Podtalk: Lonnie Edwards on ‘Now That We Have Your Attention,’ in Chicago on July 21, 2018

Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 20, 2018 - 8:52am

CHICAGO – Filmmaker and Artist Lonnie Edwards keeps evolving upward with his career, but also keeps honoring his Chicago roots and his fellow artists. Edwards, and director Layne Marie Williams of “Women of the Now,” have co-curated a special night of short films under the title umbrella “Now That We Have Your Attention.” The program will take place on July 21st, 2018 (7:30pm), at the new Chicago Filmmakers center. For details, the line-up of films and tickets, click here.

The “attention” in the title refers to the slate of films, which are all directed by African Americans and women, two groups still struggling within the movie business, but also evolving upward. The shorts line-up includes “An Atramentous Mind,” which was co-directed by Lonnie Edwards and Layne Marie Williams and “Runner,” directed by Chicagoan Clare Clooney (who was profiled by HollywoodChicago.com here). 

’An Atramentous Mind’ Will Be Part of the Program of ‘Now We Have Your Attention’
Photo credit: Lonnie Edwards/Layne Marie Williams

Lonnie Edwards grew up in Chicago, and was an installation artist before he turned to filmmaking with his award-winning short film debut “Parietal Guidance.” From there, he has created the shorts “A Ferguson Story,” “Exodus: Sounds of the Great Migration” and “Who is Jon Savege?” (also being shown at the event), a chronicle of his whirlwind times as a hot new director. The co-curator of “Now That We Have Your Attention” is Layne Marie Williams, a filmmaker from Alabama whose award winning short film debut was “Dollface.” She is the founder of the female film group “Women of the Now,” and is currently in production for her new short, “SCUTLY.”

In the following Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Lonnie Edwards talks about the program for “Now That We Have Your Attention” and the voices of women and African American in films, in addition to how themes in “An Atramentous Mind” keeps resonating in American society.

The short film program “Now That We Have Your Attention” will take place at 7:30pm on Saturday, July 21st, 2018, at Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 North Avenue, Chicago. For more information about screenings, classes and programs at Chicago Filmmakers, click here.