Online Filmmaker Q&A: River City Drumbeat

Event Recording

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Guests Expected

Co-directors Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté and special guests Albert Shumake and Ed White are expected to participate in this online Q&A.

Description

For 30 years, Ed “Nardie” White has dedicated his life to uplifting and empowering African-American youth through the River City Drum Corps, teaching kids about their African roots and culture through music. Filmmakers Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté spent more than a year in Louisville, KY, filming the charismatic founder and the many children he inspired. As he prepares to pass the torch to his successor and former student Albert Shumake, Nardie also reflects on the triumphs and bittersweet losses of the past three decades. River City Drumbeat is an inspirational story of music, love, and legacy set in the American South. This film was an official selection of the 2020 SFFILM Festival.

“As filmmakers, we are committed to experiential and cinematic content over dispensing information. We had a minimal crew who were invested in the human relationships first. We find this kind of filmmaking leads to organic truths being revealed, authentic moments that bring the viewer into a meaningful relationship with the protagonists.” – Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté

This event is open to all active SFFILM members. Members who register for this event will be sent a promo code via email for 50% off the ticket price to stream River City Drumbeat via the Roxie Virtual Cinema. The film is available to watch now, and the discount is valid through August 21.

All registrants will also be sent a link via email to register for the online Q&A, which will be conducted with Zoom. We recommend that you download and install Zoom on your computer or mobile device in advance, and set yourself up with a free account. Attendees will have a chance to participate in the Q&A with a text chat function. Registration closes around one hour before the start of the event — be sure to register early!

Learn more about how to use Zoom and attending our virtual events here.

Co-director Marlon Johnson

Marlon Johnson received his BS in Communications from the University of Miami and has gone on to forge a career as an Emmy-winning producer and director. His films as a director include Breaking the Silence (2006) and Deep City: Birth of the Miami Sound (2014).

Co-director Anne Flatté

Anne Flatté received an M.A. in documentary film and video production from Stanford University where she made two award-winning shorts Interlove Story and Body of Tradition. She produced Serenade for Haiti (Festival 2017) and edited Music Makes a City: A Louisville Orchestra Story (2010). River City Drumbeat is her first documentary feature.

Meet the Filmmakers

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Film Details