Perry (HER SMELL, GOLDEN EXITS), among others. Williams will also be in conversation with film critic Nick Pinkerton about his career and influences for a separate event on November 3rd.
About honoring Williams this year, Artistic Director Miriam Bale says, “Sean Price Williams is clearly one of the most creative and prolific contributors to indie film of the last decade plus. Cinematographers aren’t focused as often as directors are, so we’re thrilled to make that a focus of Indie Memphis. This year, in addition to the award, we are doing a spotlight of films our honoree has shot, which is a rare opportunity to look at them as a group, to compare their similarities and differences, and maybe to expand definitions of authorship and auteurism.”
The 2019 festival spans from October 30th to November 4th, 2019.
CLOSING NIGHT
JUST MERCY (Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton)
Destin Daniel Cretton (SHORT TERM 12) directs the powerful true story of Walter McMillian, who with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson appeals his murder conviction. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson.
2019, 137 min, Drama
CINEMATOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT:
SEAN PRICE WILLIAMS
CHRISTMAS AGAIN (Dir. Charles Poekel)
A heartbroken New York Christmas tree salesman spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers appear.
2014, 80 min, Drama
GOOD TIME (Dirs. Benny and Josh Safdie)
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City to get his brother Nick out of jail.
2017, 101 min, Drama/Thriller
ONE MAN DIES A MILLION TIMES (Dir. Jessica Oreck)
A true story, set in the future, about seeds and genetic diversity, growth and decay. Two people work to preserve a seed bank as a city starves around them.
2019, 97 min, Drama
THIRST STREET (Dir. Nathan Silver)
A flight attendant who is grieving over her lover’s suicide begins to lose sight of reality when she falls for a Parisian bartender.
2017, 83 min, Comedy/Drama