Today we’d like to introduce you to Augusta Palmer
Hi Augusta, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I studied theater and filmmaking at Rhodes College and Sarah Lawrence College in the late 1980 and early 1990s, but I was also always drawing and painting, and those pursuits continue to inform me. I earned a PH.D. in Cinema Studies (film history and criticism) from NYU in 2004. My dissertation was about the evolution of Chinese-language cinemas over the decade of the 1990s, and the work of Chinese filmmakers like Zhang Yuan, Wong Kar-Wai, Fruit Chan, and Edward Yang inspired me to return to filmmaking in the oughts. Memphis music and the Memphis arts scene of the 1960s inspired me to create my recent documentary, The Blues Society, which is streaming on Amazon, AppleTV and all the major platforms now. I felt very lucky to interview and/or collaborate with so many Memphians on the project, from writer and filmmaker Jamey Hatley to editor Laura Jean Hocking and writer/film director Robert Gordon. Talking to Memphis legends like original Bar-Kay James Alexander, radio personality and community builder Henry Nelson, and the late gospel/blues player Reverend John Wilkins was truly a privilege. Memphis Country Blues Festival organizers and attendees Jimmy Crosthwait, Chris Wimmer, Tav Falco and Misty Blue Lavender were amazing to interview. I’m hoping to do more Memphis-based projects making use of footage shot in the 1960s by Memphis experimental filmmaker Carl Orr. Premiering The Blues Society at Indie Memphis was a dream come true, and I really hope to bring the film to schools and other venues in Memphis and beyond!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Finding funding, for indie filmmakers, is always a major hurdle, but crowdfunding, support from the college where I teach, and grants have really helped. Balancing family life, being a full time professor and making films requires a lot of juggling, but each of those endeavors has enriched my life so much that it’s worth the occasional feeling of overwhelm.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make fiction and documentary films that examine our most basic (and exalted) human experiences – making and listening to transcendent music, being a parent (and a child), and sustaining a sense of wonder at the world around us and the amazing humans we get to meet. A lot of my films have a collage aesthetic that makes for unexpected pairings drawn from the world of pop culture, high art, history, fiction and film.I also love using animation to tell stories or convey information. A filmmaker friend of mine, Cheryl Furjanic, once said she wanted to see how to “make it weird,” and I love that approach. I like to think about how to make the familiar strange and vice versa. No one wants to see a story they’ve heard a million times. I also try to bring a sense of humor, and a lot of compassion, to everything I do.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Filmmaking and higher education are my main industries, and I see both of them shifting and changing to adapt to the brave new world of heightened sensations and shortened attention spans. It’s challenging, but also exciting to think about how to make media that can be seen on the big screen but also in the palm of your hand. With the vast oceans of content out there, you have to work hard to engage your audience or your students. But it’s still all about the same things I’ve always been interested in: asking questions, staying curious, and being in dialogue with – rather than delivering a monologue to – your audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebluessocietyfilm.com/
- Instagram: @thebluessocietyfilm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebluessocietyfilm
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusta-palmer-aa943814/
- Twitter: @Augustapalmer14
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.blues.society
