King Biscuit Blues Festival "Call and Response, The Blues Symposium" rocks Helena, Arkansas!

King Biscuit Blues Festival presents 5th annual "Call and Response, The Blues Symposium" in historic Helena, Arkansas     Call and Response Blues Symposium Looks into The Origins of Delta Blues at The King Biscuit Blues Festival   (Helena, Arkansas) — What is about the Delta that gave rise to America’s music, the blues? Artists, journalists and presenters will discuss the special magic that defines the King Biscuit Blues Festival and inspires the world’s music at the Fifth Annual Call and Response Blues Symposium, a featured event of the 30th annual King Biscuit Blues Festival.  “Memphis is blues, but this is it,” says singer/songwriter Reba Russell about The Biscuit, America’s foremost showcase of authentic blues at the Call and Response Blues Symposium that begins at noon on Saturday, October 10 at the Malco Theater on Cherry St. “This is the freaking deal. It’s like are you kidding me? I totally think there is something that rises up from that river and that dirt there. I think that the ancestry, the ghost, everything remains there.”    Joining Reba in the first of two hour-long sessions is Jackson, Mississippi native and Blind Pig recording artist Zac Harmon who is on a mission “to bring the moniker of the blues back to Mississippi because I think that Mississippi has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the spoils of the blues.” Rounding out the first hour are Bubba Sullivan, one of the founders and Godfather of King Biscuit from its inception; Matt Marshall, editor of American blues Scene, the most popular blues website in the world; and moderated by King Biscuit’s own veteran blues journalist Don Wilcock.    Roger Stolle, filmmaker, columnist, oft quoted authority on Delta blues and owner of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art in historic Clarksdale, Mississippi, hosts part two of the symposium at 1:15 p.m. with four of the most colorful southern juke joint owners: Red Paden of Red’s Lounge in Clarksdale, Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry whose juke is in Merigold, Mississippi; Henry “Gip” Gipson of Gip’s Place in Bessemer, Alabama; and Teddy Johnson of Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, Louisiana.   The fifth annual Call and Response, The Blues Symposium is free to the public thanks to the support of our wonderful sponsor: Economy Drugs.   Part One 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.   Bubba Sullivan Bubba Sullivan likes to tell people that Robert Lockwood, Jr. carried more history to his grave than any man that ever was. Truth be known? Bubba’s in the same category except he’s still with us. The historian for the Sonny Boy Blues Society, he’s been involved in booking and hosting the King Biscuit Blues Festival since the first one in 1986 when he helped secure an evangelist’s trailer as the first stage for $25. He’s proprietor of Bubba’s Blues Corner, the official record store of the festival that was jump started with the encouragement of ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons.   Zac Harmon Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, guitarist/organist,/singer/songwriter Zac Harmon was a childhood friend of Sam Myers who embarrassed him as a teenager by stopping him mid-song to tell him the Jimi Hendrix cover he was doing wasn’t blues. Zac has written songs for Evelyn “Champagne King, Freddie Jackson and the O’Jays. As an in-demand L.A. session musician, he was booked out three and four years in advance. His just released fifth album Right Man * Right Now on Blind Pig Records features four songs written or co-written by John Hahn, Shemekia Copeland’s manager/songwriter, and  Zac does a killer scratch vocal cover of John Lee Hooker’s “I’m Bad Like Jesse James.” The CD mixes old school and new school blues with guest artists Bobby Rush, Lucky Peterson and Anson Funderburgh.   Reba Russell Reba Russell calls herself “a stepchild of the blues. I don’t really run in the mainstream circle.” ” On “Blues Is Mine,” she sings, “I’m not privileged/I’m not rich/But I’m one hell of a bitch.” A perennial favorite at the Biscuit, she expresses her love for the festival in “Heaven Came to Helena.” In 1992 when Rufus Thomas heard her cover band that had been voted the best in Memphis, he told her, “You got it! Use it! Do it!” She fired the band and never looked back. She’s done background vocals for John Nemeth, Tracy Nelson, Huey Lewis & The News, Jimmy Thackery, Jerry Lee Lewis and U2 on “When Love Comes to Town”  for Rattle & Hum at Sun Studios. Reba has won three Premiere Vocalist Awards from the Memphis chapter of the National Recording Arts and Sciences. She has eight independent CDs with originals and covers by artists like Willie Dixon, Memphis Minnie, Tracy Nelson, and Walter Trout. Her eighth CD 8 was recorded in four different studios and mixed at Ardent Studios in Memphis for BEB Productions standing for Blue-eyed Bitches Production.   