[film reel whirring] - Since its beginnings in 1998, the Indie Memphis Film Festival has been a labor of love for the local community of filmmakers and artists.

It's back this November, and we're celebrating with a look at some of the great local films that have made an impact and helped launch careers.

I'm Chris McCoy.

Join me for Indie TV: Local Short Films from Indie Memphis.

[film reel whirring] In 1998, a group of film students at the University of Memphis hung a sheet on the wall of the Edge Coffee House.

Over the next three decades, the Indie Memphis Film Festival would become one of the city's major cultural institutions.

J. Lazarus Hawk's film "Morning Ritual" was one of the best of the first wave.

[water splashing] [cloth rustling] [drawer clatters] [drawer thuds] [tense music] [droplets plopping] [match hisses] [fire whooshes] [gas hisses] [egg shell crackles] [oil sizzling] [knob clicks] [knife scraping] [oil sizzling] [footsteps tapping] [newspaper rustles] [chair scrapes] [coffee sloshes] [cup thuds] [toaster ejects] [tense music] [tense music] [newspaper rustles] [plate clanks] [footsteps tapping] [water sloshing] [slurps] [feet dragging] [kettle clinks] [droplets plopping] [coffee sloshing] [ominous music] [slurps] [feet dragging] [chair creaks] [droplets plopping] [slurps] [ominous music] [grumbling] [liquid sloshing] [teeth chomping] [liquid sloshing] [liquid plopping] [ominous music] [cup thuds] [box scratches] [paper ripping] [kettle hissing and whistling] In 2006, Indie Memphis boasted nine feature films in the Hometowner category.

One of the films that premiered that year was "What Goes Around", which wowed Indie Memphis audiences.

Unfortunately, Rod Pitts never got a chance to pursue his filmmaking career, he died of lupus in 2012.

At that year's festival, he was awarded Indie Memphis's first and still only posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award.

[cars whooshing] [sirens blaring] - Good of you to finally show up.

You know you're 15 minutes late, don't you?

- I know, man, I'm sorry.

- Your apology isn't gonna give back my 15 minutes.

At least you could give me for my inconvenience is a couple free rentals.

- Dude, no way, man.

- Come on, man, one free film rental.

- Dude, no.

- A Butterfinger.

- Dude.

[woman speaks indistinctly] - Whoa!

- I'll see you inside in a minute man.

[door thuds] So how'd you find out where I work at?

- How do you think?

- I don't know, that's why I'm asking you.

[chuckles] - I noticed you weren't in class today.

Here's our homework assignment.

I figured I drop it by.

- Well, you know, it was, it was thoughful, you know.

I appreciate it.

- And are you sure everything's okay today?

[sirens blaring] [cars whooshing] - You know I, I really should have said something to you earlier.

Um.

I'm kind of, well, I was kind of seeing somebody, and, uh, I don't know, I thought that seeing somebody else would just help me, you know, get my mind off of it.

- But it didn't really.

- Basically.

So, sorry about lying.

- No, you know, it's no problem.

You're a man, right?

Comes with the territory?

- You know what?

I'm really not even in a position to argue with that right now.

[both chuckle] - I'm not really in a position to argue it either.

Should have told you about Big T.

- Oh, yeah, the Big T guy.

Yeah, that would have been some helpful information, you know, considering how your boyfriend's crazy and all.

- He's not crazy.

He's just in love.

- In love?

I mean, hey, you know, that's all that really matters at the end of the day, you know?

Who cares if someone gets their heart broken?

Or in my case, gets their neck broken.

[both chuckle] Wow.

- [chuckles] That's better.

I like to see you laugh, it makes me feel good.

- I'm really not even in a mood to be laughing, man.

I feel like [censored] right now.

- You know I can fix that, you know.

- No, I have to get a rain check.

I, I just need some, you know, some alone time right now.

- No, you don't.

- Oh yes, I do.

Trust me, I really do.

[alarm beeps] - Guess I'll be taking this.

[door thuds] - Come on, man.

[stammers] I need a book.

- Whatever happened, if you need to use a book, you can use mine.

I'm in the market for a good study buddy.

- I, I know, but I mean, right now I kind of need the book.

- What do you need me for?

- Damn.

