Film Tour Coming to Mobile

In an extremely well played effort, the Mobile Arts Council and the Mobile Public Library have partnered to bring the 2009-2010 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers to Mobtown.

As a matter of fact, this is actually the third year that the Council/Library alliance has brought the Circuit here.

There are six separate screenings of six separate movies scheduled, ranging from Sept. 20 to April 11.

Every screening will take place at 2 p.m. in Bernheim Hall on Sundays.

I will cover each movie as they come to Mobile, starting now with the first film in the circuit, "Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records."

This film chronicles the rise of Los Angeles punk legends Youth Brigade and the subsequent founding by them of the indie punk label BYO Records.

Director Jeff Alulis (former lead singer of Dead Kennedys) set out to chronicle a time in punk rock when things by and large were shifting to be much more political, and Los Angeles punk/hardcore could have just as easily faded away as burned brighter than ever.

I am walking a delicate line with this article because I do not want to tell you, oh faithful reader, too much and thus risk you not bothering to see what is looking like an awesome documentary.

In what seems like another life however, I remember a punk scene in the Azalea City that was blossoming and then all but faded away. The film is particularly interesting to me because of those parallels.

There are interviews with Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat; Fat Mike of NOFX, Me First and The Gimme Gimme's; Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and Heavens; Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds, and many more.

Then add in music from bands that have put out albums and splits with BYO over the years including 7 Seconds, Bouncing Souls, The Unseen, NOFX, Alkaline Trio, Anti-Flag, and Rancid, to name a handful, and you have got yourself a pretty entertaining film for anyone who has ever listened to punk rock, and even those who have not.

"Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records" will be playing Sept. 20 and is free, although you can send a $25 donation and get a household membership, which entails private screenings.

If you are interested in a household membership you can send a check payable to Mobile Arts Council to 318 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 36002 or phone 251-432-9796 with your credit card number.

So Mobilians, let's go out and show a little love for independent filmmakers, eh?