Matt Marshall Matt Marshall is the Steve Jobs of tomorrow’s music journalism and the editor of American Blue Scene Magazine, the popular and exciting quarterly subscription blues music magazine. The magazine’s digital side, with thousands of free articles, is the most popular blues music website in the world, and commands nearly half a million visitors a year. Matt and his staff channel the very heart of the blues community. It’s as much about connecting people who love the blues with each other and the musicians as it is about capturing the pulse of the blues community. Whether it’s an intimate discussion with blues icon Buddy Guy or being the first to break the story of Johnny Winter’s passing, Marshall understands the relationship between contemporary blues culture, the fan and the digital frontier. Don Wilcock co-moderator, Part One Award winning editor, writer, film maker and blues society founder Don Wilcock organized the Call and Response Symposium five years ago and is currently working on a coffee table book on The Biscuit with award winning photographer Bob Van Degna. He has interviewed more than 5000 artists in nearly a half century as a music journalist and was writing for Blues World in England before there was an American blues magazine.  He is a recipient of the Blues Foundation’s Keeping The Blues Alive in Print Journalism Award, writes for The American Blues Scene and is a weekly music columnist for two dailies in New York’s Capital Region. He is the author of the 1991 authorized biography of Buddy Guy Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues that set the stage for Guy’s multi-Grammy-winning career surge.   Part Two 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Red Paden Sixty-something Big Red has operated his quasi-legal Red’s Lounge in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for more than three decades, but he’s been in the juke-running business for most of his life. Through the years, bluesmen like Robert Belfour, “T-Model” Ford and “Big Jack” Johnson have graced Red’s carpet-remnant stage on weekends while locals, tourists and notables like Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Samuel L. Jackson and Steven Seagal listened, bathed in red light. Customers are treated to sayings like: “The game’s for life.” “I’m backed by the river, fronted by the grave.” And, “I kill for fun.” Red’s has been much celebrated — from the LA Times to We Juke Up in Here! Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry In 1963, Mr. Seaberry opened his juke (which doubles as his home) in a cotton field near Merigold, Mississippi. Now in his mid-70s, he still drives a tractor on the land, and his weekly Thursday parties night have become legendary. As a deejay spins discs, a mix of regulars and tourists drink, dance and shoot pool. The host parades through the crowd in colorful zoot suits, often wearing humorous two-sided placards. Occasionally, a nearby university books live blues there on off-nights. Signs on the exterior tell visitors to pull up their pants among other helpful hints, making the juke a photographer favorite. It’s appeared in countless publications. Henry “Gip” Gipson Ninety-something Gip Gipson is a gravedigger, blues musician and juke runner. His Gip’s Place in Bessemer, Alabama, nearly defies description. "The place is almost frightening in the daytime," noted one long-time regular in a recent article. "At night, though, it's pure magic." The juke opened in 1952 in what is now a large, residential neighborhood. His Saturday night blues parties are the stuff of legend with everyone from Willie King to Bobby Rush performing. In recent years, area law enforcement has raided his establishment, and local politicians have attempted to shut it down. But Gip’s is still there (though now BYOB), and its owner is beloved by his fans. Teddy “Lloyd” Johnson Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, Louisiana, opened for business 36 years ago, but not the building. The building — once a simple shotgun shack — was Teddy Johnson’s family home. In fact, he was born in it 69 years ago. Through the years he’s added on to the structure, so now the colorfully-decorated juke includes a long wooden bar, deejay booth, performance stage and soul food kitchen. Mr. Teddy’s wife Nancy handles the food while family members and friends help out behind the bar (which features a liquor license — a rarity in a juke joint!). In addition to food, drink and music, the smiling owner is known for his colorful outfits, often complete with cape. Roger Stolle Roger Stolle owns Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art store in Clarksdale, Mississippi — which just celebrated 13 years. He is a Blues Music Magazine columnist, Juke Joint Festival co-founder, Hidden History of Mississippi Blues author, former Sirius-XM Bluesville contributor, and co-producer of blues films like Hard Times, M for Mississippi and We Juke Up in Here. He is co-creator of the forthcoming Moonshine & Mojo Hands web series and a recipient of both Keeping The Blues Alive and Blues Music Awards. An authority on Delta blues and tourism, he has been quoted by The New York Times, The Economist and Travel+Leisure. His web site is www.cathead.biz. ####

ROBERT "WOLFMAN" BELFOUR September 11, 1940 - February 26, 2015

                                  

Story By Roger Stolle

 

    Sad news in the blues world today. Mr. Robert "Wolfman" Belfour — RIP. Arguably the deepest of the surviving, old-school, Mississippi bluesmen was found deceased at his home in Memphis this morning by relatives. He had been suffering from various health issues (mainly diabetes and mobility related) for over a year but had recently been doing better. He had not performed since last June but was slated to play at Juke Joint Festival in April.

