Film Fest at the Crossroads
presented by
The Beverly Shores Depot Museum & Art Gallery
Produced by Bonnie Hawksworth
Thursday, August 10, 2023 • 6pm CST
Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Ave, Valparaiso IN 46383
General Admission $25
Ticket information: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=180869
Featuring films about Northwest Indiana along with a lively discussion with the filmmakers and local experts.
Depot Board President Suzy Vance is “thrilled to showcase these films bringing to life the rich and dynamic fabric of our region, along with the knowledge and talent of the filmmakers and local experts. We hope that this collaboration with Memorial Opera House will be the first of many.”
“It is gratifying to connect communities and nonprofits to spread the artistic wealth of our region and benefit overall quality of life,” said Bonnie Hawksworth, Executive Producer.
Walkable USA: Sneak Peek
Special Short Preview
- 16 mins
- Directed by Tom Desch
Walkable USA chronicles the efforts of city planner Jeff Speck as he works to help Hammond, Indiana revitalize its downtown. Central to Speck’s design philosophy is the power of people walking. His work aims to shift the design and scale of cities from the car to the individual. This short preview will ultimately be presented as an hour-long feature film.
Tom Desch has been Producing and Directing documentaries about Northwest Indiana for years.
Calumet: The Region’s River
- 15 mins
- Directed by Sam Love & Raymar Brunson
Calumet: The Region’s River is a video journey into the industrialized heart of the Calumet watershed in Indiana, along the branches, canals, and wetlands of the Calumet River system. Gary artists Samuel Love and Raymar Brunson travel along the Calumet, exploring how the very heart of the watershed was turned into a barrier between classes and races – and the consequences for communities near the river today. Along the way they also introduce the people working to address the legacy of pollution and environmental racism, building connections to communities separated by the river, and increasing public access to the water.
Samuel Love is the editor of The Gary Anthology (Belt, 2020). Raymar Brunson has documented the impact of coal pollution for the Sierra Club’s Indiana Beyond Coal campaign.
The Erosion Project
- 40 mins
- Directed by Jonathan Jackson
In 2020 the water level of Lake Michigan was at an all time high. The residents of Beverly Shores, Indiana, a small south shore community were hit hard after years of erosion and the encroaching lake collapsed part of a lakefront road threatening homes. Faced with an environmental emergency on their doorstep this Verite documentary picks up as the residents begin a permanent “construction project” to solidify the compromised lakefront and protect the road. In the midst of The Erosion Project, one of the oldest residents of Beverly Shores, Carol Ruzic, reveals “this is nothing new...this has been going on forever.” At 21 years old she moved to Beverly Shores in 1951. She has been photographing the destructive effects of Lake Michigan on the town ever since.
About The Depot
The Beverly Shores Depot is a museum and art gallery located in Beverly Shores, Indiana. When the town saved it in 1988, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it offers exhibits and programs enriching the lives of people in northwest Indiana. Visit The Depot website at www.bsdepot.org for information about events and hours, to view online exhibits and interviews, and peruse The Depot's gift shop.
About Bonnie Hawksworth
For more than twenty years, Bonnie Hawksworth has been helping nonprofits exceed their most ambitious goals including brand building, communications strategy, content creation, donor and board cultivation, partnership development, fundraising, grant-writing, event and video production, project management and strategic planning. Visit www.bonniehawksworth.com for more information