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Memory Builds the Monument at SXSW and NAACP Image Awards

Isaac Yowman standing in front of floral wall that reads "53rd NAACP Image Awards"

With a multitude of film festival nominations and prestigious premieres under its belt, there is no denying Memory Builds the Monument’s presence in the film circuit. 

The documentary will be having its world premiere at SXSW–renowned as one of the most competitive film festivals on a global scale–on March 11th and an online screening the following day. Residents of the United States will be able to access the screening via SXSW’s website with an online registration pass. 

MBTM was nominated for Outstanding Short Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction at the NAACP Image Awards, running against the likes of Snapchat, HBO Max, BET Networks and MTV/Paramount+. The awards ceremony, which aired on BET February 26th, “​​celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as individuals and groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.” Isaac Yowman, the film’s director, was in attendance along with our partners at 5th Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation and 5th Ward Cultural Arts District.  

A grid of eight photos. The top left pictures a young person's side profile while they count money outdoors. The top right shows a person indoors with one hand on an audio mixer and their mouth up to a microphone. The left image of the second row shows a backlit person indoors holding a microphone. The right photo in the second row is an older person indoors speaking to someone out of frame. The left photo of the third row is a close-up of "The Negro Motorist Green-Book." The right photo of the third row is the same person from the top left photo counting money but from a frontal view. The bottom left photo is of a child smiling outdoors in front of a house. The bottom right photo pictures a backlit person indoors singing into a microphone.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

ABOUT MBTM:

Compelled by the vivid memories of the legendary Club Matinee by Houston’s elders, Memory Builds the Monument is a documentation project to share the rich history of the Greater Fifth Ward and the historic Club Matinee.

This artist-led project includes a documentary film, oral history collection, and events. Each is an opportunity to connect across generations, melding memories and inspiration while realizing new forms of community. The entire project is produced in collaboration between S.O.U.R.C.E. Studio, 5th Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, 5th Ward Cultural Arts District, and Sankofa Research Institute. 

The short documentary film anchors around the historic Black nightclub Club Matinee, and highlights the cultural and social challenges of African-American Houstonians in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The throughline of this story showcases how music and venues of these eras played a part in defining generations in Houston’s Fifth Ward, and how memories, on the verge of being lost, can be shared to propel the future. 

The film premiered in August of 2021 in Houston at the MoonStruck Drive In. Showing alongside special performances and presentations, the screening event was free and open to the public. The oral history project collection is ongoing and evolving, informed by the Memory Builds the Monument Community Advisory Group.

Memory Builds the Monument official trailer

Memory Builds the Monument Club Matinee artists and 5th Ward community conversation with the creatives behind the film

Director: Isaac Yowman

Executive Producer: Harrison Guy with 5th Ward CRC

Executive Producer: Mel Chin with S.O.U.R.C.E. Studio 

Producer: Greg Carter

Research Producer: Miriam Heads 

Film Production: IYO Visuals

Featured image courtesy of Maurice Will Photos