17 minute read
Lafayette Film Festival
That’s a Wrap
Festival Concludes with High Hopes for the Future of Film
Advertisement
by Scott Anderson
A panel of filmmakers answers questions at the Southern Screen Festival’s Local Shorts Series session.
For a few days last November, the Southern Screen Festival once again united film industry professionals and fans from Acadiana and across the globe for a weekend of entertainment, inspiration and education in Lafayette. Local musicians and restaurants also joined the party to round out a uniquely Louisiana experience for everyone involved.
The 11th annual incarnation of the festival was a hybrid event, with virtual programming available online, and in-person sessions at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown Lafayette. Festival goers were treated to several feature length films, including the much-anticipated “Roadrunner,” a documentary on the life of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and the documentary “The Neutral Ground,” which explores the controversy surrounding Confederate monuments across the South, including in New Orleans.The festival also featured “The Sparks Brothers,” a film detailing the long musical career of brothers Ron and Russel Mael, the duo behind the band Sparks, and “Mayday,” a 2021 action/drama starring Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth and Juliette Lewis.
More Than Mere Entertainment
While many attend the multi-day event to see screenings of major releases, the festival also showcases blocks of short films from independent filmmakers, many from Acadiana and south Louisiana. One of the goals of festival organizers is to inspire established and aspiring filmmakers to make their visions come to life in Acadiana. “Southern Screen has been a staple in the filmmaker, musician, and artist community for many years,” says Julie Bordelon, founder and executive director of the festival. “We have continued to be a platform for quality educational opportunities and programming. Most up-andcoming filmmakers in the area have participated in one way or another and still do to this day. Some are still here, some have moved away, but most, if not all, still credit Southern
Continued on page 52
Screen for helping them advance in their career. It’s an event that brings artists together to network and appreciate their craft. It helps build a scene and inspire future projects.”
According to Bordelon, the festival’s influence reaches beyond Acadiana. “I received a message today with a photo of a filmmaker from Lafayette who now lives in Rome, and a filmmaker from Rome who now lives in Los Angeles,” she says. “They met at Southern Screen a few years ago and are now talking about working together. This is not the first time this has happened, of course, but it’s still amazing when it does.”
Good Business for Louisiana
Louisiana is one of the top locations in the world for film production, which is great news for the state. According to a report by the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, $945 million was spent on film productions in Louisiana in 2018 alone. The industry has created 7,500 jobs and $331 million in earnings for Louisiana residents, the report claiims.
One of the financial incentives filmmakers use to produce films in Louisiana is the state’s Motion Picture Production Tax Credit. The program provides up to a 40 percent tax credit for productions in Louisiana, according to a report from the consulting group Camion 310. To be eligible for the tax credits, there is a $50,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement for Louisiana-based productions and a $300,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement for productions from outside the state. “Louisiana’s Motion Picture Production Tax Credit has been instrumental in the development of a self-supporting motion picture production industry by encouraging job creation and investment within the state of Louisiana,” the report reads. Another goal set by filmmakers at Southern Screen is to grow those numbers by building on a foundation that has already been laid. “Lafayette is a great set,” filmmaker John Paul Summers says. “It can be the setting for a lot of different things. We take Cajun country for granted because we live down here. It’s very visually rich. It’s a great place to make movies. We have awesome crews, awesome people. Southern Screen is a place where you can show that off.”
Summers says Lafayette is in a great position to help grow the film industry in the state, and he compares his vision for what Acadiana can become to the roots of the studio system in Hollywood. “Lafayette is in a unique position to solve a few different problems at the same time,” Summers explains. “Because of our culture and our proximity to New Orleans, I think we can develop a small studio environment. Like in Los Angeles, all the actors can drive to work in the morning, go to the studio, shoot their thing, and go back home at night. And the crew get to reap that benefit, as well.”