 

    Mr. Belfour's family is in desperate need of money for funeral services. The Memphis Blues Society is trying to raise money to help the family with funeral costs. Those wishing to donate can do so through The Memphis Blues Society Benefit link: Click here. For now… if you knew the blues legend, tell your friends a story about him today… if you didn't know him, then stop what you're doing and spend a little time on the web exploring his life and music.

 

Read Roger Stolle's interview with Robert Belfour and watch enjoy some great video: Click Here

 

"Moonshine & Mojo Hands" — first blues music reality show!

Award-Winning Film and Music Producers Set to Launch First Blues Music Reality Show This Fall (CLARKSDALE, MS) – The creators of the award-winning documentaries “M For Mississippi” and “We Juke Up in Here” return in 2013 with “Moonshine & Mojo Hands,” a new weekly web-TV series dedicated to the rude, rowdy – and often ridiculous – world of Mississippi blues. The show follows hosts Jeff Konkel and Roger Stolle as they travel the Delta’s back roads in search of juke joints, house parties, barbecue, moonshine and – of course – the men and women who keep this uniquely American music alive in the land of its birth. The first season of the show will consist of 10 episodes streaming for free online this fall. Each 12-minute episode will take viewers on a wild ride through the Mississippi Delta and Hill Country to meet the region's most fascinating characters in truly unforgettable settings. “There’s truly no place else on Earth quite like Mississippi,” Konkel said. “We can’t wait to introduce viewers to all of the great music, food, culture and characters that the state has to offer.” The show’s producers are currently raising funds through Kickstarter at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/794647006/moonshine-and-mojo-hands-the-mississippi-blues-ser. Marketing sponsorship opportunities also are available for interested individuals and organizations by e-mailing Roger Stolle at roger@cathead.biz or Jeff Konkel at jeff@brokeandhungryrecords.com. “We’ve been really overwhelmed by the excitement and interest that the project has already generated,” Stolle said. “With the support of sponsors and fans, we’re confident we can create a show that will help the world understand what makes Mississippi such a weird and wonderful place.” “Moonshine & Mojo Hands” is a joint production of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and Broke & Hungry Records in partnership with Tangent Mind, LLC and Lou Bopp. ### PHOTO by Lou Bopp features show hosts Roger Stolle and Jeff Konkel with blues/folk artist James "Super Chikan" Johnson. Photos/logo available upon request (roger@cathead.biz)

3rd annual Clarksdale Film Festival puts Mississippi under the Hollywood spotlight

(CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI)  For its third year in a row, the Clarksdale Film Festival aims to make you laugh, cry and, occasionally, rock out. Organizers promise attendees a feast of Mississippi and Southern filmmaking – plus a little fresh popcorn.

According to Garden & Gun magazine, "Mississippi gets its close-up... to celebrate the Magnolia State's films and filmmakers" at the festival.

"The Clarksdale Film Festival isn't just about great movies," said Nan Hughes, president of the non-profit that organizes the event. "It's also a wonderful excuse to experience the entertainment and restaurant mini-mecca that our revitalized downtown has become. What other small Delta town offers such great movies, food, history tours, museums, shopping and live music in the middle of winter?"

The Clarksdale Film Festival runs Thursday-Sunday, January 24-27. The main downtown screening venue is historic Delta Cinema (11 Third Street) with a secondary venue at Channel Ziltch (119 Third Street). More information is available at www.jukejointfestival.com or 662-624-5992. Tickets are $5 per day or $10 for a weekend pass; available at the Delta Cinemas box office during festival hours. Official festival hats and shirts are also available.

