Unscripted: An Indie Film Experience, is returning to the Daviess County Public Library in March. The DCPL’s long-running regional independent film series created by local filmmaker P.J. Starks, showcases the work of directors in the region.
Each night, one or two short films or features are shown and then the creators conduct a question and answer session. The short films are screened twice; with the second viewing, the filmmakers perform a live commentary.
Wesley Johnson, library associate at the DCPL, said part of the library’s mission is to provide residents the means to pursue lifelong learning.
“Unscripted fits into that as it gives local creatives working in film the chance to see what others are doing and meet potential collaborators,” he said. “I’ve seen patrons interested in film show up for these and ultimately working on a movie themselves. That, to me, is incredibly important.”
Starks created the concept for Unscripted and brought it to the former DCPL director, Jim Blanton. Blanton, a movie buff, recognized Unscripted as a unique idea that was totally in line with the library’s mission statement.
Johnson said the staff at the library met with Starks after our first year to discuss what he could add to the event.
“It was Jim who proposed that we add a film school component and bring together experienced filmmakers and those interested in trying their hand at it together to make short films in the library after hours,” Johnson said. “The tri-state film scene is actually quite large and active and is primarily what I focus on when lining up films for Unscripted.”
DCPL regularly shows people from Louisville, Evansville, and Owensboro in each series.
“These events are great networking events for filmmakers and also provide a chance for those wishing to break into that to meet people,” Johnson said. “This, to me, is also good for our local community. I’ll pair the out-of-state folks with a regional person so there’s networking potential for them.”
The first night of Unscripted is 6 p.m. March 2 in the public lounge on the second floor of the DCPL.