Fostering a Culture
Filmmaker Allison Bohl says one of the challenges for Louisiana’s film industry is keeping people in the state. “A good goal would be to retain the talent as it develops,” she says. “If you wanted to be a DP (director of photography) on Hollywood films, it’s actually better to move to Los Angeles and then come back and be hired on as a DP in New Orleans, versus living in New Orleans and trying to be hired on as a DP. There’s that disconnect of, ‘Yes, we’re producing major motion pictures, but in order to launch a career, you have to move away,’ which I think is confusing.”
New Orleans filmmaker Darcy McKinnon, who produced “The Neutral Ground,” taught local filmmakers about how to budget for making a movie. She contends the success of Louisiana’s film industry is opening
Robert Legato (“Titanic” and “The Jungle Book”) leads a presentation on Creating Visual Effects.
St. John Elementary Two Schools - One Family Hanson Memorial High School
Weekly Mass Community Involvement College Preparedness + Competitive ACT Scores Smaller Class Sizes + Diverse Learning Opportunities Dual Enrollment | Northwestern State University Established Sports Programs Tuition Assistance Available
Franklin, LA 337-828-2648 (St. John) | 337-828-3487 (Hanson)
doors beyond the tax credits from small, independent projects. But, she says, it still takes some digging. “People outside of Louisiana are definitely noticing the thriving filmmaking community in New Orleans,” she explains. “In the narrative space, I have had success with finding grants outside of Louisiana. I’ve also gotten really good at learning to make things with nothing. That is sort of how I built myself as an artist. There’s good things and bad things about there being very little funding, like getting creative for where to find resources.”
Bohl asserts the issue is bigger than just where to find the funding for making movies in the area. It’s also a matter of financial literacy for the crew.“They have to know, ‘I don’t have to live hand-tomouth. This is a good day rate that will feed my family, that will help me save for taxes,’” she says. “All those concepts that are very adult. It’s easy to think that’s not important, but as you get older and you want to continue, those things are important. It can be kind of scrappy here, which can be damaging. It’s why people leave.”
High (Financial) Impact
Summers says events like this event can create opportunities for the filmmaking community and the community at large.“I think there’s a real financial benefit for the city,” he claims. “We can make movies very economically because of the scale at which we make them. But we can do it at a really high quality. Southern Screen can be a place to showcase our work and get local people excited about Lafayette as a place we could make movies. We can bring in writers, producers and directors to work with us, but we have to have a base in place here.”
Bordelon supports the notion that a strong film community in any part of Louisiana helps the entire state. “It creates jobs, money, and a strong artist economy,” she says. “Acadiana already has a filmmaking community, but there are lots of now-established professionals who are interested in moving home. By investing, growing, and nurturing our local industry, we offer a viable place for them to stay and to come home to and to continue working in the profession they want to be in.” n
A DEEPER DIVE Local Impact of Industry
In 2018, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority studied the impact of the film industry on the city and on Lafayette Parish. Among the findings:
• Two local production companies, Active Entertainment and
Curmudgeon Films, spent $4.7 million in Louisiana on a total of five films.
• Those five films had a total economic impact of $19 million in
Louisiana.
• The five films created $3.2 million in new income for Acadiana residents.
• For every dollar that Active Entertainment directly spends, an extra $0.33 is generated and put back into Acadiana.
• A total of 78 jobs were created by those projects.
Locally owned & operated by the St. Upery family 912 S Lewis Street • New Iberia • 367-8287 Open Monday thru Thursday, 8:30am - 5:30 Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
Creative Cues
How Dana Manly Receives Her Artistic Inspiration
by Patrice Doucet | photography by Sarah Soprano
“The art comes through me,” says Lafayette artist Dana Manly. Her work and her approaches to creativity have become a lifestyle, she explains. “The further away from the canvas you are, the more likely it is for this ‘creative being’ to come through you. I actually back away from the canvas and I become a conduit. I know this all sounds corny, but it works for me.”
In the 17 years of honing her craft, one of the most valuable lessons Manly learned – and there have been many – is that you can’t bring reason into creativity, especially when it’s central to your career.
