Postal Parasites premiere event brings together locals, talent, good spirits for good cause

NATCHEZ — Around 50 people attended and mingled with talented actors, musicians and filmmakers at the premiere of Natchez Film Co.’s Postal Parasites short film on Friday night at the Natchez Civic Center.

Producer Davis Sharp and a team of people locally and nationally came together to produce the award-winning seven-minute short film that placed third overall in the 48 Hour Film Project New Orleans competition.

As the name implies, they created the film start to finish in under 48 hours with an assigned prop, character and line of dialogue given during the kick-off event on Friday, June 7, in New Orleans. The rest of the work, including filming, was done in Natchez with a team assembled and already stationed here to receive instruction over the phone.

48 Hour Film Project: New Orleans city producer and host of the Friday premiere Bill Rainey said the competition has existed since 2001, beginning in Washington, D.C., and has branched out to 120 cities all over the world.

The audience enjoyed hot sausage, boudin, jambalaya and nachos from Natchez Heritage School of Cooking with complimentary drinks and musical covers from Twurt Chamberlain while they waited for the premiere organizers to perfect the audio from the sound system.

The applause that followed the showing of Postal Parasites and two of its competing films, which placed in the New Orleans competition, made it well worth the wait.

They saw familiar places, including Smoot’s Grocery and Madison Street, appear on screen in a gripping tale of two struggling filmmakers who steal packages to raise money to make their movie. When one of them begins to question the morality of their actions, things take a horrible turn.

A portion of Friday night’s event proceeds also supported a good cause. Special guest Donna Presley, Elvis Presley’s first cousin, and Mississippi Music Foundation president and chairman Peter Whitham came to support the foundation.

Each time a film is produced in Natchez, it supports small businesses and the local economy through job creation and a surge of dollars when cast and crew members come for months from all around to stay in local venues, eat, and shop locally, said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson.

Gibson acknowledged the work of former mayor Tony Byrne and A duo of filmmakers in Church Hill, Tate Taylor and John Norris, for their work and bringing films to Natchez to be filmed here.

Taylor and Norris “have brought a culture here,” Gibson said. “What we’re seeing now with the millions of dollars they’ve invested into our local economy along with a new movie studio out on Liberty Road — where Kelly’s Kids used to be is an 80,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility — they are doing so much. I love their philosophy of pouring into the local community to cultivate local talent. Davis (Sharp) is one of those products.”

In addition to placing third overall, Postal Parasites brought home eight first-place awards in various categories, including Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Set Design, Best Make-Up, Best Writing, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Use of Character and Best Musical Score.

The post Postal Parasites premiere event brings together locals, talent, good spirits for good cause appeared first on Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper .