John Sayles Premieres his new film Honeydripper
The evening begins with a "Honeydripper inspired" informal cocktail reception starting at 6:30 PM. The film is at 7:30 PM followed by a Q&A with John Sayles, his producing partner Maggie Renzi and two of the films young stars Yaya DaCosta from America's Next Top Model and Take the Lead and Gary Clark Jr., recently voted Best Blues Guitarist by the Austin Music Awards in his debut film role. It will all take place at International House, 3701 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.
In Honeydripper (2007,35mm,123 minutes), two-time Oscar nominee, Sayles, continues his examination of the complexities and shifting identities of American sub-cultures. The film is a fable about the birth of rock n’ roll set in Alabama in 1950. Sayles with his usual understated intelligence uses the rhythms of the citizens of Harmony, Alabama to immerse the audience into the world of the Jim Crow south. Tyrone (Danny Glover) is the proprietor of the Honeydripper Lounge, a sleepy juke joint deep debt. Desperate to bring back the crowds he announces a one-night appearance by the legendary ’Guitar Sam.’ But when Sam’s a no show a young drifter may hold the key to the Honeydripper’s resurrection. Honeydripper features an all-star cast including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, LisaGay Hamilton, Mary Steenburgen, Stacey Keach,Davenia McFadden and performances by such notable musicians as Keb’ Mo’ and Dr. Mable John .
Visit the film's website at honeydripper-movie.com
All proceeds from the premiere will support efforts to safeguard Scribe's media archive of more than 200 works on film and video produced over the past 25 years by Philadelphia community organizations and individuals. These works provide an extraordinary visual record of life in Philadelphia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and include our award-winning Precious Places, Community Visions and Youth Project documentaries.
Tickets still available at the box office!!
Scribe thanks all our event co-sponsors:
Film at International House, Greater Philadelphia Film Office, Reelback, Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association, Black Lily Film and Music Festival, Bryn Mawr Film Center
What the critics are saying......
"Changing times are a dominant theme in Sayles' work and most of his films put forth very specific social issues, but in "Honeydripper" these matters are mostly percolating beneath the surface. The film evocatively charts a time and place where change has been a longtime coming and buoyantly imagines a turning point where, at least musically, anything is possible." -- Kevin Crust, LA Times
"John Sayles the storyteller and John Sayles the political progressive haven't always played well together, but, in the endearing musical time-piece "Honeydripper," the indie icon lets his narrative gifts take the lead and the social issues follow like a tight bass line. The result is one of Sayles' best films." -- John Anderson, Variety
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John Sayles is one of the most celebrated independent American directors of the last two decades. His career began as a novelist and short story writer with the publication in 1975 of "Pride of the Bimbos," followed in 1977 by "Union Dues", a National Critics’ Circle and National Book Award nominee. A short story collection, "The Anarchists’ Convention" appeared in 1979, when he began working as a screenwriter for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. Early screenwriting credits include Piranha, The Howling and Alligator. Using the money he earned writing ‘creature features’, he financed his first feature as writer/director/editor, The Return of the Secaucus Seven, he has also authored novels, short stories, plays and screenplays. His films include Lianna, Baby, It’s You, The Brother from Another Planet, Matewan, City of Hope, Passion Fish, The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star, Men With Guns, Limbo, Sunshine State and Silver City and many others. Throughout his career Sayles has continued to function as a screenwriter for hire, working with a “who’s-who” of American and international directors and writing over fifty scripts. He received the John D. MacArthur Award, given to 20 Americans each year for their innovative work in diverse fields. He is also recipient of the Eugene V. Debs Award, the John Steinbeck Award and the John Cassavettes Award. He was recently honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Writer’s Guild of America.
Maggie Renzi has been John Sayles’ creative partner since 1978 and she has produced nearly all of his movies. She has also acted in many of them. Renzi and Sayles were students together at Williams College in the early 1970s, and have been together since 1973. Renzi began her professional association with Sayles when she played a leading role in his first film, The Return of the Secaucus Seven, where she was also Unit Manager and Assistant Editor. Renzi produced Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight and is Executive Producer with Sayles on the new Jewish/Mexican movie by Alejandro Springall, entitled Se Habla Yiddish or My Mexican Shivah.