There is a surge these days in Memphis boosterism, but there may be no one else with their pulse more on what is new and exciting and worth celebrating in the city than Rashana Lincoln.

As director of community engagement for the New Memphis Institute (formerly the Leadership Academy), Lincoln is charged with selling her greatest passion: Memphis.

2. Local Music Veterans Form Consulting Company - Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Two veterans of the local music scene recently launched a music promotion, consulting and booking company.

And that company, called Kangaroo, has a full slate of big projects in the works and a serious lineup of artists already on the company’s roster.

3. Brewer’s Publishing Unit Releases New Music - Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The new music publishing company from film director and Memphis native Craig Brewer has released its first song collection, Memphis musician Jason Freeman’s 10-song LP “Hex & Hell.”

4. Indie Memphis Festival Gets a Tech Feel - Friday, October 05, 2012

Based on a lineup the nonprofit organization released, this year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival will feel a lot like the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

It’s a reflection of the digital convergence of film, music and interactive media. Adding a kind of innovation and technology focus to the festival is something organizers have wanted to add for a while, according to Indie Memphis board president Iddo Patt.

5. Craig Brewer Hosting Indie Memphis Sneak Peek - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Indie Memphis film festival is offering fans an advance peek a month before the November festival at a party on Beale Street hosted by filmmaker Craig Brewer that will include live music, food, movie trailers, door prizes and more.

6. Lights, Camera, Action - Monday, July 16, 2012

The pot of state money available to spur film production in Tennessee got a couple million dollars richer a few months ago.

Thanks to a measure sponsored this past legislative session by state Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, an additional $2 million is now available to incentivize film production in the state. But the good news goes deeper than that seven-figure sum for Tennessee’s film industry.

7. Luncheon To Honor’s City’s Cinematic Stars - Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Film director Craig Brewer, “Undefeated” star Bill Courtney, and Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commissioner Linn Sitler are among those who’ll be honored Wednesday, May 9, as Carnival Memphis salutes the Mid-South’s movie and film industry during its annual Business & Industry Salute Luncheon.

8. Brewer, Lendermon Join Indie Memphis Board - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Filmmaker Craig Brewer and Gary Lendermon, marketing and communications vice president for Duncan-Williams Inc., have joined the board of directors of Indie Memphis, the nonprofit group that runs the annual Indie Memphis Film Festival.

9. Styles Blend at Opus One Concert - Monday, November 07, 2011

Call it “Million Dollar Beethoven” or “Whoop That Shostakovich.”

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s conductor-less, style-mixing Opus One concert series takes on the crunk music of Al Kapone in its season opener. The Nov. 10 concert to be held at the New Daisy Theater is the first time in symphony history that the orchestra has performed on Beale Street.

10. Theater Veteran Roberts Takes Helm of Ostranders - Friday, October 28, 2011

Lindsey Roberts was recently selected to be coordinator of the Ostrander Awards, the city’s annual theater awards ceremony.

11. EDGE Keeps Memphis ‘In the Ball Game’ - Tuesday, July 26, 2011

For the longest time, elected leaders and local economic development officials have lamented a missing ingredient surrounding what Memphis and Shelby County can do to prime the pump for business investment in the area.

12. Craig Brewer to Speak At ‘Hustle & Flow’ Screening - Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Craig Brewer to Speak At ‘Hustle & Flow’ Screening

The critically acclaimed indie drama film “Hustle & Flow” will be the opening film to launch The Orpheum Theatre’s first ever Memphis Film Fest on Friday evening, July 1. Memphian Craig Brewer, writer and director of the film, will open the night with a special guest appearance and a brief discussion before the film begins.

13. Ardent Studios Adds New Film Department - Thursday, June 09, 2011

Ardent Studios will celebrate the opening of its new film department with a reception Thursday night, June 9, at the legendary recording studio.

The new venture represents a tie to Ardent’s past. L.A. film veteran Jonathan Pekar will head the department. His father, Ron Pekar, was the graphic designer for Ardent in the early days, designing the original studio logo ad the iconic neon logo for Big Star’s “#1 Record.”

