Tour of Independent Filmmakers Returns to Winder on Sunday, Nov. 13

To jumpstart tourism, small towns will often attempt to stake a claim on their version of the “world’s largest”, showcasing everything from a 15-foot fiberglass strawberry to a 40-foot concrete pheasant.  

In the documentary World’s Largest, filmmakers visit more than 50 sites and share a special profile of a small town in Washington highlighting their five-year struggle to build the world’s largest lava lamp. By documenting these roadside attractions, World’s Largest effectively captures the changing — and perhaps vanishing — mystique of small town America.

Thanks to a unique program called Southern Circuit, World’s Largest will be presented in a one-day-only screening in the city of Winder followed by a post-screening discussion with the film’s co-director, Amy Elliott. At 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, the curtain rises on World's Largest in the Colleen O. Williams Theatre of the Winder Cultural Arts Center — just two blocks east of downtown Winder at the corner of East Athens Street and Park Street.

Southern Circuit — the nation’s first regional tour of independent filmmakers — brings the films of some of the independent film industry’s boldest and brightest from around the world to residents of the South. Southern Circuit provides communities with an interactive way of experiencing independent film, allowing them to connect with independent filmmakers and discuss a films’ meanings. Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and local partner organizations. Special support for Southern Circuit was provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Local sponsorship has been generously provided by the , Georgia Power, Community Bank & Trust, Community & Southern Bank, Verity Bank and .

Advance tickets for World’s Largest”can be purchased from for $5. For telephone purchases, call Winder City Hall at 770-867-3106. If available, tickets can also be purchased at the door on the day of the event. Cash and checks only will be accepted. Future Southern Circuit presentations include NY Export: Opus Jazz in February 2012, We Still Live Here in March 2012 and “Sahkanaga” in April 2012.

Have you seen any of the films presented by the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers in Winder? Tell us in comments.

Check back every Thursday for a new City Spotlight on Winder.