- Chill out.

- Come on, gimme my book back.

- Come and get it.

- Quit playing, gimme my book back.

- Come and get it.

- Give me my book.

Give me my book.

[lips smacks] [sighs] I'm sorry.

I can't, can't be doing this [censored] now.

I'm sorry, sorry.

My head's not in this, man.

I'm sorry.

- It's okay.

[woman speaks indistinctly] [lips smacking] [cars whooshing] - Oh [censored].

[censored] [alarm beeps] Marie.

Marie!

[door thuds] Hang on, Marie.

[footsteps tapping] Marie, wait up, baby, it's not what it looks like.

- It looks like you were in there kissing that [censored].

- Nah.

Baby, look, she just came over to get a book, all right?

Can I at least say what the [censored] just went on in there?

- You don't have to, because I've got eyes.

- Obviously you don't.

You don't even know what just went down.

You didn't even see what happened.

Nothing happened in there, I swear.

Look, [censored] it was innocent.

It was completely innocent.

- You know what?

You have got me so [censored] up.

You must think I'm a fool.

- Of course, baby.

[stammers] I, I never said that [censored].

Of course not.

- I guess I was too dark for you.

You have to go out there and get you some high yellow [censored].

- What the [censored] are you talking about?

[Marie sighs] [man chuckles] First of all, look, we're just friends, man, that's it.

- Well, so is Tion.

Did you [censored] him too?

- Nobody [censored] anybody, okay?

No one [censored] anybody.

She came through to get a [censored] book.

- And she- - No, look, look.

She came through to get a book.

I tried to take it from her, and she kissed me.

- She just kissed you?

- Yes.

- And it happened so fast to where you didn't have time to react.

- Exactly.

That's what I've been saying this whole [censored] time, man.

- Right, okay, yeah.

- Baby.

- No, don't you [censored] touch me.

My mama said you ain't [censored].

My homegirl said you ain't [censored].

And to think I stood by your Black ass this entire time like some [censored] fool.

- Can I at least explain myself?

- Hell no, you cannot.

- Are you not going to listen to me [censored]?

Marie, this is bull [censored].

At least listen to my side of [censored] man.

Marie.

[car door thuds] [car engine starts] Wait a minute.

Come on, please.

[car engine revving] [censored] [censored] [footsteps tapping] - I went ahead and borrowed your book.

I'll bring it back in a couple days.

- Go home, man.

Go home!

[door clicks] [door thuds] [sighs] - What's up with your girl, man?

- You just shut the [censored] up.

- One of the other films which premiered in 2006 was "Grim Sweeper" by Corduroy Wednesday, a filmmaking collective consisting of Edward Valibus, Ben Rednour, and Eric Morrison.

Corduroy Wednesday went on to create a series of increasingly hilarious and surreal comedic short films.

This one from 2009 is called "Bohater Pies", and just watch.

[cars revving] [jaunty music] - Before movie appears, you must obey!

[man speaking indistinctly] - Sometimes that is necessary when you're in a "Star Wars."

- Silence your tongue!

[belt thuds] [body thuds] - That's my shame.

[gentle whimsical music] [baby crying] [footsteps tapping] - Insolent children will not be tolerated.

Feed the bears!

Now you'll watch movies that are not watchable at the present.

[film roller rattling] - I'm from time dimension you could not possibly comprehend.

I come here to fornicate.

- Transform me into woman.

- The time for fornication is over.

I will fight this Vampire Tree.

[upbeat music] [Vampire Tree groans] I will [censored] you.

I will [censored] you.

[upbeat music] [air whooshes] [air whooshes] [gentle whimsical music] [film roller rattles] [suspenseful music] [UFO warbling and whooshing] [warbling] - Oh, oh, you're so cute.

[lips] Oh.

[birds chirping] [aliens warbling] [alien 1 speaking in foreign language] [alien 2 speaking in foreign language] [upbeat music] - Children, magic, levitating orbs everybody can have.

We've got orbs of all shapes and size.

Giant orb of justice available for all.

Parents, bring children.

[dog barks] What is it Bohater Pie?

Repeat yourself.

[dog barks] Statue of dictator has fallen on little Timothy.

[dog barks] Children, blood has been spilled this day.