14. New Venture to Manage Brewer’s Copyrights - Thursday, May 26, 2011

Memphis-based film director Craig Brewer and Kat Sage, founder of Red Wax Music Publishing Administration and Consulting, are joining forces in a new venture called BR2 Music Publishing. The concern will manage the copyrights for music in Brewer’s filmography and future projects.

15. Paper Moon Prepares To Shoot in Memphis - Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Production gets under way this week on “The Romance of Loneliness,” the third feature film from Memphis-based production company Paper Moon Films.

It’s about a young woman from a traditional Southern family, her journey of self-discovery and the misfits and memorable characters she encounters along the way.

16. On Location: Memphis Showcases Local, International Films - Wednesday, April 06, 2011

In the business of film festivals, international films bring prestige, but local films bring dollars.

This year’s 12th annual On Location: Memphis International Film and Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, hopes to draw on the best of both worlds.

17. Licensing Keeps Musicians’ Pockets Lined - Thursday, February 17, 2011

As record sales have declined over the past decade, musicians and composers are seeking new forms of income.

The hordes of record-buying teenagers have gone home to stare at their smart phones while producers of film, television and commercials still pay for music.

18. Spreading the Gospel - Friday, January 28, 2011

Live From Memphis celebrates 10 years of promoting, supporting and showcasing Memphis music, film, art and culture with a Friday open house and free party at its studio at 1 S. Main St.

19. Indie Spirit - Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Indie Memphis Film Festival opens for its 13th season this weekend, running Thursday through Sunday at the Playhouse on the Square, the Studio on the Square and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

20. Indie Memphis Gets Boost with ‘Savage County’ Premiere - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Indie filmmaker David Harris of Los Angeles is new to the world of feature-length films, but he fell in love with Memphis while shooting his first long piece on a shoestring budget here.

21. Memphis Film Premieres at Studio on the Square - Friday, September 24, 2010

The MTV New Media horror film “Savage County” will premiere Sept. 30 at Studio on the Square, 2105 Court Ave.

22. The Musician's Progress - Thursday, September 02, 2010

Valerie June’s grandfather gave her a guitar for her 15th birthday. Since then she has worked tirelessly to make a living following her passion.

In the face of an industry in collapse – where musicians and filmmakers face challenges financing production just as large media face hard times – June has turned to an online fundraising platform called Kickstarter to raise money for a full-length album.

23. Rock for Love Turns 4 With Blowout Bash - Monday, August 16, 2010

The problem with launching a great new event is that after a few years everybody wants to be a part of it. Actually that’s no problem at all for the organizers of Rock for Love 4, benefiting the Church Health Center (CHC).

24. Action! We Belong in the Movies - Friday, August 06, 2010

Gene Hackman has a big head.

I’m not talking ego, the man really does have a head the size of a medicine ball. I know because I stood next to him one morning in Court Square chatting about the Hebe Fountain. Okay, he wasn’t actually talking to me, he was talking to the little guy on the other side of him – Tom Cruise. Maybe 5-7, depending on his shoes. They were here shooting “The Firm.”

25. Fund Signals Memphis ‘Open for Business’ - Wednesday, July 21, 2010

He wasn’t saying “I told you so,” but he came close.

The day after Pinnacle Airlines Corp. acknowledged Mississippi officials had made the Memphis company a generous offer to relocate to Olive Branch, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. reminded at least one person about something he’d won approval for just one week before that.

26. GPAC Announces Eclectic Lineup for New Season - Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Life-size marionettes, men in tutus and Betty Boop herself are among the diverse musical, dance and novelty acts on their way to the Mid-South in the coming months.

Germantown Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) has announced its 2010-2011 season of concerts to the delight of lovers of jazz, ballet and family entertainment.

27. Focus on Film Means Business - Friday, March 05, 2010

Erik Jambor lauded the economic impact film festivals have on communities nationwide and emphasized the potential that local events can have on Memphis.

Jambor, the executive director of Indie Memphis, noted Memphis’s international reputation as a creative city during his keynote presentation to the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Breakfast Forum Thursday morning.

