Six Memphis filmmakers will have their work screened at the 23rd annual Porretta Film Festival just outside of Bologna, Italy, in December. Thanks to a grant from the Dr. O’Farrell Shoemaker Foundation, the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission partnered with festival director Luca Elmi to select six short films by Memphis directors to screen at the Festival del Cinema di Porretta Terme.
The short films were selected from more than 25 entries by the film faculty of LeMoyne-Owen College and the University of Memphis. They are “What Were You Meant For?” by Kevin Brooks, “The Devil Will Run” by Noah Glenn, “What Life Is” by Brandon Russell, “Loveshake” by Caleb Suggs, “Soul Man” by Kyle Taubken, and Louise Page’s “Green Ribbon” music video by Laura Jean Hocking. “Soul Man” and “The Devil Will Run” both won Best Hometowner Short Film awards at the Indie Memphis Film Festival.
Film Commission board chair Gail Jones Carson and vice-chair Alicia George will travel to Italy to represent Memphis. Porretta Terme is situated in Italy’s picturesque Tuscan region and has been famous since antiquity for its hot springs. The town also hosts a long-running, soul music festival, which has hosted many Memphis music luminaries over the years. The film festival will take place December 7 through 15, 2024.