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ICC schedules private screening of "Mississippi Scholar;" tickets available

Itawamba Community College has scheduled a private screening of “Mississippi Scholar,” June 13 at 7 p.m. at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center on the Fulton Campus.

           “Mississippi Scholar, which recently won Best Feature Film at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, was inspired by director PJ Leonard’s interaction with a young man from New Jersey and one of my former film students,” according to Morgan Cutturini, ICC Films sponsor and communications instructor. “It focuses on the impediments one underprivileged intellectual must overcome to realize his dreams of the future.”

            “Mississippi Scholar,” a PJ Leonard production and a Marcus Bleecker film, stars Shannon Brown, Sonny Marinelli, Gisla Stringer and Obba Babatundé.

            Many of the stars, producer and director of the film plan to attend, and there will be a red-carpet photo opportunity as patrons leave the film screening, Cutturini said.

            ICC Films contributed to the project by having many current and former members work as cast and crew, said Cutturini, who served as producer along with Tupelo businessman Robert Hall.

            The crew includes production designer Telexus Miller and production assistant Spencer Griffie, both of Amory; set decorator Baileigh McGillivray of Mooreville; digital imaging technician and drone cinematographer Justin Gary of New Albany; production designer Makel Gandy and production assistant Matthew Hearn, both of Okolona; production assistant Kent Humphries of Red Bay, Ala. and production assistant Athen Walton of Tupelo. Members of the cast in addition to Miller (Lexie) are Kelan Traylor of Amory (corrections officer), Morgan Miller (high school student) and Laura Leigh Johnson (Ole Miss student), both of Fulton; Dayton Shegog of Olive Branch (Damon); Madeline Mulkey (Ole Miss student) of Oxford; and Tra Osborne of Tupelo (Link). The cast also included ICC faculty members, including Keith Morris of Tupelo (Tom) and Jay Humphries of Red Bay, Ala. (restaurant patron).

            “ICC Films enables these students to be introduced to careers they never fathomed that would be able to achieve,” said producer PJ Leonard, who is an ICC alumnus. “Men like Caleb Hall (former ICC student from Pontotoc) found a career and works on industrial projects with true professionals on movies. For instance, when we decide to film our next project that is in development, we would invite these individuals to come with us to work on crew and join the cast, not because they are ICC past or present students but because they are talented. Telexus Miller, Dayton Shegog, Tra Osborne are amazing on screen, and I have worked with Tony, Emmy and Oscar nominees and winners.”

            Mississippi State Senator Chad McMahan and his wife, Nickey, were among area residents with speaking roles in the film, Leonard said. Others involved include Baldwyn entrepreneur Clark Richey, actor Amye Gousset of Tupelo and craft services director Daphne Taylor of Guntown. Football star Marcus Dupree of Philadelphia served as a producer and cast member.

            Cutturini said that filming locations included the ICC Fulton Campus, Itawamba County jail and both residences in and downtown Baldwyn. Cutturini expressed appreciation to numerous individuals for their assistance, including Baldwyn Mayor Rosalynn Clark and ICC President Dr. Jay Allen.

            Tickets, which are $15 each, are available at mississippischolar.ticketleap.com/icc.

 

 

 



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