'Artlightenment' to Bring Film, Art, Fashion and Song to Nashville from Nov. 13-15

     NASHVILLE – "Artlightenment", the annual multi-media art show and film festival that showcases dozens of  visual artists, painters, sculptors and filmmakers is slated to run Nov. 13, 14 and 15 at The Celebrity Centre (Old Fall School Building), 1130 Eighth Ave. S. in Nashville. 

     Created by painter, sculptor and film producer Robyn Morshead in 2009, the three-day event also will feature workshops, live music and a fashion show, making it a vital force in Nashville’s creative community. The theme for this year’s festival is “The Light Side of Art” with a spotlight on the works of underwater photographer and filmmaker Christy Rogers, a visionary artist who uses the refraction of light on her subjects to create beautiful images reminiscent of the paintings of Rubens and Caravaggio. Her work, which is being shown internationally, is currently on display at the Angers Nantes Opera House in Angers, France. "Artlightenment" will be the only opportunity to see her large-format prints in Nashville. She will host a special pre-show seminar, “My Career in Underwater Photography and Film”, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

    This year’s festival will also highlight the works of landmark photographer Raeanne Rubenstein whose photos have graced the pages of numerous publications such as People Magazine and The New York Times. Rubenstein will host a talk, “The Funny Side of Art and Film”, at 7p.m. Thursday.

    Actress Carla Christina Contreras will kick off "Artlightenment’s" film festival at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with her talk, “A Long and Successful Acting Career”. Contrera's recent film works include "Two Eggs" (with Tom Skirret), "Self Offense" (Official Selection in more than eight film festivals), "Static" (11 awards including Best Actress), as well as the feature film, "Summer Snow".  Some of her other works include "Army Wives", "America’s Most Wanted", and a co-starring role in "Following Her Heart", which starred Ann-Margret, George Segal and Brenda Vacarro.

     The festival is proud to feature "The MTSU Paris Project", three films produced by well-known documentary filmmaker Tom Neff and shot by student filmmakers from Middle Tennessee State University's Electronic Media Communications Department.  The films center on the unlikely cross-cultural exchange between Paris, France and Murfreesboro, Tenn., as MTSU student-filmmakers traveled there to make these extraordinary documentaries about contemporary French artists, their work and methodology.

     Three-Day Tickets for "Artlightenment" are $15. Ticketholders have access to all exhibits and workshops, as well as the film festival and closing-night awards and fashion shows. For more information on the "Artlightenment 2014 Art and Film Festival" and to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.artlightenment.com  

Amy Allen Documentary Named Semi-Finalist in 'Artlightenment' Film Competition

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2013) – Country-pop-Americana artist Amy Allen's new documentary video, "Amy Allen's Someday Is Today", has been selected for judging and screening at the "Artlightenment" art and film festival on Nov. 15 (Friday) at Celebrity Centre Nashville (Old Fall School Building), 1130 Eighth Ave. S.

            The video, which is listed as a semi-finalist in the "Film About An Artist" category, tells how a life-changing experience prompted the singer-songwriter and mother to write and sing again. The title track of Allen's new album, "Someday Is Today," has risen to the Top 15 of the STS Main Country Chart and the Top 10 of the STS Indie Country Chart. This is a "dream come true" for Allen, who left the music industry in the 1990s after suffering a mild heart attack. Festival attendees can view Allen's film sometime between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The video can be viewed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DkiCeCz73Y.

            "I'm delighted to see my documentary chosen for the prestigious 'Artlightenment' festival," said Allen, who will perform at "Tunesmithing" near Music Row on Dec. 17. "My goal was to help others believe that no matter the circumstances, anything is possible."

            Allen tells her story with heartfelt interviews; scenes from Nashville and her hometown of El Dorado, Ark.; and performances of her songs, "Putting The Music Back In Me" and "Someday Is Today". The video was directed by Frank Green, shot in Nashville by videographer Sean Green, and co-produced by Tracy Fort and Chuck Whiting. The project includes footage from W.O. Smith Community Music School, the Center for Spiritual Living Nashville, Music Row, and the Pedestrian Bridge crossing the Cumberland River. The artist's supporting cast includes Grammy-nominated The WannaBeatles, Nashville producer Denny Martin, and Nashville stylist Joel Green.

             The singer-songwriter was only 20 years old when she was first "discovered" in an Arkansas honky-tonk by a music industry executive. Her rendition of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" led her to the footsteps of Shoney's on Music Row and eventually a contract with an independent record label. With stars in her eyes, she recorded her first album with some of Nashville's top musicians.

            Then came heartbreak. At age 22, Allen experienced a mild heart attack after going on a strict diet and losing more than 100 pounds. Although the artist was her ideal weight, she was told she must have plastic surgery to keep her contract. She faced a hard decision. She could continue to pursue her dreams under very difficult circumstances or return home to marry and raise a family. As her car climbed the ramp onto Interstate 40, she thought her days as a songwriter and singer in Nashville were over.

            Some years later, while going through a very difficult divorce, Allen heard a 12-year-old girl singing songs from her first album, "Night Vision".

            "It was as simple as that," the singer-songwriter added. "Somehow, every emotion flooded through my body at that very moment, as well as the first realization that my musical story was not over. I wrote 'Putting The Music Back In Me' for that teenager. That experience is what led me back to Nashville."

            Allen has performed at venues ranging from the White House to the Ryman Auditorium. Her new album, "Someday Is Today", features 11 original songs inspired by real-life experiences. The artist describes her sound as a versatile mix of blues-accented country, pop and Americana with hints of Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Elton John, and Patsy Cline. She has opened for country acts such as John Conlee, Patty Loveless, and Brooks & Dunn. The album was named "New and Noteworthy" on the iTunes country music page when it was released in late September.

            Recorded in Nashville, "Someday Is Today" offers heartfelt ballads, mid-tempo crowd pleasers, and rock-accented dance numbers. Allen is joined by an all-star cast of Nashville session musicians, including guitarist Scott Neubert, background vocalists Jaimee Paul and Vickie Carrico, electric guitarist Jason Roller, and keyboardist Steve Peffer. The album, which retails for $15, is distributed by Wormwood Records. Selections from the album are available at iTunes and other online retailers. To learn more Allen and her music, visit http://www.TheAmyAllen.com.

            "Artlightenment" will run from Nov. 14-16 with movie showings, a visual art exhibition, seminars and live music. Attendees will enjoy presentations by landmark photographer Raeanne Rubenstein, award-winning film composer Greg Simms, documentary filmmaker Tom Neff, and the band Sherry Carlisle and the Impalers. To learn more, visit http://www.Artlightenment.com.

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Composer Greg Sims to Lead Film Scoring Workshop on May 13

          NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Award-winning composer, arranger and orchestrator Greg Sims will lead the seminar, "Film Scoring 101: A Composer's Perspective", from 7-9 p.m. May 13 (Monday) at Celebrity Center Nashville, 1130 Eighth Ave. S.

          Sims is one of the most successful composer-arrangers in Nashville, scoring  music for projects such as  "The Lion of Judah", "Oprah's Legends Ball", and "Tugger: The Jeep Who Wanted to Fly". He will be joined by ASCAP Director of Film and TV Licensing Mary Self. The seminar is ideal for emerging composers whose goal is to write and score for film and television.

          Seating is limited. Learn more and RSVP at http://www.Artlightenment.com.