28. Events - Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Fifth Annual Professionalism Seminar will be held today from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law. The seminar’s theme is “Lincoln on Professionalism” and will discuss President Abraham Lincoln’s qualities of legal and personal professionalism. To register, contact Lesia Beach at 527-3573 or lbeach@memphisbar.org.

29. Events - Friday, October 16, 2009

The University of Memphis College of Communication and Fine Arts will recognize filmmaker Craig Brewer today at 11:30 a.m. at Charles Vergos Rendezvous, 52 S. Second St. Brewer will receive the 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award in the Creative and Performing Arts. Cost is $50 per person and $350 for a table of eight. For reservations, call 678-5086 or 678-4372.

30. Events - Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence will hold a workshop today from 8:30 a.m. to noon at its office, 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 502. Ken Kimble, director of development and marketing for Boy Scouts of America Chickasaw Council, will speak. Cost is $65 for members and $125 for nonmembers. For more information, call 684-6605 or visit www.npexcellence.org.

31. Events - Friday, October 02, 2009

The Greater Memphis Chamber will hold a Small Business Council summit Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Memphis Marriott, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Featured speakers will include Don Hutson, Austin Baker, Amy Howell and Dr. George Deitz. Cost is $50 for members and $100 for nonmembers. Deadline for reservations is today. For reservations, contact Ericka Milford at 543-3518 or emilford@memphischamber.com.

32. Filmmaker Brewer to Help Memphis Symphony - Thursday, September 24, 2009

Filmmaker and native Memphian Craig Brewer will collaborate with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at its first performance this season.

33. Commission To Foster Ties Between Memphis, Berlin - Monday, August 03, 2009

The Shelby County Commission is likely to give its support today to a resolution encouraging a budding film industry alliance between Memphis and Berlin spurred by Memphis Film Commissioner Linn Sitler.

34. Summit to Promote Music Opportunities in Memphis - Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Memphis is reasserting itself as a “perfect hub” for the music industry and a breeding ground for talent with homegrown artists such as the cast of MTV’s “$5 cover” and American Idol contestants Lil Rounds and Alexis Grace.

35. Memphis Silver Screen World Has Champion in Edwards - Friday, September 26, 2008

In the late 1990s, Les Edwards was close to parlaying his love of independent and art-house films into something tangible that all of Midtown Memphis could appreciate: a new Midtown cinema.

A former executive at a Memphis medical company, Edwards and his wife, Emily Trenholm, had lined up the financing, hired an architect and began getting the zoning variances they needed for what they envisioned would be a three-screen movie theater. A verbal commitment was secured for space on Madison Avenue next to what today is Neil’s bar.

36. ‘Rock for Love’ Kicks Off Tonight - Thursday, August 21, 2008

“Aristo-crunk,” noted regional garage bands and headliner hip-hop fill the program for the “SunTrust Rock for Love 2” concert Friday and Saturday to benefit the Church Health Center.

Event organizers said growing the sequel to last year’s debut concert was simply a matter of getting out of the way and letting it happen.

37. MusiCares Provides Hope to Entertainers - Friday, February 29, 2008

In the past 12 months, singing diva Celine Dion pulled down a cool $45 million, according to Forbes. Meanwhile, country crooner Tim McGraw earned $37 million and rapper 50 Cent had to make do on $33 million.

38. Illiterate Senior Co-Signing For Insurance Signs For Car Instead, Suit Alleges - Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Walter Tidwell only wanted to help his stepdaughter, "a person who he trusted and helped raise."

Catrice Hale contacted her stepfather in June 2006 and asked him to co-sign for her automobile insurance. He agreed, but adamantly stated he had no intention of buying a car.

39. Price Ford Could Pay $60,000 Price If Lawsuit Is Successful - Thursday, June 07, 2007

When Ozella Hayes walked into the Price Ford dealership off U.S. 51 in Millington last May, she thought she was a winner.

Hayes, 51, brought a mailing she had received the previous week claiming she had won a "jackpot" and must come to the dealership in person to claim her prize, according to court documents. Hayes had bought her 2002 Ford Focus there.

40. Saving Place - Thursday, March 29, 2007

Editor's Note: This is the fourth in The Daily News' five-part Retail Reinvented series about the past - and future - of the local shopping landscape.