"We're showcasing over two dozen Mississippi, Southern and blues music films in three theaters," explained Roger Stolle, co-organizer of the event and owner of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art in Clarksdale. "The details are at our film fest web page – http://www.jukejointfestival.com/film_fest.php – but we'll also feature live blues by Sean "Bad" Apple, screenwriting workshops by Coop Cooper, history bus tours by Robert Birdsong, a presentation by MS Film Office director Ward Emling and Q&As with filmmakers like Patricia Aquino (The Last White Knight)."

Delta Cinema highlights of the Carksdale Film Festival include nightly features:  Thursday, Jan. 24 - Ghosts of Ole Miss (ESPN 30 For 30 documentary); Friday, Jan. 25 - Live at the Checkboard Lounge (Muddy Waters & the Rolling Stones); and Saturday, Jan. 26 - The Last White Knight (with complimentary hors d'oeuvres by OXBOW Market).

Channel Ziltch highlights include screenings of award-winning music films like "We Juke Up in Here," "M for Mississippi," "You See Me Laughin'" and more.

Another highlight of the busy weekend will be the public unveiling of the historic Paramount Theater sign by Bubba O'Keefe at 12 noon on Friday, January 25th. Covered for years with Super Soul Shop signage, the vintage theater marquee will be uncovered, and future plans include a restoration of the once-flourishing venue located at 258 Yazoo Avenue, downtown.

Several downtown Clarksdale restaurants are also getting into the act with a related, casual Restaurant Film Series – including Bluesberry Cafe, RUST, Stone Pony Pizza and Delta Amusement Cafe.

Such an ambitious schedule of Clarksdale Film Festival activities wouldn't be possible without strong community support.

"Just like with the other festival we put on [Juke Joint Festival] we want to thank all of our generous sponsors and volunteers," said co-organizer Goldie Hirsberg. Sponsors include Clarksdale/Coahoma County Tourism and C Spire Wireless. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit www.jukejointfestival.com.

A sampling of the official Clarksdale Film Festival schedule is below:

THURSDAY, JAN. 24... Delta Cinema

LOBBY:

5:30pm - Sean "Bad" Apple performs live blues.

DOWNSTAIRS:

6:45pm - Monkeys Riding Dogs (3 min.; ESPN E60) – Short film on Pontotoc, Mississippi's "Ghost Riders" that perform in Clarksdale each year as part of Juke Joint Festival weekend.

6:50pm - Ghosts of Ole Miss (55 min.; ESPN 30 for 30) – In the fall of 1962, James Meredith walked onto the University of Mississippi campus and integrated the school under order and protection of the federal government. That same fall, the Ole Miss football team was in the midst of its only perfect season in school history. Fifty years later and based on Clarksdale, Mississippian Wright Thompson's examination of those events, "Ghosts of Ole Miss" explores the intersection of one of the most significant moments in the Civil Rights movement with a team of young men caught in the middle of history.

FRIDAY, JAN. 25... Delta Cinema

LOBBY:

5:30pm - Sean "Bad" Apple performs live blues.

DOWNSTAIRS:

12 noon - Hard Times (69 min.) - A story of Delta blues gone North, starring (now) 80-year-old Mississippi bluesman Big George Brock; produced by Damien Blaylock and Roger Stolle.

2pm - 26th Annual King Biscuit Blues Festival film (68 min.) - Concert film capturing one of the world's great blues fests... in nearby Helena, AR; produced by Gary Vincent.

4pm - April's Way (35 min.) - Born with Spina Bifida, April defies the odds by living. But when she outgrows the school system and no adult day programming is available, her family must find a way for her to continue; directed by Candace Harralson.

5pm - Coahoma Community College: 60 Years of Fulfilling a Dream (10 min.) - The story of CCC in Clarksdale, Mississippi, one of the last remaining historically black colleges in Mississippi; directed by Scott Jennison.

6:45pm – Trailer for Cheesehead Blues (6 min.) - Special movie trailer preview for Cheesehead Blues: The Adventures of a Dutchman in the Delta with an introduction by Rock & BluesMuseum founder (and film's star) Theo Dasbach.

7pm – Muddy Waters & Rolling Stones in Live at the Checkerboard Lounge (106 min.; Eagle Rock Entertainment) - Mississippi theatrical premiere, with an introduction by Rock & Blues Museum founder Theo Dasbach. On Nov. 22, 1981, the Rolling Stones dropped in at the Checkerboard Lounge to jam with Mississippi-born Muddy Waters and his band. Blues guitarist Buddy Guy sat in along with his partner, harmonica legend Junior Wells. The Stones-Muddy gig was caught on film. The original footage has been restored and polished, and the acclaimed Bob Clearmountain remixed and mastered the sound.

