Winder to Host Tour of Independent Filmmakers

The city of Winder’s Downtown Development Authority discussed a unique sponsorship opportunity during its meeting Tuesday, June 22.

City Cultural Arts and Main Street Director Don Waldsmith requested financial sponsorship for the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, which will put a national spotlight on the city of Winder.

The National Endowment for the Arts will provide most of the funding for the event, yet Waldsmith needs a total of $5,000 for advertising and funding for the films. He has already raised $1,600 through the sponsorship of local businesses, including Georgia Power and the Winder-Barrow Community Theatre.

“This is something very big,” Waldsmith said.

The Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers travels eight states and showcases six films made by southern filmmakers concerning issues that directly affect the south.

In the past, the tour was hosted at large venues, including university theaters. Waldsmith said the selection of the city of Winder is part of an ongoing effort to expose the average resident to independent filmmaking. Other host sites for the tour in Georgia include Clayton, Gainesville and Savannah.

The moderator for the event will be former Auburn University film studies professor Christopher Giles. Giles is also assisting with organization of the event.

The films will be shown at the in downtown on Sunday afternoons running from September through April. Tickets will be sold to the public with proceeds going toward the cultural arts center.

The downtown development authority agreed to tag the topic for discussion at its next meeting.