The Media Co-op was born when Morgan Fox had trouble withgetting financial aid for film school in Vermont, but had a visionof a movie he wanted to make.
He decided to come back to Memphis and spend the money he wouldhave spent on school on film equipment.
When the basement of the First Congregational Church in midtownhad space with a theater, and Fox learned of funding fornonprofits, the Media Co-op was born -- a year and a half ago.
Within that short time the organization has grown into arecognizable art force and is poised to grow even more. The co-opoffers weekly seminars and workshops on digital filmmaking, offersthe use of digital equipment, and shows a lot of local films thatwould otherwise have few venue options.
According to Fox, the Co-op is existing and continuing as anindependent organization that has stayed together.
The organization's independence is important, Fox said, becauseit allows equal and free access to the art of film withoutlimitations.
"I think it is important because film is one of the last majorarts to be democratized," Fox said.
While Fox said the co-op's progress has seemed amazing to them,its concept is gaining attention as the first of its kind.
"There's apparently no place like us in the country and this iscoming from people who have been to the film festival in Cannes,"Fox said.
According to Fox, The Poor and the Hungry by Craig Brewer was a"big encouragement" to the members of the Co-op, showing anyone canwork their way into the film industry.
Fox said he has completed two feature length films and 20 shortfilms all in the time he would have spent in school. His films, aswell as numerous other local films, have been shown weekly and attheir annual film festival.
The co-op's second annual film festival was held Sept. 3-7.
Volunteer coordinator Mary Burns said while the previous year'sfestival date, in late August, was a better time of year for thefestival, the turnout for this year's festival was still verygood.
"We formed a lot of new relationships with the community andthis year we had a grant from the Memphis Arts Commission and theMemphis Arts Council," Burns said.
Burns said the question and answer with the filmmakers had agreat turnout, and that there were several film shorts that allowedpeople to see a variety of local work.
She especially enjoyed Sou Po, submitted by the Memphis Collegeof Art and the documentary Town Meeting by Bond Sandoe.
"Town Meeting was about a camera crew going into Vermont to filmthe process of a town meeting, but they themselves are part of thedocumentary, and I thought that was very interesting.
Memphian Carole Manning, an independent local filmmaker andwebsite designer, participated in one of the festival's workshopsled by Rob Nilsson, a San Francisco-based director.
"I saw his name listed and his credentials, and I knew it wouldbe something," Manning said.
Nilsson was the first American to have won both the CannesCamera d'Or and the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.Nilsson has done the workshop he presented in Memphis all over theworld.
According to Manning, the all-day event was based on Nilsson'sdirecting style called "Direct Action Cinema," which he saidoriginated from spending time with the homeless of San Franciscoand developing them as actors.
The group did yoga exercises to relax, exercises to become moreconnected to the others in the group and then did someimprovisational skits in small groups.
After just one rehearsal, the cameraman shot the entire shortfilm in one continuous shot, which the group was able to viewafterwards.
"It was incredibly good," Manning said.
According to Manning, Nilsson taught that what makes a film goodis the personal commitment the actors have to the film andimprovising through the character's feelings.
"You learned a lot about yourself," Manning said.
"You also really get attached to the people in your group. Ireally like what they are doing over there, and I feel a reallystrong sense of community," Manning said.
