Sunflower County Film Academy
Through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, during the summer of 2018, 17 high school students from the Mississippi Delta participated in a free 5-week intensive filmmakers' workshop. The workshop was hosted at Gentry High School within the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. The workshop was taught by filmmakers Joy Davenport, Pablo Correa and RJ Fitzpatrick. The workshop engaged students in the art of making their own video stories using professional grade equipment and studying the life and legacy of civil rights activist and Sunflower County native, Fannie Lou Hamer. Workshop leaders also encouraged students to examine the racial barriers that still exist and impact young people today and to look for positive solutions through reflective conversations.
Our goal for our award-winning program is to introduce students in the Delta to broader career options in the entertainment industry by providing an environment where they can work together to find their own voices through digital storytelling, as they plan, direct, produce, and edit their own film projects. Please help us continue our mission.
2024 Sunflower County Film Academy
Behind the scenes of our 2024 Sunflower County Film Academy and their film, "Whenever You're Ready."
Below: SCFA Students at the premiere of their movie, “Whenever You’re Ready.” The premiere was covered by the local news station WABG-TV.
Our 2024 Sunflower County Film Academy was held at the Delta Arts Alliance in Cleveland and began on Monday, June 3. Our instructors were Ben Powell of Broken Arm Studio and Glenn Payne of Dead Leaf Productions. The students were Sincere Birge, Zariah Burl, Makarious Clotman, ShaCameron Collins, Peyton James, Aaron Johnson, Emory Manly, Markelen Morton, Iyana Norris, Shanarius Ross, Mariano Sifuentes, Brandon Thomas, Merion Turner, Dkyra White and Khloe Williams.
On the first day of the workshop, the students were privileged to hear from civil rights pioneers Professor Georgene Clark (eighth from the right) and Muriel Lucas McCraney (eighth from left).
Clark was one of the first Black professors hired at Delta State University in the 1970s and McCraney is a former student featured in the 2021 film, “Voices From The Sit-In.”
The film is a stoy of protest, told by four Black students, including McCraney, who struggled for recognition, inclusion and fair treatment after Delta State was integrated in 1965. Tensions rose in the Spring of 1969, and the students organized a series of actions and protests. McCraney and others were arrested and taken to the state penitentiary at Parchman. Professor Clark, who helped bring the history of the protests to life, is also featured in the film, which was produced and directed by Delta State University Professor and filmmaker Ted Fisher.
After watching the film, “Voices From The Sit-In” students talked with former Delta State student Muriel Lucas McCraney (top center left) and Professor Georgene Clark (top center right) about their experiences with injustice and racial disparity at Delta State University in the late 1960s.
To view more photos from the 2024 class, go to our Photo Gallery!
Thank you to our community partners and especially to our donors who so graciously funded our 2024 film camp: The Southern Poverty Law Center and their Learning For Justice Fund (LFJ); C Spire; the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and ATMOS Energy. Special thanks to Jey Erhenhalt, Tanya Rankin, Keith Fulcher, Stacye Trout, Brenda Smith, Kara Delaney, Donna Goldman, Olivia Dunning, Ashley Day, Robert Morgan, Lauren Powell, the Cleveland School District, Dr. Lisa Bramuchi, Jessica Pulley, Wendy Sullivan, Sheila Bell and Matthew Grant.
Thank you also to the Delta Arts Alliance Board, Dawn Ales, Hallie Rhodes and the Delta Arts Alliance for hosting our program and Reginald Simmons of The Senator’s Place Catering. Many grateful thanks to Glenn Payne of Dead Leaf Productions, Ben Powell of Broken Arm Studio, Prof. Georgene Clark, Muriel Lucas McCraney, Austin Rutledge and the Delta Music Institute.
2023 Sunflower County Film Academy
The 2023 SCFA student film, Help Wanted” was an official selection of the 2024 Magnolia Independant Film Festival, the Oxford Film Festival and the JXN Film Festival. And winner of an Award of Merit and an Award of Recognition with the 2023 Best Shorts Competition. Awards and Film Festivals.
Our workshop students were: Peyton James, Aaron Johnson, Jonarious Lee, Arthur Evans, Zariah Burl, Mariano Sifuentes, Aryanna Duvall, Merion Turner and Jaiden Nix.
The 2023 Sunflower County Film Academy was held Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 30 at the historic Ellis Theatre in downtown Cleveland, MS.