The New Orleans native arrived in Lafayette in 1993 to study fine arts. That is, until the day her mother asked, “What are you going to do with that?” Practicality won out, and she went on to LSU to earn a master’s degree in kinesiology, and later returned to University of Louisiana at Lafayette to earn another master’s in counseling.
But art reawakened in her during her early 30s, and Manly painted parttime during her stints as a licensed professional counselor and exercise physiologist. When she decided to fully commit to painting eight years ago, it was “blind faith” when she built a 600-foot studio behind her home. “It was about showing up…daily…in a studio, and I wanted the space to be my business,” she recalls.
Spirituality of Work
Since 2004 her acrylic paintings and other art forms have displayed the profound appreciation she has for her gift – a gift she does not take for granted. They depict New Orleans, religion, love, friendship and hope. “If there’s no depth to a subject, I’m not interested, and there’s always a spiritual nature in much of what I do,” adds Manly.
Her spirituality is most evident in her mixed media art, with its gilded gold religious figures, candleholders, crosses on shadow boxes. One of her newest collections “Crown of Protection” utilizes different textures, fabric, wire, paper and selenite in the making of the majestic gold crowns. Centered at the bottom of each is a small medallion of the Immaculate Conception, or one of several favored saints: Michael, Benedict, Patrick…the list grows as clients make special requests. “The crowns are about love and adorning something that is protective and powerful,” the artist explains. “I incorporate selenite because it’s said to have a spiritual quality that cleanses negative energy and opens up divinity, like angels.”
Her “Madonna and Child” lamps bring new meaning to “statement pieces” – as do her accent tables, her latest projects. The wrought-iron, 16x16x24 tables are topped with wood that has been accented in gold or silver and adorned with crosses, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or simple landscapes, and finished with many coats of varnish.
Manly best expresses her love for the energy of things in her mixed media work. In an earlier series of jazz musicians, she uses acrylics, gels, paper, fabric and resins to make instruments extend off the canvas. Butterflies take flight in a most recent collection by the same name. “The butterflies symbolize a metamorphosis, and the chrysalis represents a bursting out,” she says. “The idea came about when a good friend and I carried this chrysalis in a jar on a day we knew a butterfly was scheduled to come out. When it did, I called her Frida. I like Frida Kahlo; the color and pain of her story inspires me.”
Sketches of Inspiration
One of her most important tools is a sketch journal; she keeps three (made by a friend) and everything in them is eventually created. “There’s something very sacred about taking an idea that’s just looking for someone and grounding it into a space, waiting for me to make it,” she says.
Talking about what inspires her, Manly explains how her subjects choose her. “Things ask me to create or paint them,” she says. “I used to wake up
Manly works on one of her paintings from her studio.
Throw Me Something Mister!
Mardi Gras Shirts • Jewelry Masks • Hand Towels Home Decor Serving Platters
337.828.9655
Continued from page 55
in the middle of the night, and things ‘dropped in’ asking me to paint them. And I put them in my journal. If I see a scene and get a feeling, that might inspire me – like when I was in Ireland and saw a lady in a red dress playing with her children. I’m not moved to paint nature as much, but it gives me the space and quietness for inspiration to come through.”
Physiology & Emotion
Her expertise in kinesiology has given Manly an edge on the understanding of the human form and movement, knowing where a certain muscle is located, and giving depth to the skin. “Art is hard work,” she exclaims. “And the hardest is combining the intellectual with the physical, and knowing how to shadow and where to place that stroke – especially as I’m moving around a big canvas.”
As a portrait artist, Manly has the gift of capturing the soul and spirit of her subject, including brides and grooms, with a modern-day twist. “The first thing I tell my clients who want portraits is that I do abstract portraiture. While the most important thing is to get what the client envisions
A few examples of Manly’s work shows the range and energy in the artist’s creations.
on canvas, I want to give life to it. When I look at the person, I read emotion more than their personality,” she says with an honest calm about her.
