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Doors 6:30 p.m.; Film 7 p.m.
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THE EXPERIENCE

Join us for a special super secret FREE screening of The Fire Inside, a new Christmas-day release film by the incredible Rachel Morrison (DP: Black Panther, Dope, Mudbound). The film is written by Barry Jenkins (DIR: Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk). Rachel Morrison will join us after the film for a moderated conversation and Q&A.

ON SCREEN: The Fire Inside

2024. Directed by Rachel Morrison. Runtime: 109 minutes. Rated PG-13.

A rousing and emotional directorial debut from Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison, The Fire Inside follows the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan Destiny), one of the greatest female boxers of all time. Aided by her passionate long-time coach (Academy Award-nominee Brian Tyree Henry), Shields—a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan—pushes past countless limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, she has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.

With an original screenplay penned by Academy Award-winner Barry Jenkins, the film is produced by Jenkins, p.g.a. and Elishia Holmes, p.g.a.; with cinematography by Rina Yang, BCS; editing by Harry Yoon, ACE; production design by Zosia Mackenzie; music by Tamar-kali; costume design by Marcia Scott; makeup by Jesica Carter; hair by Erica Croft; and sound by Emmy Award-winner Katie Halliday, MPSE and Will Files, MPSE.

ON STAGE: Rachel Morrison

Director/cinematographer Rachel Morrison first emerged as a refreshing voice at the forefront of independent cinema, and has since built an extensive body of work; channeling each story’s core emotion into arresting imagery.  Her work is at once haunting and elegant—bringing characters’ inner-life to screen with honest subjectivity.

For her work on Mudbound in 2018, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography as well as the first to be nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers for Best Feature Film. That same year she was the first woman to have lensed a Marvel superhero movie, the box office hit Black Panther.

Morrison is a story-teller above all else.  She moves seamlessly between directing and cinematography, sometimes doing double-duty.

In 2019, Morrison directed the pilot of Hightown, a crime drama centered around the highs and lows of a Cape Cod community known for its gay scene, marine life, and tourism, which turned grim when Fentanyl entered the scene.  It is now entering its third season on Starz.
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Shortly thereafter Morrison began production on her directorial feature debut The Fire Inside, a narrative about the American Dream vs. the American Reality centered around Claressa Shields, boxing phenom from Flint, Michigan.  The film was halted by a worldwide pandemic but resumed in 2022.  It will be released theatrically by MGM/Amazon in Q4 2024.

As a cinematographer, Morrison photographed eight Sundance premieres over seven years; among these are Mudbound, Dope,  Fruitvale Station, winner of both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture, Little Accidents, and Sound of My Voice.

She has garnered numerous awards for her work, including two Outstanding Cinematography Emmy Nominations for her work on Netflix‘s What Happened, Miss Simone? and Showtime’s Riker’s High, a documentary about the high school within the Riker’s Island prison system. Morrison was also honored at the Women-in-Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, where she was the recipient of the Kodak Vision Award for her outstanding achievements in cinematography.

Morrison has a background in photojournalism and completed a master’s degree at the American Film Institute.  She is a mother of two and an avid (amateur) surfer.

From the dunes of Qatar to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Oakland to Wakanda, Morrison has traversed the globe with an eye attuned to both the vastness of our world, and the emotional intimacy of our shared human experience.