Mississippi News INDIANOLA – A number of high school students from the Mississippi Delta have scenes in a new film that will debut at the Sundance Film Festival 2019. Sundance Film Festival, an annual festival in Utah, celebrates the work of storytellers from all over the globe. Eightteen of the 17 young filmmakers who took part in the first Young Filmmakers Workshop, will appear in the film “I Snuck Off the Slave Ship”, which will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, from January 24 to February 3. “In the film, Lonnie Holley, Brittany Nugent and Cyrus Moussavi — who co-created the film — guides us through the Black American experience. The news release stated that his freedom search always seems to be entangled in the same point, the 4th July, the birthdate of the selfreplicating slave ship, “America”. The workshop was free and offered a chance for students to learn how to tell their stories, and how they relate with Fannie Lou Hamer (a Sunflower County native, who is well-known for her activism in civil rights and voting rights). W.K. The Kellogg Foundation funded the workshop. The Kellogg Foundation. The codirector of “I Snuck off The Slave Ship”, Moussavi, then came up with a plan. The film was mostly shot in Atlanta. However, some scenes were filmed by students in the Delta. They were paid for their efforts and their names will be listed in the credits. Sundance Film Festival launched many notable filmmakers’ careers and has been a source of independent films for more than 37 years. American filmmaker Kevin Smith won the highest award at Sundance for his movie “Clerks”, and was then offered a Miramax deal to debut in theaters. Screenwriter and director Steven Soderbergh also received a break at the festival, winning the inaugural Audience Award “Sex, Lies And Videotapes,” which led to a Miramax deal. He has since produced movies such as “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Magic Mike XXL,” and “Gray’s Anatomy.” Lee Daniels, an award-winning director, was also boosted when his 2009 film “Precious,” won the Grand Jury Award and Audience Awards at the festival. He produced “Monster’s Ball” years before, and most recently, he wrote and produced two popular television shows, “Star”, and “Empire,” among others. Ava Duvernay was the first black woman to be awarded the U.S. Directing Award. Directing Award for her film, “Middle of Nowhere,” at Sundance 2012. Duvernay won the Directing Award for her film “Middle of Nowhere” at Sundance 2012. Davila, a freshman at Mississippi Delta Community College was shocked to learn that the film she had worked on a day would be featured at the film festival. “I was at school, in the library, and I received the message. I was reading it, and I was like, “What?” In a telephone conversation with Mississippi Today, she stated that she was serious ?’,”. “I didn’t think it would get that far,” Davila, who was the only female student to work with the Young Filmmakers Workshop, stated that she switched her major from English to Art after she met the Young Filmmakers Workshop. She said that it showed her a creative side she did not know she had. Davila said, “It was difficult for me to keep in the Art field because I had people who doubted my ability to draw and edit video.” “My mom encouraged me to complete the program. I was open to it and had a positive outlook. The first documentary that allowed Hamer to share her story through her voice, in speeches, interviews and songs, is Fannie Lou Hamer’s America. Davenport, Dr. Pablo Correa (the film’s webspinner, videographer) and RJ Fitzpatrick (a videographer from Delta), taught students how they can produce their own films. The production team is planning to host another Young Filmmakers Workshop, subject to funding, after last year’s success. “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America” is part of “a worldwide multimodal project”. It includes a driving tour, interactive website for teachers and students, and a K-12 education curriculum, Find Your Voice. This was done in Sunflower County last year in conjunction with the filmmakers workshop. According to the news release, production is underway on the documentary. A rough cut is expected to be completed in the spring. The Ella Baker Center For Human Rights and the Mississippi Humanities Council provided funding. The Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, Freedom Singer Bill Perlman and broadcast journalist Tavis Smiley contributed to the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA), McDonald’s Restaurants (Retzer Resources of Greenville), and the Phil Hardin Foundation. “I am beyond thrilled that this film will premiere at Sundance. Davenport said that it will be my first time, but I’m sure there will be many. But, even more important, each student who participated in the film can honestly say that this was their first paid gig. Editor’s Note: An earlier version stated that all students were Sunflower County Consolidated Schools District. Many of these students came from other districts in the Mississippi Delta.