Velma Bobo bought a MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery shop in Peabody Place Entertainment and Retail Center in 2005, turning it into one of the franchise's top-performing stores in the nation.

41. Save Libertyland!'s ParkinsonAnnounces City Council Run - Tuesday, March 13, 2007
     For Denise Parkinson, it could have been frustration over her visit last weekend, children in tow, to Peabody Park, where she came face to face with hypodermic needles and gang-related graffiti.
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42. When You Wish Upon a Star ... - Thursday, January 18, 2007

Memphis filmmaker Craig Brewer is returning this month to the scene of his Sundance Film Festival triumph of two years ago, when Paramount Classics bought the rights to his film "Hustle and Flow" for $9 million.

43. The British Are Coming ... And Going - Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Kevin Bourke, a British journalist who covers film, music and theater for the Manchester Evening News, began a story he wrote in 2005 for the paper with the following question: Is Memphis the most significant music city in the world?

44. If Lennon Could See 'Em Now ... - Thursday, October 19, 2006

It's one of the great what-ifs in Memphis music lore.

What if The Beatles - the Fab Foursome who famously revered the Memphis sound - had gotten to record some of their precocious pop magic at Stax, the famed studio they admittedly always wanted to visit?

45. Brewer Puts MemphisBack on the Big Screen - Wednesday, October 04, 2006
     Memphis director Craig Brewer is planning to film parts of his new film in Memphis. The movie is based on the life of country singer Charley Pride, according to a story in the Commercial Appeal.
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46. The Next Chapter Unfolds in Tale of Two Bookstores - Monday, September 11, 2006

The numbers he was crunching seemed too good to ignore.

Hugh Hollowell - a former financial planner-turned-bookstore owner - wanted to expand Midtown Books, the small used book shop he once operated across the street from Blue Monkey on Madison Avenue.

47. State Film Incentives Offer Clue About Village Roadshow in Memphis - Friday, September 08, 2006

For the big-league Hollywood film company that's in talks to set up a movie production hub in Memphis, it's lights, camera, inaction - at least for now.

On the one hand, sources have confirmed that either Village Roadshow Pictures Group or a division of that company is interested in opening a major operation in Memphis, an undertaking that would include building a soundstage and production offices. Village Roadshow, in turn, would spend $250 million on productions in the city over a five-year period.

48. ... Look Who's 40 - Tuesday, August 29, 2006

As a teenager, John Fry made regular trips to the Satellite Record Shop on McLemore Avenue, where Estelle Axton would sell him 45s over the counter and play him new recordings from countless music labels.

49. The Sound of Music Makes Itself Heard - Tuesday, August 22, 2006

In Jerry Schilling's new book, "Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley," Memphis music is as much a central character as Schilling himself, the youngest member of Elvis' famed Memphis Mafia.

50. Spotlight Brightens on Memphis Cinema - Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Like an independent film competing for attention during Oscar season, Malcolm Pratt's relatively new cinema group might seem overshadowed by other big screen efforts in Memphis.

Just two weeks ago, a public casting call was held for "Black Snake Moan," the latest Hollywood production by Memphis writer and director Craig Brewer. Later this year, the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," also shot in Memphis, opens in theaters. But Pratt's nonprofit group - Cinema Memphis - is more concerned with shining a spotlight on the classics.

51. Memphis Film Industry Grows as Economic Force - Monday, July 11, 2005

If Linn Sitler could write a sequel to the blockbuster growth of the film industry in Memphis, it might sound like this.

Director Craig Brewer, whose film "Hustle & Flow" got its red-carpet premiere in Memphis last week, would return to the Bluff City to shoot his next picture, "Black Snake Moan." He would be undaunted by the lure of film-friendly states like Georgia and Louisiana, even though they offer a slew of tax credits to movie production companies that Tennessee doesn't.

52. Archived Article: Filmmakers (lead) - Thursday, September 16, 2004
By Andy Meek

Citys Budding Film Industry Gets Boost

Studio commitment marks new step for Memphis

ANDY MEEK

The Daily News

Its no secret Memphis is becoming a movie industry magnet.

And thanks to a trio of veteran filmmakers, a Memp...