College of Liberal Arts to Co-Sponsor 20th Annual CollegeTown Film Series at Douglass Theatre

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MACON – The 20th annual CollegeTown Film Series opens Jan. 25 at downtown Macon's historic Douglass Theatre. This year's three-film series, sponsored by Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts, Middle Georgia State University and Wesleyan College, is based on the theme “Women of the Night: A Film Noir Exploration.”

The films – “Lady from Shanghai,” “Devil in a Blue Dress” and “Gun Crazy” – will be screened Jan. 25, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, respectively, at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by discussions with the audience.

Admission is free for Mercer, Middle Georgia State and Wesleyan students with valid ID. General admission is $5 and includes free popcorn and a drink. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Dr. Michele Prettyman Beverly, assistant professor of media studies in Mercer's Department of Journalism and Media Studies, will introduce “Devil in a Blue Dress” and lead the discussion of the film on Thursday, Feb. 1.

The 1995 American neo-noir mystery, starring Denzel Washington, follows an unemployed black World War II veteran in Los Angeles who meets a mysterious white man seeking someone to investigate the disappearance of a white woman thought to be hiding out in one of the city's black jazz clubs. Washington's character, Easy Rawlins, takes the job but soon finds himself in over his head.

Along with her extensive teaching background, Dr. Beverly writes in the areas of film, race, visual and popular culture, African-American cinema and Southern film and race. Her work has been presented at diverse forums, including the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, the Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present, the World Picture Conference, the National Communication Association and the National Council of Black Studies. Her work appears in Black Camera journal, the African-American literary journal Callaloo and in online publications liquid blackness and Scope.

As co-founder of Daughters of Eve Media, she curates and develops content for film festivals and cultural events. For several years, she has developed panels for the American Black Film Festival, an internationally renowned festival that provides a platform for films produced by black filmmakers around the world. In 2013, she helped coordinate the historic LA Rebellion film series in Atlanta and moderated panels with renowned independent filmmakers.

Dr. Tom Ellington, associate professor of political science at Wesleyan, and Dr. Patrick Brennan, professor of English at Middle Georgia State, will introduce and lead discussion on the other two films.

The CollegeTown Film Series compliments student life activities, supports downtown revitalization and gives students an enriching experience in Middle Georgia.

Faculty at Mercer, Middle Georgia State and Wesleyan team up each year to sponsor a series of films that are shown in the historically significant and completely restored Douglass Theatre.