I'm sorry, but your desire for floaty orbs has come to an end.

[children groans] [screams] [balloon popping] [baby crying] [screams] [grunting] [woman grunts] [man speaks indistinctly] [man grunts] [balloon pops] [jaunty music] [gentle whimsical music] ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ And eat boiled egg ♪ ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ Proceed to provision hall ♪ ♪ And eat boiled eggs ♪ - Now with green vinegar sauce.

[laughing] [mallet thudding] [plate clattering] [man cackling] [gentle whimsical music] [glass shatters] Oopsky daisky.

[gentle whimsical music] [birds chirping] [aliens speaking in foreign language] [statue thuds] [upbeat music] [alien 1 speaking in foreign language] [upbeat music] [alien 1 speaking in foreign language] ♪ Bohater Pie ♪ ♪ Bohater Pie ♪ ♪ Bohater P-Pie ♪ ♪ La la P-Pie la la P-Pie ♪ ♪ Bohater Pie ♪ ♪ Bohater Pie ♪ ♪ La la P-Pie la la P-P-- ♪ - Leave now.

- Another member of the class of '06 was Mark Jones with his film "Fraternity Massacre at Hell Island."

This short film, "Death$ in a Small Town", gives you a sense of Jones's keen observations and biting sense of humor.

♪ Swing low ♪ ♪ Sweet chariot ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ Swing low ♪ ♪ Sweet chariot ♪ [gunshot blasts] - It's been my privilege to serve as your mayor for the past eight years.

I know I don't have to tell any of you that when I took office, well, our town was dying.

Most of the shops in our town square were boarded up.

Our tax base was shrinking.

And there was talk, strong talk of our town surrendering its charter and being annexed into Overton.

[crowd chattering] Now there's talk of us annexing Overton.

[chuckles] [crowd clapping] I am simply a humble public servant working to make this town better.

Eight years ago, right after I was elected, on the first day of hunting season, when a stray bullet hit Jim Tucker in the leg, and he bled to death while we all mourned.

Now you know me.

You all know my story.

Jim Tucker was like a father to me.

So when his grandson told me he wanted to open Jim's house to tours, well, I made sure that City Hall worked with him and supported him.

Now, last I heard 200 people a week come to see the house, the grounds, the gold records, the banjos, and the guitars.

And of course, thousands of people come to our town each April for the Jim Tucker Bluegrass Festival.

Now, this is a good, wholesome, family-friendly event.

[crowd clapping] Our little town has the biggest blues festival in America.

When Duck Johnson was killed by a hit and run driver, we all mourned.

But today we celebrate the man and his music.

[car engine revving] Each of the last six Octobers, thousands and thousands of people come to our town to listen to blues music.

[crowd clapping] We are a community of faith, but I remember when that faith was shaken to the core.

Vandals snuck into our town.

They burned our nativity scene and our Christmas tree.

Now, most other towns would have lost faith, but not us.

We vowed.

We vowed to have the most beautiful Christmas decorations in America, and I think we have succeeded.

[crowd cheering and clapping] Now, now last December, I met a church group who had driven 200 miles just to see our town at Christmas.

That's two busloads of Christians coming to visit us.

[crowd cheering and clapping] We are a town of faith.

We're also a town of tolerance.

I know that not all of you agree with the gay lifestyle, but no one here feels that the Jenkins boy deserved to be stabbed to death last year.

Just two days after that gruesome murder, over a hundred people gathered in our town square for a candlelight vigil.

This year, over 500 people have traveled to our town to attend the candlelight vigil and musical tribute.

[mayor chuckles softly] I believe that everyone has the right to gather peacefully.

This is America.

[crowd clapping] All of you know that I am prohibited by term limits for running for mayor again.

- We don't care, Johnny, four more years.

- Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

- I love our town, and I love our entire state.

And that is why today, right here and right now, I am announcing my plan to run for governor next year.

[crowd cheering and clapping] [mayor chuckles] Now, I want to do what I did for our town, for each and every city and town in our state.

When I am elected, the first thing I'm going to do, I'm going to invite the president of the United States to visit me in our state capital.

