This year, I was fortunate enough to take part in the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Not only did I have a short featured in the festival, my band also played before one of the films!
My short film, Stacked Deck, was featured in the Indie Memphis Hometowner block.
Jeff Tate racks up an insurmountable debt at the poker table. Unable to make even a modest payment, he is given one option to walk away: Russian Roulette. 'Luck's a dime a dance girl,' the mob boss tells him. 'Let's see if you can soft shoe your way to ten cents or a bullet.' Jeff places the gun to his head, not knowing the outcome for himself or those around him.
The film was well received, and I even got to go up on stage and answer a few questions about it afterwards. It was a great time, and the entire cast and crew showed up to the premiere!
While the premiere of Stacked Deck was wonderful, the most exciting part of the festival for me was our midnight showing of Brian De Palma's The Phantom of the Paradise. My film production partners, Azbest Studios and Piano Man Pictures, cosponsored the screening and brought star Gerrit Graham to the festival. He did a question and answer session after the screening, signed autographs, and took part in some panels during the weekend. 
My band, The Renault Brothers, performed a few songs before the showing to a packed house. As a special surprise, we performed a number from the film: The Hell of It by Paul Williams. It went over extremely well. In fact, Gerrit Graham said it was one of the best versions he had ever heard. He thanked us before his Q&A and again on Facebook after he returned home. The crowd was fantastic, and it was a real honor to play for one of the stars of the film. That will definitely be a night that I will remember for many, many years to come.
I was also able to see a number of films during the festival including Girl in Woods and a documentary about the singer Orion. That, along with the parties and free booze!, made this year's festival top notch. I can't wait to be apart of it again next year!
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