Saturday, April 19, 2008

Indie Memphis names director

John Beifuss in the CA reports on the appointment of a director of Indie Memphis:

With the enthusiasm of revival-tent evangelists preaching the good word about the power of the movies, a Memphis millionaire and a filmfest veteran from Alabama have joined forces to try to elevate the Indie Memphis Film Festival to a "world-class level" as it enters its second decade.

Erik Jambor of Birmingham has been selected as the first-ever salaried executive director of Indie Memphis. The position is being funded by investment capitalist Bob Compton as part of a $100,000 grant that will help the festival triple its operating budget this year, as Indie Memphis becomes a fully independent entity.Compton says the Compton Family Foundation grant is an investment in Memphis and the Mid-South, not just in the Memphis film community.

"Memphis is talent- and creativity-rich and leadership- and capital-poor," said Compton, 52, who has earned national attention recently with his own film, "Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination," a documentary that advocates U.S. education reform. "I want to help develop the filmmakers and get them more exposure, which will help the city.

"I've made my fortune, and now I want to make a difference," he added. "I want to help make this a 21st century film festival."

Jambor, 37, says he wants Indie Memphis "to build connections and community, and that's both on the audience side and the filmmaker side."


For the full story, go here.

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