During that time, our students worked with SCFA instructors and filmmakers Glenn Payne of Dead Leaf Productions and Ben Powell of Broken Arm Studio to produce, shoot and edit their amazing film, “Help Wanted” which premiered at the Ellis Theatre on Friday, June 30.
“Help Wanted” stars SCFA students Merion Turner as “Elijah” and Jonarious “Jay” Lee as “Jeremiah. The film’s co-stars are Jacobi Baldwin as “Max”, Cameron Baldwin as “DJ”, Tony Foster as “Mr. Earl” and other workshop students. Movie poster designed by Ben Payne of Broken Arm Studio.
Behind The Scenes! SCFA students talk about their experiences in the 2023 Sunflower County Film Academy and their work on their class film, “Help Wanted”.
To view more photos from the 2023 class, go to our Photo Gallery!
We are so grateful and thankful for our community partners for this year’s Sunflower County Film Academy including Leroy Cotton, Matthew Grant and Nakita Goins. Huge thanks to Christine Bradley, Music Studio of Marin, Toya Randall, Shirley Mock, Lauren Powell, the Delta Arts Alliance and the Delta Arts Alliance Board for hosting our program. As well as to Glenn Payne of Dead Leaf Productions, Ben Powell of Broken Arm Studios, Prof. Ted Fisher, Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, Delta Music Institute, MDOT Commissioner Willie Simmons, Reginald Simmons of The Senator’s Place, Senator Sarita Simmons and all the local vendors who helped make this workshop possible!
2021 Sunflower County Film Academy
The students' 2021 film, "An Army Rising Up", premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival and the Orlando International Film Festival in 2022. And the South Georgia Film Festival in 2024! Festival Photos.
Workshop Students: Chrishunn Banks, Christesia Banks, Christian Banks, Diamond Brewer, Cimaron Burchfield, Kiara Clark, Zykira Hooper, Jada Johnson, Katelyn Johnson, Summer Johnson, Savannah Lewis, Shiann McDanail, Camron Pryor, Takarah Russell, Eryin Smith, Corderion Stephens, J’Briya Tyler, Samaria Washington, Nakiyha Wright and Aakyiah Young.
To view more photos from the 2021 class, go to our Photo Gallery!
Special thanks to our community partners for our 2021 Sunflower County Film Academy workshop: Patrick Weems and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, MS, Curtis Davis and Domino’s Pizza in Clarksdale, MS and Kenneth Little and the Walmart Supercenter in Clarksdale, MS! Additional thanks to The Phil Hardin Foundation, Lloyd Gray, ATMOS Energy, Ashley Day, Robert Morgan, MDNHA, C Spire, HOPE Enterprises, Christine Bradley and Music Studio of Marin.
2018 Sunflower County Film Academy
An official selection of the Crossroads Film Festival in Madison, MS in 2019! Festival Photos.
2018 Sunflower County Film Academy Students
Workshop Students: Keziah D. Allen, Keyshawn Brison, Jaylen Brown, Selena Davila, Travion DeAndre Dozier, Zoe Feltson, Anderson Jalen Johnson II, Carledia Jones, Marquisse Kirkham, Makayla Lenoir, Keyshaun Meeks, Lamonte Ratliff, Kaitlyn Thomas, Omar Washington, Joseph White IV, Quanzarius Willard, Kelvin Williams II.
To view more photos from the 2018 class, go to our Photo Gallery!
Many grateful thanks to our community partners for our first Sunflower County Film Academy: Principal Willie Bolden and Jacqueline Williams at Gentry High School in Indianola, MS. Willena White, Timla Washington, the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center, Monica Hope and the MS Summer Food Service Program, the Henry M. Seymour Public Library, McDonald’s and Walmart Supercenter in Indianola, MS. And additional thanks to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Jed Oppenheim, the Mississippi Humanities Council and Dr. Stuart Rockoff.
2018 Inaugural SCFA
Student-made Trailer “Out of Many”
Class of 2018 Students Discuss the Film Workshop
Behind the Scenes Footage of the Film Workshop
Sunflower County Film Academy Students' Work Featured at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival
Eight students (pictured below) who participated in the 2018 Sunflower County Film Academy, had their work as videographers featured in a film that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. I Snuck Off The Slave Ship was written and directed by Lonnie Holley and Cyrus Moussavi and edited by filmmaker Joy Elaine Davenport, who is also the founder and instructor of the Sunflower County Film Academy.