UPSTAIRS:

1pm - Moses Williams (27 min.) - 1976 B&W video interview/performance with Mississippi-born, Florida-raised one-string blues guitarist Moses Williams; produced by Dwight DeVane.

2pm - Barefoot Workshops 2012 shorts (times tba) - Chandler Griffin's Barefoot Workshops returns to Clarksdale each year to document the people, places and cultures here; this is the latest batch of film shorts; various directors/producers.

3pm - Watermelon Slim (18 min.) - The fun and fascinating story of entertainer, philosopher, activist and blues musician Watermelon Slim -- a Clarksdale migrant and enthusiast; produced by Karen Kohlhass and Barefoot Workshops.

3:30pm - King of Fife (18 min.) - The late, great blues legend Otha Turner was known as king of the cane fife; he also hosted hugely popular, musical picnics in Gravel Springs, Mississippi, up till passing in his mid-90s; directed by Scott Jennison.

4pm - Living Blues (44 min.) - 2004 Turner South documentary beautifully captures the Mississippi Delta and Hill Country blues scene of the time, including footage of Big Jack Johnson, Super Chikan, Otha Turner, Jesse Mae Hemphill and other artists; directed by Scott Jennison.

SATURDAY, JAN. 26...  Delta Cinema

LOBBY:

11am-12 noon - Coop Cooper conducts "Writing a Screenplay for Hollywood" workshop.

1pm-2pm - Coop Cooper conducts "Writing a Screenplay for Independent Films" workshop.

5pm -Special guest Ward Emling, director of the Mississippi Film Office, speaks on the 40th anniversary of the office.  In addition to the anniversary, Emling will touch on the Mississippi Film Office's assistance for independent filmmakers in Mississippi as well as the state's current emphasis on the region's growing "creative economy."

6pm - Sean "Bad" Apple performs live blues.

6pm - Complimentary hors d'oeuvres courtesy of OXBOW Market (while quantities last)

HISTORY BUS TOURS (Sat only):

Historian Robert Birdsong takes you on a fascinating film, music, literary & theater bus tour of Clarksdale. (First come, first serve.)

Noon - Wait for bus at Delta Cinemas, 11:45am.

1:30pm - Wait for bus at Delta Cinemas, 1:15pm.

DOWNSTAIRS:

12 noon - Delta 180: Changing Lives in the Mississippi Delta (28 min) - Still evolving story of despair turned into hope, about at-risk youth in Greenville, Mississippi, and about their journey towards a more hopeful future made through an innovative, grass-roots mentoring and life skills program.

1pm - Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till (71 min.) - In an acting tour de force, one man performs 36 roles in the telling of the Emmett Till tragedy; a masterful performance by Mike Wiley; directed by Rob Underhill; produced by Underhill, Aravind Ragupathi, Mike Wiley.

3pm - Regress (8 min.) - Told in reverse, the story begins with a murder, then rewinds to reveal the reasons behind this shocking crime; directed by Coop Cooper.

3:20pm - S for Sally (13 min.) - When her 10-year-old daughter Sally starts having difficulties, Mona sets out to help her despite no support from her husband Phil, the schools or the church; filmed in Oxford, Mississippi; directed by Melanie Lynn Addington.

3:45pm - Girl by a Phone Booth (40 sec.) - A short film experiment in minimalism; directed by Daniel Lee Perea.

3:50pm - The Road Less Traveled (3 min., 20 sec.) - Music video by Jake Wood; directed by Daniel Lee Perea; produced by Laura Warner.

4pm - Third Shift (32 min.) - Elaine and Melinda are hold up in a small town diner. They've been on the run and are now pinned in a corner. They know they've been followed, but by whom; directed by Glenn Payne; produced by Payne and Michael Williams.

5pm - We Didn't Get Famous: The Story of the Southern Music Underground, 1978-1990 (35 min.) - The story of a forgotten moment in Southern and music history; directed by Camilla Ann Aikin.