[upbeat blues music] ♪ Swing low, sweet chariot ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ Swing low, sweet chariot ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ And I looked over Jordan, and what did I see ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ A band of angels coming after me ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ If you get back to heaven before I do ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ You'll tell my friends I'll be coming too ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry me home ♪ ♪ Swing low, sweet chariot ♪ ♪ Coming for to carry ♪ [gunshot bangs] - Memphis filmmaker Morgan John Fox was another breakout star from Indie Memphis.

His film "Blue Citrus Hearts" won Indie Memphis' 2003 competition, and his documentary, "This Is What Love in Action Looks Like", was voted the fan favorite in a 2017 Indie Memphis audience poll.

"The One You Never Forget" is his moving short film from 2019.

[lawnmower engine revving] [birds chirping] [door creaks and thuds] [footsteps tapping] - Hey, shoes off.

You know not to walk in my house with your shoes on.

And when are you gonna tell us more about your date tonight?

[shoes thudding] Hey.

[footsteps tapping] Well, whoever she is, she's a lucky girl.

Don't wanna tell me.

Hmm.

Hmm.

- Mm.

- Oh.

[chuckles] [both chuckle] [gentle music] [toothbrush scraping] You remember our first dance?

- Mm-hmm.

- I'm still mad we didn't get a picture.

- Well, your mom.

- She did not approve of your bad ass and you were very bad.

You were trouble.

- Okay.

Okay, coming from the angel that chose this trouble.

[mom giggles] [lips smack] They were always sneaking around.

- So bad.

[both giggle] - I remember what you were wearing.

- You remember?

- I do.

- That pink dress.

- The pink dress.

- I know.

I had the little shoulder poofs and everything, right?

[mom chuckles] - You were beautiful.

- Mm.

- Mm, you see the shit they wearing today.

- Baby, make sure you get a picture of that boy and his date, okay?

- Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm.

You hear me?

- Mm-hmm.

[lips smack] - Get the picture.

- Okay.

- Okay.

I love you.

- I love you.

- Have a good day, babe.

[lips smack] See you later.

I love you, Carrie.

- You too.

[gentle music] [spray hissing] [gentle music] [footsteps tapping] - Hey, look at you.

Looking all sharp, I like that.

- Uh.

I got to go.

- Wait, wait, wait.

Hold on, hold on.

What?

You're not gonna invite her in?

- Dad.

- What?

- No.

- Carrie, I'm not asking.

- Dad.

No, I mean, why?

- Because I'm your father and I wanna meet your prom date.

- It's not a prom.

- Oh, really?

Hm?

Formal?

[chuckles] Dance?

Whatever.

- I got to go.

[footsteps tapping] - Carrie.

[door creaks] [crickets chirping] [door clicks] [footsteps tapping] [birds chirping] [car door thuds] [footsteps tapping] [gentle music] - Hey.

- Hey.

[door clicks] [gentle music] [door clicks and creaks] - Carrie.

Carrie.

Come here now.

[birds chirping] I made a promise to your mother that I was gonna get a picture, and I'm not gonna disappoint her.

Where's that darn thing?

- You need some help?

- What's your name, son?

- Hunter.

- Hunter.

You two golfing buddies, or is this your prom date?

- It's actually not prom.

- All right.

Come on, get in there.

Smile.

[birds chirping] Okay.

There you go.

[gentle music] [car door thuds] [car engine revving] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] - Laura Jean Hawking is a producer and editor whose latest film is "Newport and the Great Folk Dream", a documentary about the Newport Folk Festival directed by Memphis's own Robert Gordon.

In this short film from 2017, she captures a girl on the cusp of becoming a teenager.

Full disclosure, Laura Jean Hawking is my wife.

[gentle music] - There once was a princess named Andromeda.

[gentle music continues] [gentle whimsical music] Her parents told her she was the most beautiful girl in the world, even more beautiful than the sea nymphs.

The sea nymphs were enraged.

They demanded Andromeda be tied to a rock by the ocean.

[gentle pensive music] They sent a sea monster to eat her.

Perseus flew down from the sky and killed the sea monster.

[gentle pensive music] Andromeda was saved, and they lived happily ever after.

I don't like this story.

[gentle music] [gentle music] It should go like this.

[gentle music] [sword clattering] [gentle upbeat music] Perseus said he would only save Andromeda if she was given to him as a prize.

