Artist Bio
Overview
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking. This special screening of BREAKING THE NEWS will be followed by a post-film discussion with co-director Heather Courtney and O Cinema’s Head of Programming, Matt Walter.
THE FILM
As Donald Trump was getting sworn in as President and the Women’s March set an angry, outspoken tone for the country’s discourse, journalist Emily Ramshaw decided to meet the moment by launching The 19th. Named after the Nineteenth Amendment, The 19th became the first nonprofit, nonpartisan news agency in the United States. Its mission is to focus on the impact of national politics and policy on women. However, by the time Emily and co-founder Amanda Zamora had secured funding and officially launched The 19th’s news site, the pandemic hit — and the very fabric of society went into a tailspin.
BREAKING THE NEWS immerses its audience in the lives and steadfast pursuits of the members of The 19th — women and LGBTQ+ journalists — as they struggle to launch the agency and work to gain traction for their newsroom amidst shuttered news outlets and an upended America. With spirited storytelling, the directorial trio of Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston, and Chelsea Hernandez provide an inquisitive and dynamic view into the inner workings of this news agency as its journalists disrupt entrenched biases and push for accountability.
SPECIAL GUESTS
Heather Courtney (Director, Producer, Cinematographer) is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, and a Guggenheim, Sundance, and Fulbright fellow. Her film WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM won an Emmy, an Independent Spirit Award, and a SXSW Jury Award. Her films have been funded by Ford Foundation/Just Films, MacArthur, Sundance Doc Fund, and ITVS, and have broadcast nationally on PBS, including POV, Independent Lens and America ReFramed, and streamed on Netflix and the Washington Post. Her short documentary FOR THE RECORD recently premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Fest, and she is currently in post-production on the ITVS, Ford, and IDA-funded feature BREAKING THE NEWS. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her 14-year-old rescue pit Meeps.
Reviews
What is
?
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking.Southern Circuit works with a network of Screening Partner organizations across the region to present screenings alongside Q&As and other community/educational engagements with touring filmmakers. Screening Partners include a range of organizations such as universities, community arts centers, historic cinemas, and more, serving diverse audiences of all ages.Southern Circuit prioritizes featuring Southern filmmakers and stories. We are committed to presenting films by filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and filmmakers with disabilities. Selected filmmakers should have an ethical relationship with the topics and individuals/communities featured in their work. We are invested in including emerging and first-time filmmakers.Since Southern Circuit’s inception in 1975, more than three hundred filmmakers from around the country have toured, sharing their work and perspectives with over one hundred Screening Partner communities across the South. Southern Circuit is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Gallery
Event Details
• Adults – $10.00• Older Adults (62+ years old w/ valid ID) – FREE• Students & Teachers (w/ valid ID) – FREE• O Cinema Members – FREE(All tickets are available online and at the box office. Prices for special events and select screenings may vary. Please note ticket prices before you complete your purchase. All prices are subject to change without notice.)ALL FILMS START EXACTLY AT THE LISTED TIME, AND ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS, NO EXCHANGES, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Event Details
• Adults – $10.00• Older Adults (62+ years old w/ valid ID) – FREE• Students & Teachers (w/ valid ID) – FREE• O Cinema Members – FREE(All tickets are available online and at the box office. Prices for special events and select screenings may vary. Please note ticket prices before you complete your purchase. All prices are subject to change without notice.)ALL FILMS START EXACTLY AT THE LISTED TIME, AND ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS, NO EXCHANGES, NO EXCEPTIONS.