7pm – The Last White Knight (79 min.) - Mississippi theatrical premiere with special guest, co-producer Patricia Aquino, down from Canada to introduce the film and host a Q&A afterward, assisted by Clarksdale filmmaker Coop Cooper. (Note: Bluesman Sean "Bad" Apple plays on the soundtrack and will perform in the lobby beforehand.) The plot: In 1965, 21-year-old Torontonian, Paul Saltzman drove to Mississippi, volunteering as a civil rights worker with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. He was arrested, spending 10 days in jail.  He was assaulted by a young Klansman. In 2007, Saltzman returned to find the KKK member who had punched him in the head, to explore if individual reconciliation was possible. He found him and a 5 year dialogue has ensued. His assailant was Byron de la Beckwith Jr. whose father, Byron de la Beckwith Sr., murdered NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers. Directed by Paul Saltzman; produced by Saltzman and Patricia Aquino.

UPSTAIRS:

12 noon - Boogaloo & Eden: Sustaining the Sound (29 min.) - From 1999, the story of an unlikely partnership forged through a mutual love of music and the piano -- starring Boogalo Ames and Eden Brent; produced by Cypress Bend Productions and Mississippi Educational Television.

1pm - True Delta (36 min.) - The filmmakers interview historians who explain the culture behind this essential American music. They also showcase Mississippi musicians who attest to the importance of the blues remaining culturally relevant; directed by Lee Quinby and Daniel Cowen.

2pm - Blind Faith preview (3 min.) - Preview of forthcoming feature film that tells the story of blind sculptress Sharon McConnell's mission to document Mississippi's greatest living blues musicians through stunning "life casts" of their expressive faces; produced by Damien Blaylock and David Hughes.

2:10pm - Echoes 'Cross the Tracks (79 min.) - Film festival premiere of Mississippi blues documentary that tells both personal stories of the blues and of a tie between Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Notodden, Norway. Musicians include Big Jack Johnson, Super Chikan and more; directed by Scott Jennison.

4pm - Deep Blues (91 min.) - Classic travelogue blues film from 1990. Narrator Robert Palmer travels from Memphis to Mississippi in search of deep blues in deep places. Performers include R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Jack Owens, Wade Walton, Booba Barnes, Lonnie Pitchford and more; directed by Robert Mugge.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25... Delta Cinema

1pm - Jesus is My Rock: A celebration of Gospel music from Oxford and Lafayette Co., MS (63 min.) - Live concert film -- interspersed with interviews -- featuring gospel groups from North Mississippi; directed by Tyler Keith.

2:30pm - All Jams on Deck (96 min.) - Shot on the October 2010 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise to the Mexican Riviera, the subject of the film is blues jamming; directed by Robert Mugge; produced by Mugge with Diana Zelman; executive producer Roger Naber.

CHANNEL ZILTCH (day/times TBA... schedule on web site)

- You See Me Laughin' (77 min.) - Takes a look at the often untamed lifestyles of the last great North Mississippi bluesmen and the Oxford, Mississippi-based label, Fat Possum Records, that struggled to record them; directed by Mandy Stein.

- M for Mississippi (94 min.) - Blues producers Jeff Konkel and Roger Stolle set off on a week-long road-trip through Mississippi visiting a dozen real-deal bluesmen -- R.L. Boyce, T-Model Ford, The Mississippi Marvel, Bilbo Walker, L.C. Ulmer and more; 2009 Blues Music Award (BMA) winner; produced by Roger Stolle, Jeff Konkel and Damien Blaylock.

- We Juke Up in Here (63 min.) - From the makers of M for Mississippi, this BMA-nominated film captures the last of the Delta's juke joints and the blues characters that play them; the story centers around self-proclaimed "king of the juke joint runners," Clarksdale's Red Paden; musicians include Big A, Gearshifter, Duck Holmes, Harmonica Bean and more; produced by Jeff Konkel, Roger Stolle, Damien Blaylock and Lou Bopp

- The Blues (90 min.) - Award-winning, archival The Blues film comes to us via Robert Gibbons and Canadian television circa 1966. It features rare interviews and beautiful performances by Mississippi natives Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, Bukka White and more -- all caught in their prime, in a comfortable setting.

- Dedan le Sud de la Louisiane a.k.a. In the South of Louisiana (45 min.) - A Southern music movie classic by French filmmaker de Jean-Pierre Bruneau featuring a beautifully shot, travelogue study of Cajun music and culture, circa 1974.

- Jimmie Rodgers 2011 Folk Alliance Awards Documentary (short film) - Documentary film highlights Meridian, Mississippi's famous "singing brakeman," the blues-influenced (and influential) country singer Jimmie Rodgers.

Go to http://www.jukejointfestival.com/film_fest.php for complete schedule and special updates.