This enraged Andromeda.

[gentle upbeat music] When the sea monster came, she was not afraid.

[choir vocalizing] [gentle music] [gentle music] She didn't need anyone to save her.

[gentle music continues] And she lived happily ever after.

[gentle music continues] - Ben Seiler is one of the most singular talents to emerge from the Indie Memphis scene.

His huge catalog of experimental short films are endlessly creative and often profound.

"On the Sufferings of the World" is a collaboration with Edward Valibus, Memphis singer Alexis Grace, and actor Jessica "Juice" Morgan.

[futuristic music] - "Studies in Pessimism" by Arthur Schopenhauer.

Chapter 1, "On the Sufferings of the World".

[pensive music] "Unless suffering is the direct and immediate object of life, "our existence must entirely fail of its aim.

"It is absurd to look upon the enormous amount of pain "that abounds everywhere in the world and originates in needs "and necessities inseparable from life itself "as serving no purpose at all and the result of mere chance.

"Each separate misfortune as it comes seems no doubt "to be something exceptional, "but misfortune in general is the rule.

"I know of no greater absurdity than that propounded "by most systems of philosophy in declaring evil "to be negative in its character.

"Evil is just what is positive.

"It makes its own existence felt.

"Leibnitz is particularly concerned "to defend this absurdity, "and he seeks to strengthen his position "by using a palpable and paltry sophism.

"It is the good which is negative.

"In other words, happiness "and satisfaction always implies some desire fulfilled, "some state of pain brought to an end.

"This explains the fact that we generally find pleasure "to be not nearly so pleasant as we expected, "and pain very much more painful.

"The pleasure in this world, it has been said, "outweighs the pain, or at any rate, "there's an even balance between the two.

"If the reader wishes to see shortly "whether this statement is true, "let him compare the respective feelings of two animals, "one of which is engaged in eating the other.

"The best consolation and misfortune or affliction "of any kind will be the thought of other people "who are in a still worse flight than yourself.

"And this is a form of consolation open to everyone.

"But what an awful fate this means for mankind as a whole.

"We are like lambs in a field disporting themselves "under the eye of the butcher who chooses out first one "and then another for his prey.

"So, it is that in our good days, we are all unconscious "of the evil fate may have presently in store for us, "sickness, poverty, mutilation, loss of sight or reason.

"No little part of the torment of existence lies in this, "that time is continually pressing upon us, "never letting us take a breath, "but always coming after us like a taskmaster with a whip.

"If at any moment time stays his hand, "it is only when we are delivered over "to the misery of boredom.

"But misfortune has its uses "for as our bodily frame would burst a sunder "if the pressure of the atmosphere was removed.

"So, if the lives of men were relieved of all need, "hardship, and adversity, "if everything they took in hand were successful, "they would be so swollen with arrogance that, "though they might not burst, "it would present the spectacle of unbridled folly.

"Neigh, they would go mad.

"And I may say further that a certain amount of care or pain "or trouble is necessary for every man at all times.

"A ship without ballast is unstable "and will not go straight.

"Certain it is that work, worry, labor, "and trouble form the lot of almost all men "their whole lifelong.

"But if all wishes were fulfilled as soon as they arose, "how would men occupy their lives?

"What would they do with their time?

"If the world were a paradise of luxury and ease, "a land flowing with milk and honey "where every Jack obtained his Jill at once "and without any difficulty, "men would either die of boredom or hang themselves, "or there would be wars, massacres, and murders "so that in the end, mankind would inflict more suffering on itself than it has now to accept at the hands of nature."

[upbeat pensive music] - The Indie Memphis music video competition brings out the best of both the musicians and the filmmakers in the Bluff City.

For our next film, Director Kevin Brooks teamed up with artist Lawrence Matthews, who was performing under the stage named Don Lifted to bring us this haunting video.

