Events

Featuring the premiere of a brand-new work for wind quintet by George Lewis, commissioned by the ensemble, the City of Tomorrow sets the audience inside a kaleidoscope of culture and memory. Composer, musicologist, and winner of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, George Lewis is currently the Artistic Director of the International Contemporary Ensemble and has written extensively on American experimental music, race, and the decolonization of contemporary music. His music is presented alongside another masterpiece for the modern quintet, De Memorias by Cuban-American composer Tania León. The City of Tomorrow's specialty is creating immersive experiences, in which audiences are carried from one piece to the next in a transformative musical art installation. 

Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts are honored to continue to showcase films from the most recent edition of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the oldest experimental and avant-garde film festival in North America. Using various techniques, from puppetry to mixing digital and analog film approaches, these films explore shades of the relationships between humanity and the natural world, between humans and each other, and speculate on their meaning and changing possibilities. 

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Dan Wilson spent the majority of his youth within the church community, where his musical path began.

Traces of his major guitar influences – including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass, and George Benson to name a few – can be discerned through his playing, but his musical identity has been shaped by everything from gospel and blues to traditional jazz, hip-hop and horn players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.

Leroy Green (Taimak), a young martial artist living in New York City, trains tirelessly to attain the same level of mastery as the great Bruce Lee. One night, his life changes forever when he rescues television personality Laura Charles (Vanity) from evil businessman Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney). Impressed by Leroy's bravery, Laura falls for Leroy -- but to keep her safe, he will have to defeat a gang leader named Sho'nuff (Julius J. Carry III), the self-styled Shogun of Harlem.

Crosstown Arts presents an Opening Reception for “The Earthworm and the Hawk” by Melissa Dunn in the Galleries at Crosstown Arts.

Crosstown Arts presents an Opening Reception for “What were you meant for?” by Kevin Brooks in the Galleries at Crosstown Arts.

Enter a timeless space of listening as Crown of Eternity's Mike Tamburo and Memphis’ own Sean Murphy weave sonic soundscapes as they navigate through a musical conversation. Together they’ll explore their way through a wide array of 50+ overtone rich instruments including Gongs, Bells, Bowls, Sound Sculptures, Hammered Dulcimer, Didjeridus, Tuba, Flutes, Kalimbas, and more.

Allow yourself to be still and listen as these two musician explorers take you through a journey through the senses and a perceptual rollercoaster.

Attention all Memphis filmmakers, actors, and crew members! As we enter the new year, Indie Memphis wants to hear from you—the members of our Memphis filmmaking community. Please join the Indie Memphis staff for an open discussion about what you would like to see from Indie Memphis and our filmmaking community at large over the next year and beyond. This will also be a great opportunity to chat and network with other filmmakers as we move Shoot & Splice into the relaxing confines of The Green Room at Crosstown Arts.

In Anselm, Wim Wenders creates a portrait of Anselm Kiefer, one of the most innovative and important painters and sculptors of our time. Shot in 3D and 6K-resolution, the film presents a cinematic experience of the artist’s work which explores human existence and the cyclical nature of history, inspired by literature, poetry, philosophy, science, mythology and religion. For over two years, Wenders traced Kiefer’s path from his native Germany to his current home in France, connecting the stages of his life to the essential places of his career that spans more than five decades.

The singular singer and songwriter Leon Timbo is a veteran artist who brings “a unique, rootsy sound that incorporates equal measures of vintage soul, gospel, folk, R&B, funk, dance music, and even modern blues” (All Music Guide) to a style he calls “transparent soul.”

His most recent albums are 2021’s Lovers and Fools Vol. 1and follow-up Lovers and Fools Vol. 2 released last year. These albums represent Timbo’s fully-realized steps into Americana, and showcase a musician whose has found his true voice — a voice full of passion, power, and depth.

First grade can be a scary thing, even without the burden of making history. In October 1961, 13 first graders became some of the smallest pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement when they desegregated the Memphis City Schools. 'The Memphis 13' is their story. This documentary collects the stories of 13 families united by a comment moment in history, but experiences individually; stories of normal children living through an extraordinary moment. A half century later, they are proud of having broken a barrier, but many remain burdened by this difficult experience. The film uncovers a hidden story of the Movement, honors the children who lived it, and raises questions about the role of children in movements for social change. With a special guest panel discussion after the film.