Nina Davenport will screen her film, "Parallel Lines," as part of the Southern Circuit Film Series at Sweet Briar on Tuesday, Oct. 5 in Tyson Auditorium. The screening is free and open to the public.

The film has been described as an "American road-trip movie with a twist." The journey takes place in the fall of 2001, as Davenport drives from California back home to New York. She approached her subjects by asking them what they think about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and they almost immediately begin to talk about ancillary subjects, such as when the cowboy in Bandera, Texas, tries to explain why his mother shot his father all those years ago, or the white Alabama farmer who talks about his black friends who live nearby.

This is the 10th year that Sweet Briar College has sponsored the Southern Circuit series, an annual touring program that showcases and supports the work of independent filmmakers. Six artists will visit campus through spring 2005 to screen his or her work and answer questions about their films and the creative process.

Sponsored by the South Carolina Arts Commission, Southern Circuit is in its 29th year and affiliated with seven venues in the southern United States. Eleanor Salotto, SBC associate professor of English and film studies director, sees the series as a unique opportunity for Sweet Briar and the surrounding area. She includes the series in the syllabus of her film studies classes, and filmmakers will often visit her classroom for a discussion.

"What's so unusual," she said, "is that filmmakers come to campus and students can learn a great deal from them about their art and professional opportunities. The films themselves are contemporary and innovative films by independent filmmakers. It gives the community the opportunity to see top quality films not geared for mass distribution."

Salotto serves on a selection committee with a representative from each of the other venues. The committee looks for works that appeal to students and faculty, explore topical issues of interest, or simply stand up as good quality feature films. "We're interested in films that raise questions and make people think," she said, adding that aesthetic qualities are considered as well.

Salotto singles out "Parallel Lines" and "Funny Ha Ha" as this year's standouts. The latter is a romantic comedy about a "post-college identity crisis" that won the 2003 Independent Spirit Award.

"We're really fortunate to be involved on the tour," she said, "because it showcases the work of creative, young, and talented filmmakers."

All Southern Circuit films begin at 7 p.m. in Tyson Auditorium. For more information on the series, please visit southern circuit.com.

Southern Circuit Film Series - 2004-05 Schedule

• Sept. 21 - Screening of "Resisting Paradise" with filmmaker Barbara Hammer


• Oct. 5 - Screening of "Parallel Lines" with filmmaker Nina Davenport


• Nov. 9 - Screening of "Funny Ha Ha" with filmmaker Andrew Bujalski


• February 1, 2005 - Screening of "Big Enough" with filmmaker Jan Krawitz


• March 1, 2005 - Screening of "Loaded Gun: Life and Death and Dickinson" and "Never Live Above a Psychic" with filmmaker Steve Gentile


• April 5, 2005 - Screening of "Morning Sun" with filmmaker Richard Gordon