newportFILM to Screen "Keep on Keepin' On"

All summer, newportFILM has been screening films that appeal to music lovers of all stripes.

If you’ve missed them, don’t miss the next one on Thursday.

Their screening outside of Keep on Keepin’ On will be the last music documentary of newportFILM’s summer film series (but not the last event) and the riveting story of a 23-year-old jazz prodigy’s relationship with jazz legend Clark Terry will leave a lasting impression.

First-time director/drummer from Australia, Alan Hicks, convinced his surfing mate and cinematographer, Adam Hart, to travel to the U.S. to follow and film 89-year-old jazz legend, Clark Terry (Quincy Jones’s first teacher) over four years - to document an unlikely mentorship between Terry and a driven, blind piano prodigy, Justin Kauflin, 23.

Clark, now 93, mentored Miles Davis as a young musician and is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands. In KeepOn Keepin’ On, as Justin is invited to compete in an elite, international competition while battling terrible stage fright, Clark’s health takes a critical turn for the worse.

Over the course of filming, Clark loses his sight, which deepens his bond with Justin. As clocks tick, we witness to two great friends tackling the toughest challenges of their interwoven lives. The film, from the producer of The Cove and Chasing Ice, captures the passing of the torch from a cultural icon to potentially his last student, inspiring viewers in climactic, cinematic fashion.

The screening is Thursday, July 31 at the Marble House, 596 Bellevue Ave.

newportFILM Outdoors is presented by Kirby Perkins Construction in partnership with Newport BridgeFest and the Preservation Society of Newport County.

The film begins at sunset (about 8:15 p.m.)

Tallulah on Thames taco cart and Le Petit Gourmet will be on hand offering food.

Picnics are welcome, too.

A suggested donation of $5 would be appreciated.

You can watch the trailer and RSVP at http://www.newportfilm.com/film-events/films/keep-keepin