Knox County Public Library, Knoxville, TN

Hear the Story Behind the Heartland Series

Get a behind the scenes look at The Heartland Series at a special talk with Bill Landry, February 18, 5 p.m. at UT's Baker Center. Don't forget you can find the series at the Library! (check it out here)

James Agee Centennial Film Festival

It's the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Agee. In his lifetime, Agee was known for his film criticism, screenplays and other film work. To celebrate, Knox County Public Library has teamed up with TAMIS (Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound) and the University of Tennessee to present the James Agee Centennial Festival. Join us for screenings of movies that influenced him, those that were championed by him, and even Agee's own work. It's an amazing collection of unique and rarely seen films, paired with lectures and commentaries by James Agee scholars.See the schedule here.

A Rare Screening of The Electric Valley Complements The Big Read

Check out a rare screening of Ross Spears's 1983 documentary The Electric Valley on Tuesday, October 21, 7 p.m. at the East Tennessee History Center. Wilma Dykeman narrates the film with appearances by Al Gore Sr., David Lillenthal, Arthur Morgan and others who were directly involved in the agency's creation.

The Electric Valley is the first independent film to tell the story of the TVA and is a tale of one of the most interesting, controversial federal agencies ever created. In 1933, the TVA was given the broadest possible mission: to tame the forces of nature, create cheap energy, and produce a lasting prosperity in the Depression-wracked Tennessee Valley, a region the size of Great Britain. For better or worse, it touched peoples' lives in innumerable ways.

Movies on the Town Kicks off Friday, September 5!

You picked the flicks and we're proud to show you the results:
Showing at World's Fair Park
September 5: Babe, The Gallant Pig, G, 1995
September 12: Jurassic Park, PG-13, 1993
September 19: Sixteen Candles, PG, 1984*

Showing at Market Square
October 3: Napoleon Dynamite, PG, 2004
October 10: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, PG, 2001
Double Feature Extravaganza October 17: Ghostbusters, PG, 1984, and Beetlejuice, PG, 1988

The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment. The movies kick off at dusk and will end before 10 p.m. (with the exception of our double feature finale). Admission is free and open to the public.

All films are PG-13 or less, but parents are encouraged to read reviews to make sure the films are good for their families. Special this year, the movies shown on World's Fair Park are Fido friendly! Dogs with good manners are welcome. Leashes are required.

*This movie is edited for content.

Pick the Flick for Movies on the Town!

It's time for another fun year of outdoor movies and--as always--you get to pick the flicks! Choose up to 6 of your favorites or write one in. Voting starts August 13 and runs through August 25 and the winners will be announced right here on August 28. Vote now!

This year, you may have noticed a slight name change. We started out as Movies on Market Square, but now we're trying out new digs on World's Fair Park for our September (September 5, 12,19) line up. We'll be back on Market Square for October (October 3, 10, and 17)! The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment and the movies kick off at dusk.

So get your blanket or lawn chairs in tip-top shape and prepare for a night in front of the silver screen!

Learn more about Movies on the Town.

Media High, five short documentaries

Installment One:  The Struggle for Integration: Clinton, Tennessee

Ask most people where the first southern public school was integrated and they will probably say, "Little Rock, Arkansas--yeah. 'The Little Rock Nine.'" Seventeen year-old Media High student Madeline Brown would gently correct this mistake, explaining that the first integrated school in the south was in Clinton, Tennessee and the twelve brave African-Americans who attended Clinton High School in 1956 are 'The Clinton Twelve.' Madeline, or Maddie as her friends call her, discovered this truth in the process of creating a short documentary called "The Struggle for Integration: Clinton, Tennessee." With minimal assistance from Media High Director David Neil Drews and his assistant, Maddie assembled a poignant and inspiring story that pays tribute to several progressive participants in the Clinton struggle, people who were pivotal players in this crucial piece of history. In the short span of nine days, Ms. Brown researched and located several key interview subjects. The quality of these interviews reflects her diligent but kind approach. A second year Media High student and recent South Doyle graduate, Maddie is interested in studying journalism in college.

View her documentary at ListenUp.org and see her outstanding piece of history, journalism, and digital video. This is the first of five student documentaries that Media High will be releasing over the next six weeks.

From novel to film: the making of To Kill a Mockingbird

As part of our recent Big Read collaboration with the YWCA, the Library hosted discussions of the book To Kill A Mockingbird and a screening of the film. Gerald Wood, Dean of Humanites at Carson-Newman College and Barbara Moore, Professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee joined us to discuss the film adaptation of the book. We recorded their remarks and you can download the recording here or use the player below.