After a vicious attack left him brain-damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in “Marwencol,” a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he created in his backyard. He populated it with military figurines and Barbie dolls representing World War II personages like Patton, as well as stand-ins for himself, his friends and his family. Finally, he dusted off an old camera and used it to capture staged events ranging from pitched battles between occupying German and American forces to cat-fights in the town bar.

Jeremy Butler, film professor at UA says, “Tuscaloosa is lucky to get “Marwencol,” a unique and almost inexplicable documentary about a man and his obsession. Debuting at SXSW last March, the film took home the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary. More recent accolades include two Independent Spirit Awards. I was fortunate to see this film at the Sidewalk Film Festival in September and can honestly say it’s one of the more engaging and thought-provoking docs I’ve seen in a very long time. Patiently edited and thoroughly compelling, the film probes questions about the role of art in rehabilitation, and the often thin line that separates art from commodity. Ultimately it’s a human story with a larger than life central character you can’t help but be compelled to watch.”

“Exactly the sort of mysterious and almost holy experience you hope to get from documentaries and rarely do,” says the Village Voice.

Marwencol (2010) – February 1 at 8:00 p.m. in Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre
Not Rated / Documentary / 83 minutes
Prize winner at the Boston Independent, Seattle International and Woodstock Film Festivals
Director: Jeff Malmberg
Stars: Mark Hogancamp

Discounted complete series subscription tickets will be available at www.brownpapertickets.com ($40 adults/$30 students and seniors).

Individual tickets will be available at the Bama Theatre box office prior to screenings ($7 general/$6 students and seniors/$5 Arts Council members).

GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS AT THE DOOR! Bama Bar & the box office will open at 7:00 p.m. before each film. Screenings begin at 8:00 p.m. For more information about the film series, visit www.bamaarthouse.com.

Thank you to Series Sponsor EPIPHANY in Downtown Tuscaloosa. Epiphany will offer a dining special for BAH film-goers during this 7-week film season.

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.

One of my favorite documentary films from the past few years will be shown at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12th. I had the pleasure of seeing “Darius Goes West” at the Oxford Film Festival several years ago. This film is great not because of its production techniques but because of its moving message.

Darius Weems, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, travels across the country with eleven friends on a mission to get his wheelchair customized by MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.” Internet Movie Database

Darius’ brother, who also had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, died at the age of nineteen. Before his death he asked their friend, Logan Smalley, to take care of his younger brother. Logan decided to take Darius on a cross-country trip in an RV and record their adventures for a documentary film. Darius had never left his hometown in Georgia. He was fifteen when they took the trip and people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy rarely live past the age of thirty.

Here’s a trailer:

The film has won 25 festival awards and has started a movement. Since making the film, Darius Weems and Logan Smalley have traveled extensively to raise funds for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They appeared on CBS’The Early Show about a year ago.

“Darius Goes West” will be shown at the Bama as a part of the Rose Gladney Lecture for Justice and Social Change series. There is no charge to attend the film screening, but come prepared to make a donation toward treatment and cure of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DVDs of the film will be sold for $10.00 with most of the proceeds going toward the cause. Logan Smalley will be in attendance and Darius Weems, who has just turned 21 and is working on his own album of rap music, will appear by Skype.

The film may bring you to tears, but you’ll leave the theater smiling.

For more information, visit DariusGoesWest.org.

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.

My workplace has had a lot of excitement lately. Wendy Reed, whose office is right next door to mine, won an Emmy, and Dwight Cammeron, whose office is just across the hall, won a first place festival award.

The festival award came from the Urban Suburban Film Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the documentary, “Not My Son.” This touching documentary by Dwight and our colleague Ginger Jolly has yet to make it to the airwaves, but it has been well received at festivals. The Urban Suburban Festival awarded it Best Feature Documentary and the award is well deserved. I have been tracking the life of this documentary here as Dwight and Ginger prepared for the initial screening and after the screening as they shared information about the event with me.

“Not My Son” is about how violence touches people. It may bring a tear to your eye, but I encourage everyone to see it.

I’m really lucky to work with such talented people. Congratulations Dwight and Ginger!

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.

Director Dwight Cammeron takes questions from the audience

My colleagues Dwight Cammeron and Ginger Jolly shared their new documentary, "Not My Son" with its first audience on Saturday, January 23rd at Woodland Park Church of Christ in Birmingham, Alabama. Over 800 people attended the standing room only event.

Documentary participants from the Parents Against Violence Foundation were present to answer questions from the audience.

Click on images to enlarge them.

Documentary participants answer questions

Over 800 people attended the premiere

For more information, visit: http://www.cptr.org/notmyson

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.

Shane Speal wrote on my Facebook wall last night, “Max, check out the front page of Cigar Box Nation.” When I did, I found that Shane had made a special banner and posted an article noting that “Songs Inside The Box” had won an award from the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival. Thanks Shane!

I produced and directed “Songs Inside The Box,” the cigar box guitar documentary and Shane is one of the leading characters featured. He is the self-proclaimed “King of the Cigar Box Guitar,” after all. He is also the creator of Cigar Box Nation.

“Songs Inside The Box” features 15 characters who have united due to their common interest in cigar box guitars. They are representative of the nearly 2,000 (at this writing) members of the Cigar Box Nation, all of whom have been brought together by Shane.

I invite you to join us in our moment of celebration and go on over to CigarBoxNation.com.

For more information about the documentary, go to SongsInsideTheBox.com.

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.

Opening Reception with drink specials, hors d’ouevres, and desserts. 7 PM

Screening of MOON (in 35 mm) at 8 PM.

For more on the film: http://www.bamaarthouse.com/2009/12/moon-january-19th-8pm.html

This special screening of MOON is sponsored by Creative Campus in anticipation of their upcoming event, “2010: A Space Oddity.” Stay tuned to the Creative Campus website for more info. The BAHFS is also endorsed by the TCF Department.

Tickets: $7/ $6 / $5 or buy a six film series subscription for the great price of $30 (general) or $20 (students/seniors).

Buy your series subscriptions online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/93154?prod_id=18230 or at the box office on opening night.

For more on the series and the complete schedule: http://www.bamaarthouse.com/

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: The Bama Theatre. Downtown Tuscaloosa
Street: 600 Greensboro Ave
City/Town: Tuscaloosa, AL

Hat tip to the Telecommunication & Film Department at UA

Max Connections - Random Writings by Max Shores.