[gentle music] ♪ Addicted to the glow and the feeling ♪ ♪ Fill a hole in a villain ♪ ♪ Body cold while I'm staring at the ceiling ♪ ♪ How bad do you want it, do you need it ♪ ♪ Will you travel, will you suffer, leave you bleeding ♪ ♪ Flowing through your system you defeated ♪ ♪ And no one ever love you when you need it ♪ ♪ And you can never trust them when you see them ♪ ♪ Wonder where they going, who they seeing ♪ ♪ Lies told, so its hard to believe them ♪ ♪ Searching for the answers but I hide from the reasons ♪ ♪ Can't hide from my demons ♪ ♪ In a bottle in the cold of the winter ♪ ♪ In my soul Lord knows I'ma sinner ♪ ♪ In my flaws Lord knows that they hinder ♪ ♪ Hilltop circle parked yelling for some healing ♪ ♪ And I know and I know and I know ♪ ♪ And I know that you hear me ♪ ♪ And I know and I know and I know ♪ ♪ And I know that you hear me ♪ ♪ Said that you can take me higher ♪ ♪ Said that you could take control of me ♪ ♪ When they're jealous with desire ♪ ♪ With your whisper take ahold of me ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Addicted to the glow and the feeling ♪ ♪ Fill a hole in a villain ♪ ♪ When you found me I was searching for some meaning ♪ ♪ Wanna be something they can believe in ♪ ♪ Outsider from outside the city ♪ ♪ Outside my right mind, I'm tweaking ♪ ♪ Outrun my demons, good man I'm being ♪ ♪ Good man or heathen, depend on what you believe in ♪ ♪ Gotta person I worship more than religion ♪ ♪ Gotta person worth chasing more than my vision ♪ ♪ Got A person worth chasing through all the bullshit ♪ ♪ Automatics and full clips, fake friends eluding ♪ ♪ Real friends I'm losing, career paths I'm choosing ♪ ♪ Try to follow my destiny, temptation is ruling ♪ ♪ Temptation is fooling ♪ ♪ Outside the quad parked waiting on you and ♪ ♪ And I know and I know and I know ♪ ♪ And I know that you hear me ♪ ♪ And I know and I know and I know ♪ ♪ And I know that you hear me ♪ ♪ Said that you can take me higher ♪ ♪ Said that you could take control of me ♪ ♪ When they're jealous with desire ♪ ♪ With your whisper take ahold of me ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ Tell me all the things that you want in me ♪ ♪ Tell me all the ways you'll get them from me ♪ ♪ Tell me I've been stuck in the past ♪ ♪ But that [censored] it won't last ♪ ♪ 'Cause you love me ♪ ♪ Tell me all the things that you want in me ♪ ♪ Tell me all the ways you'll get them from me ♪ ♪ Tell me I've been stuck in the past ♪ ♪ But that [censored] it won't last ♪ ♪ 'Cause you love me ♪ - This afternoon about 2:30 and it was not in plain sight either.

Now there's a hill that goes down about a hundred yards to some railroad tracks and the body was just over the edge of that hill that you're seeing right now.

Casey came- [gentle music] - In recent years, Indie Memphis has continued to create breakout stars.

Director Zaire Love has attracted attention with her stylish short films such as "Slice", which told a story of a distinct Memphis subculture.

Her first film, "Soulfed", was created as a part of a collaboration with the Southern Foodways Alliance.

♪ I heard bread from heaven ♪ ♪ Fills the soul ♪ ♪ Won't you fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ Fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ [indistinct] to my body ♪ ♪ Oh, my soul ♪ ♪ Fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ I heard bread from heaven ♪ ♪ Fills the soul ♪ ♪ Won't you fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ It fill my body ♪ ♪ And sho'nuff my soul ♪ ♪ Fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ Fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪ ♪ Fill me up Jesus ♪ ♪ Fill me up ♪♪ - When I first started cooking, I had to stand on a foot tub at home because I'm from a family of 16, and mama had to work, daddy was gone, and I wasn't there, so I had to try to fix meals for when they would come in and she wouldn't have to do.

And she taught me how to cook and what to do, and we raised gardens indeed, you know, some of everything, and I love it.

And being affiliated with the churches, I like to see people happy.

I like to see them enjoying themselves when they eat, and I'm just gonna do what I do.

[crowd chattering] Are y'all enjoying it?

[crowd chattering] You can go back for seconds, thirds, fourths- I'm LeeAnn Baker.

I'm 59 years old.

I'm a mother.

I'm a grandmother.

I'm a member of New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, and I've been there for on the upside of about seven years.