Creative Process
A huge fan of the teachings of awardwinning author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), Manly speaks about the creative genius in all of us and shares how she’s developed her own over the years. “I had anxiety for years, not knowing what to do next. I was in a lot of space with no direction. But then I began to believe that I am an artist and I showed up… and showed up… and began to love looking at the work I did and passing it on. My grandmother used to say, ‘Never stop creating,’ and to this day, I feel like she knew something I didn’t.”
She describes her creative process in three words: pray, exercise and work. “I wake up around 6:30 and I pray or meditate before I begin,” she explains. “It’s a reminder that this gift is coming from another place – not me. Then I light my candles, exercise and get to work. I’ll get in the studio around 9:30 and finish around 5:00, all the while working on different projects – like moving from one station to another.” Among those stations, currently, is a painting of Kate Morgan, the resident ghost of Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
Outside of Acadiana, her work is currently showing in Covington, Mandeville, Metairie, New Orleans, Alexandria and San Diego. She’s come a long way from earlier notoriety of designing the 2014 Festival International poster. Many will remember her commemorative martini glass for Healing House’s 2017 Martini Event. For eight years, she has been the official artist for the St. Jude Acadiana Dream Home. And her portfolio includes a book and CD cover.
Reflecting on the growth of her business in the last two years and looking around her studio, Manly says, “There’s always a next piece to create. I know what I’m here to do and I hope that never changes.” n
Should inflation affect your investment moves?
As you know, inflation heated up in 2021, following years of pretty stable – and low – numbers. And now, early in 2022, we’re still seeing elevated prices. As a consumer, you may need to adjust your activities somewhat, but as an investor, how should you respond to inflation?
First, it helps to know the causes of this recent inflationary spike. Essentially, it’s a case of basic economics – strong demand for goods meeting inadequate supply, caused by material and labor shortages, along with shipping and delivery logjams. In other words, too many dollars chasing too few goods. Once the supply chain issues begin to ease and consumer spending moves from goods to services as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, it’s likely that inflation will moderate, but it may still stay above prepandemic levels throughout 2022.
Given this outlook, you may want to review your investment portfolio. First, consider stocks. Generally speaking, stocks can do well in inflationary periods because companies’ revenues and earnings may increase along with inflation. But some sectors of the stock market typically do better than others during inflationary times. Companies that can pass along higher costs to consumers due to strong demand for their goods – such as firms that produce building materials or supply steel or other commodities to other businesses – can do well. Conversely, companies that sell nonessential goods and services, such as appliances, athletic apparel and entertainment, may struggle more when prices are rising.
Of course, it’s still a good idea to own a variety of stocks from various industries because it can help reduce the impact of market volatility on any one sector. And to help counteract the effects of rising prices, you might also consider investing in companies that have a long track record of paying and raising stock dividends. (Keep in mind, though, that these companies are not obligated to pay dividends and can reduce or discontinue them at any time.)
Apart from stocks, how can inflation affect other types of investments? Think about bonds. When you invest in a bond, you receive regular interest payments until the bond matures. But these payments stay the same, so, over time, rising inflation can eat into your bond’s future income, which may also cause the price of your bond to drop – a concern if you decide to sell the bond before it matures. The impact of inflation is especially sharp on the price of longer-term bonds because of the cumulative loss of purchasing power.
However, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) can provide some protection against inflation. The face value, or principal amount, of each TIPS is $1,000, but this principal is adjusted based on changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index. So, during periods of inflation, your principal will increase, also increasing your interest payments. When inflation drops, though, your principal and interest payments will decrease, but you’ll never receive less than the original principal value when the TIPS mature. Talk to your financial advisor to determine if TIPS may be appropriate for you.
Ultimately, inflation may indeed be something to consider when managing your investments. But other factors – especially your risk tolerance, time horizon and long-term goals – should still be the driving force behind your investment decisions. A solid investment strategy can serve you well, regardless of whether prices move up or down.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC
Robert Burke, AAMS®
Financial Advisor
Adam Chauvin
Financial Advisor
