TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A documentary directed by Max Shores, a producer-director in The University of Alabama Center for Public Television and Radio and adjunct instructor in the department of telecommunication and film, received awards from two international competitions.
“Songs Inside the Box,” a documentary about cigar box guitar enthusiasts, was awarded the Television Feature Documentary Award of Merit from the Accolade Competition in San Jose, Calif., and Honorable Mention for Music Documentary from the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival in Philadelphia.
The Accolade Competition is judged by professionals in the film and television industry and recognizes productions that demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity selected from thousands of entries received from around the world.
One of the largest film festivals in the eastern United States, the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival screened more than 250 films at nine venues. The only east coast film market, a gathering of filmmakers and film buyers, was conducted in conjunction with the festival.
“Songs Inside the Box” documents hobbyists and professional musicians who build and play cigar box guitars and are brought together through the Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza, an annual event held in Huntsville. Produced by students and professional staff working together, it was broadcast on Alabama Public Television in April 2009 and will be distributed to PBS stations nationwide in 2010.
The documentary has been screened at several film festivals over the past few months. The On Location Memphis Film Festival and the SouthSide Film Festival of Bethlehem, Penn. both scheduled performances by cigar box guitar musicians in conjunction with screenings of the documentary.
While not a mainstream activity, making and playing cigar box guitars is a popular hobby worldwide. There are more than 3,000 hobbyists who share building tips through Internet forums. Many of them say that building and playing the unusual instruments gives them a freedom of expression that they could not find elsewhere.
The Center for Public Television and Radio is a service department of the UA College of Communication and Information Sciences. It has been producing programming for broadcast on Alabama Public Television since 1955. Students gain valuable experience by working alongside staff professionals on a variety of projects. For more information about the documentary, visit www.songsinsidethebox.com.
Contact
Deidre Stalnaker, UA Media Relations, 205/348-6416, dstalnaker@ur.ua.edu
Source
Source: Max Shores, UA Center for Public Television and Radio, 205/348-8626, max@ua.edu