And I'm affiliated with the Truth Church because this is my nephew and my son goes here, and I've been affiliated with them for about 10 years.

But it's just about getting the Word and always doing things that God would want me to do.

Every Saturday, we eat every Tuesday, which is Bible study night, and we eat every first and third Sunday.

A lot of times I come up with the menu based on what I feel like I'm hungry for.

And then, if I feel like people may be getting tired of a dish, I just try to change it up.

Tuesdays and Saturdays are more relaxed, and then on Sundays, because we have pretty much a different crowd, I always try to beef that up a little bit.

All of it bounces off of Pastor McDowell.

- Nothing stay the same 'cause he's been ministering to me.

There's a time and a season.

Catch this, all y'all that's going through something.

There's a time and a season.

You remember that?

That means there's a season for everything that you're going through.

Guess what?

It can't stay.

- Amen.

- Even the problem that you're going through can't stay.

It's a season, it's only a season.

- He said that cooking and when people sit down and eat, it's like a fellowship.

See, when we were growing up, the preachers used to come to the house and my mom would do all that cooking and see it.

And that's where it stemmed from.

My mom would cook for two or three days just to feed the preacher when he comes to the house.

And because she had all of us, she was gonna make sure everybody had enough.

Well, she always did all of that, and like I say, it just latched on.

- You know the old saying that a way to a man's heart is through his belly.

The most important way to unite people together that I found out through my over 30 years of pastoring is by way of food.

That comes way back from when grandmama used to have the preacher over, man.

They would have us to go outside and we couldn't eat until the preacher ate up all the food, all the chicken and everything else.

And so it kind of like it's been embedded in me.

If we look back in the Bible, even Jesus, he said one time that they were around there and he said, "Man, y'all go and take care of their needs."

Like we ain't got no money.

What do you have?

Two fish and five loaves of bread.

He fed them.

He met their needs before he preached to them.

So, that's kind of been like a tradition that I've picked up from grandmama all the way to Jesus and food just has a way of uniting us together, especially us African-Americans.

[crowd chattering] Is it good?

Is it good?

Huh?

[gospel music playing] [spoon tapping] - Like I say, I'm transforming from Sunday and just adding.

[ladle clattering] Simple to the point, and I hope tasty.

This is fried chicken that I had left, and I'm just gonna put gravy to it, and serve that like that.

[crowd chattering] - Mm.

Isn't that good?

[crowd chattering] - It's just time for people, the body of Christ, to get back to taking care of people.

That's what Jesus wanted us to do.

That's what he told us in Isaiah 58.

He told us don't be trying to turn around and just fast for your potential gain.

You need to fast so you can give your food to the hungry people.

Give your shirt off your back.

Matthew 25 says now, "If I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink."

You didn't just say I pray for you.

It's time out.

I wanna see the community come back together.

How's the community gonna come back together by the one that holds them together, the church getting back out in the community.

- Whatever your hand's fine to do, do it as long as it's in the name of God.

[choir vocalizing] ♪ For God so loved the world ♪ ♪ He gave His only Son ♪ ♪ He came from heaven ♪ ♪ And taught love to everyone ♪ ♪ If you love the Lord ♪ ♪ Won't you show it ♪ ♪ If you love the Lord ♪ ♪ Won't you show it ♪ ♪ Won't you pray for me ♪ ♪ Won't you love on me ♪ ♪ For God so loved the world ♪ ♪ He gave His only Son ♪ ♪ He came from heaven ♪ ♪ And taught love to everyone ♪ ♪ He fed 5,000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves ♪ ♪ If he did that he can sho-nuff carry a load ♪ ♪ Carry a load ♪ ♪ He can carry a load ♪ ♪ Carry a load ♪ ♪ For God so love the world ♪ ♪ He gave His only Son ♪ ♪ He came from heaven ♪ ♪ And taught love to everyone ♪ [singer vocalizing] - After taking a hiatus in 2025, Indie Memphis is returning this year with a full schedule of more than 50 feature films.

The festival will run from November 5th through the 9th, downtown at The Orpheum Theatre's Halloran Center and the Malco Powerhouse Cinema.

It's gonna be a great time at the movies.

We'll see you there.

[film reel whirring]