For the 10th year, Sweet Briar College is part of the Southern Circuit Film Series, an annual touring program that showcases and supports the work of independent filmmakers. Six filmmakers will visit campus through spring 2005 to screen his or her work and answer questions about the work and the creative process. The Tyson Auditorium screenings begin are free and open to the general public.

The series commences on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. with a screening of Barbara Hammer's "Resisting Paradise." The film poses the question, "Can art exist in a time of political crisis and war?" in a 90-minute experimental documentary that juxtaposes the lives of painters Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard during World War II with those of several French Resistance fighters.

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 says a couple of this season's highlights include "Parallel Lines" and "Funny Ha Ha." The former is a documentary in which the filmmaker travels around the U.S. in the fall of 2001 asking people what they think about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 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