MEMPHIS FILMS – BOTH CLASSIC AND NEW INDIES – TO SCREEN IN ITALY!
Memphis partnering as Sister Cities with Porretta Terme in northern Italy is - according to Memphis/Shelby County Film Commissioner Linn Sitler- “a dream come true!”
The latest victory to come from the collaboration is the appearance of “Memphis Day” in the line-up of The Porretta Film Festival (Festival del Cinema di Porretta) December 6-13, 2025. Both Craig Brewer’s 20-year-old groundbreaking feature, Hustle & Flow and Teresa Dickerson’s Hoop Street will be screened in one of the most interesting double-features European audiences have ever seen!
Collaborating with The Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission, The Porretta Film Festival created The Film Exchange in which films made in the region of Emilia-Romagna and films made in Shelby County would be exchanged and shown to local audiences.
This year, The Film Exchange offered a feature competition in which the winner would receive a trip to The Porretta Film Festival and the opportunity to screen their film. The Porretta Film Festival and Brewer are sponsoring the trip.
A jury of film professors, a producer – even an author of books on cinema – selected Hoop Street from four other features by Shelby County filmmakers. According to Luca Elmi, President, The Porretta Film Festival, "In one year, The Film Exchange has grown from our screening only short films from Memphis in 2024 to screening a feature-length film at our 2025 Festival. We are very excited to show off films from our Sister City to our international audience of film lovers.”
According to Brewer, “I’m honored on the 20th Anniversary of Hustle & Flow to know that it will be shown at Memphis’ Sister City’s prestigious film festival-Festival del Cinema di Porretta Terme. What an opportunity to showcase side-by-side my early example of Memphis independent film and an example of local independent film today, Hoop Street!”
Directed by well-known Memphis filmmaker, Princeton James, Hoop Street is a co-production of Dickerson’s company, Isaiah 54 Films, Princeton James Productions, and Gravity Productions.
A small Memphis Delegation will accompany Dickerson and James when she leaves for Porretta Terme in December. The Festival, taking place December 6-13, announced today that “Memphis Day” will occur the closing day of the Festival – December 13th. What a double feature!
The Memphis-Porretta Film Exchange
The 2024 Porretta Film Festival, Festival del Cinema di Porretta Terme, recently screened at their December Festival five short films and one music video -- all by Memphis directors and all shot in Memphis. Independent judges from the University of Memphis and LeMoyne-Owen College selected the six films for screening.
See the video below to meet the directors!
Commission Board Chairman Gale Jones Carson and Vice-Chairman Alicia George found the Porretta audiences to be very receptive and very curious about filmmaking in Memphis. A meeting with the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission's Emma Barboni concluded the visit.
What's ahead? Plans are for Porretta to come to Memphis for a screening of the six Memphis films, along with films which screened in competition at the Porretta Film Festival. Stay tuned!