Past Events
May 2024
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. Preview
Join director Jamila Wignot in person for a preview of the first episode of the new HBO docuseries STAX: Soulsville U.S.A., followed by a panel discussion with Wignot and key participants. After the film and post-film discussion, please join HBO, Crosstown Arts, and Indie Memphis for a reception for all ticket-holders. The post-film reception will be held in the Crosstown Arts East Atrium (above the red staircase). Complimentary food and drinks will be provided.
Mississippi Moon Festival Showcase
Join us for the Mississippi Moon Festival Showcase preview on The Green Room at Crosstown Arts on Thursday, May 16! It will be a fun evening to hear a sampling of 11 musicians performing acoustic Americana music before the bigger festival happens in June on the grounds of Aisling Farm in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Get your jam on with this celebration of American roots music.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents ENDLESS POETRY
Continuing the autobiographical story he began in The Dance of Reality, Endless Poetry is an ode to the quest for beauty and inner truth, as a universal force capable of changing one’s life forever, written by a man who has dedicated his existence to creating spiritual and artistic awareness, told through Jodorowsky’s unique surreal and psychedelic visual language.
MicroCinema: Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2024
This program, which includes award-winning and audience-favorite films from their most recent festival, intends for youth audiences to gain global awareness through the medium of film. From intergenerational friendship, to discovering and rescuing a friend from an alternate dimension, to learning how to honor your ancestors, these films beautifully cover a broad range of ages and experiences.
Shoot & Splice: Filmmaking Grants & Labs
Join Indie Memphis & Crosstown Arts for a discussion of best practices when applying for filmmaking grants and labs. Joseph Carr will lead a presentation for filmmakers applying for Indie Memphis’ IndieGrant program*. He will break down the application process step-by-step and provide tips on what the jurors look for when reviewing submissions. Additionally, Indie Memphis’ Kayla Myers and Amanzi Arnett will discuss other local and national opportunities for grant funding, as well as provide guidance on how to best present yourself and your project when applying for funding.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents TRUCK TURNER
Bounty hunter Mack “Truck” Turner (Isaac Hayes) almost always finds his target, but his latest prize — a pimp called Gator (Paul Harris) — is killed while Turner is chasing him. Gator’s girl, Dorinda (Nichelle Nichols), vows to avenge his death and offers ownership of her successful call girl operation to anyone who can knock off Turner. Upscale pimp Harvard Blue (Yaphet Kotto) steps in, upping the ante with professional assassins. Turner, however, isn’t going down easily.
Modern Masters Jazz Series: Jim Snidero and The Ted Ludwig Trio
Described in a recent 5-star review in DownBeat magazine as having “incredible prowess and tender musicality,” New York saxophonist and composer Jim Snidero encapsulates what is both unique and compelling about jazz, reflected in over 10 million plays on Spotify. Hailed as having a sound “at the highest level among his fellow alto saxophonists of the 21st century” (All About Jazz), and improvisation that is “mind-boggling and, at the same time, hugely enjoyable” (The Guardian), Snidero is a veteran recording artist placing in both DownBeat critic and reader polls (EMI, Milestone, Savant …) and sideman (Mingus big band, Jack McDuff, Eddie Palmieri, Frank Sinatra …) who can truly say “been there, done that.”
Ben Nichols and Rick Steff (of Lucero)
Memphis music legends Lucero’s Ben Nichols and Rick Steff are teaming up to play a very special performance in The Green Room at Crosstown Arts.
The Alex Upton Quintet
Memphis-based saxophonist Alex Upton will bring their original modern, straightahead jazz compositions to The Green Room at Crosstown Arts. The second half of the performance will be the premiere of a brand-new, five-movement suite for jazz combo entitled “In Retrospect”.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents BLUE IN THE FACE
After coming in under budget at the completion of SMOKE, Wayne Wang and screenwriter Paul Auster managed to convince their producers to make an immediate sequel, this time shot almost entirely on the fly with no script in just five days. Despite the constraints, Wang and Auster, serving as co-directors, deliver a satisfying follow up, returning once again to Auggie Wren’s Brooklyn tobacco shop, and assembling another impressive cast, including Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Keith David, Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Mel Gorham, Jim Jarmusch, Malik Yoba, and Madonna. What emerges is yet another funny, moving, and authentic portrait of a Brooklyn neighborhood.
