An award-winning blues film with St. Louis roots is scheduled for a long-awaited local premiere. "M For Mississippi" will screen at Off Broadway on July 30.

Since its release nearly two years ago, the film "M For Mississippi" has earned numerous awards and accolades and has screened in cities across the globe. Yet despite deep local roots, the film has never screened publicly in St. Louis. That will all change on Friday, July 30, when the film receives its St. Louis premiere at the music club Off Broadway on Lemp Avenue in the city’s historic Cherokee Lemp District.

Filmed in the spring of 2008 and released that fall, "M for Mississippi" has been described as “part blues documentary, part buddy flick.” It follows two blues music producers – Jeff Konkel and Roger Stolle – on a weeklong road trip across Mississippi as they visit some of that state’s most interesting and outrageous blues musicians.

Konkel and Stolle – who were also among the film’s co-producers and co-directors – have strong ties to St. Louis. Konkel, who owns the locally based music label Broke and Hungry Records, has lived in St. Louis for most of his life. Stolle, who currently calls Memphis home, lived in St. Louis for more than eight years in the 1990s and early 2000s before moving to Mississippi to start Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, a renowned music store and record label.

“We’ve been so fortunate to take this movie around the world and screen it to audiences in Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and across the United States,” Konkel said. “But it brings us special pleasure to be able to show it here at home.”

The film, which is a joint production of Broke & Hungry Records, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and Mudpuppy Recordings, has won a number of prestigious awards including a 2009 Blues Music Award for DVD of the Year; two Living Blues Awards; “Best New Roots Culture Film” at the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival; and “Made In Mississippi Award” at the Tupelo Film Festival.

“The response the film has received from audiences around the world has been tremendous,” Stolle said. “I lived in St. Louis long enough to recognize this city’s deep love for great blues music and the musicians who perform it, so I’m confident that local audiences will enjoy watching the lively cast of characters we profile in this film."

The Off Broadway screening begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 30 and will be followed by a live performance by Terry “Harmonica” Bean, one of the Mississippi-based artists profiled in the film. Both Konkel and Stolle will be on hand to introduce the film, along with their co-producer Kari Jones, owner of Mudpuppy Recordings.

Tickets are $10 and available through Off Broadway.

Location
Off Broadway
3509 Lemp Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63118
314-773-3363