The Coop, Episode No. 34
FEMALE FILMMAKEERS OF ACADIANA
Acadiana is often associated with the wealth of talent we’re lucky to have in the music and culinary realms, but it’s important to remember that we’re also home to incredible artists in all sorts of different mediums - from visual art and dancing, to photography and filmmaking. One common thread that ties all of these disciplines together is the art of storytelling - taking the stories and feelings that are uniquely us, uniquely Louisiana, and bringing them to the world in their own special way. Today we take a deep dive with some of our areas’ greatest storytellers, whose medium is filmmaking. We’re lucky to have a strong contingency of FEMALE filmmakers here in Louisiana who weave their stories, often with themes based in Louisiana culture, in strong and passionate ways. And what a better time to celebrate them, than in anticipation of the 14th annual SOUTHERN SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL (happening this year Nov. 21-24), who was itself founded by a powerful woman in our community, Julie Bordelon. This month we got all of these incredible artists together to tell you their stories, and in a rare round table discussion, explain a bit about their experience in the world of film based here in Acadiana.
Meet…
Monique Morton Derouselle, Allison Bohl DeHart, Brooke Hebert, Conni M Castille, & Julie Bordelon
Monique Morton Derouselle is a Louisiana born and bred interdisciplinary artist who's artistic approach is to "root for everybody Black" by showing honest, nuanced depictions of Black folks that's rarely seen on screen. Monique received her BA in Mass Communications from Southern University Baton Rouge, her MFA in Writing from California State University Los Angeles, and improvisational training at The Second City Hollywood. Monique has been in the film industry since 2009 and has worked on both sides of the camera. She is a writer, director, producer, actor, improviser, a full time middle/ high school theatre teacher, and an avid binge watcher… which she swears is research. She was a mentee in the inaugural year of Unlock Her Potential, a mentorship program for women of color created by Sofia Chang. Monique is proud to say her mentor is Stefon Bristol, writer/ director of the Netflix film “See You Yesterday”. With his support and guidance, Monique has developed her first short film “Rising Dawn”, a coming of age sports comedy loosely based on her time as a high school majorette. Rising Dawn premiered at the Louisiana Film Prize in October of 2022 and won the Founder's Circle Award from the Judges. Rising Dawn screened at numerous festivals and is still circulating the festival circuit. Monique's follow up short film, The Candy Lady also premiered at the Louisiana Film Prize in 2024. It sweep the festival winning The Grand Prize Award, The Top 5 Award, The Founders Circle Award, and Best Actress. The Candy Lady is also on the festival circuit allowing Monique to have 2 short films screen at festivals simultaneously.
Allison Bohl DeHart is a designer, film-maker and co-founder of Makemade. She specializes in finding beauty in the ordinary and exploring the unusual. After graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Allison got her start working at the Cinematic Arts Workshop and gained attention for numerous documentaries that found allure and intimacy in the everyday folkways of South Louisiana. After partnering with Peter in 2011, her love of project management has pushed client and personal work to new heights. She most recently was awarded the #CreateLouisiana French Culture Film Grant for the short fiction film 17 Year Locust. After having its world premiere at the New Orleans French Film Festival, it has gone on to broadcast on TV5Monde USA and premiere at festivals throughout the United States and Canada.
Conni M. Castille, Master Instructor of Moving Image Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, studied Philosophy and Folklore. Over the past few years, she has written, directed and produced several award-winning documentaries on Cajun and Creole culture that have been supported by the Louisiana Division of the Arts and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. By using the everyday to convey universal meaning, her films tend to reveal something unexpected. Her hope is that audiences leave with a new point of view, not just about Cajun or Creole culture, but about the power and worth of everyday people doing everyday things. Her films include I Always Do My Collars First (2007), Raised on Rice and Gravy (2009), King Crawfish (2010), and T-Galop: A Louisiana Horse Story (2012). The films have aired on Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and screened in the U.S., Canada, France, and China, and at numerous film festivals including Cannes and Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. Awards include Louisiana Filmmaker Award, and Humanities Documentary of the Year in 2012 from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities for T-Galop.
Brooke H. Cellars (she/her/they) is a multifaceted filmmaker serving as the writer, director, producer, and editor. She has directed 8 short films since 2018. Her adoration for all things horror began in childhood, influenced by her father, a children’s book writer, which inspired her early stories—all of which had a horror theme. Her first screenplay, which she turned into a short film called The Chills, won Best Screenplay at Houston Horror Fest in 2020. Her most recent short film, Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead, (shot on 16mm) has screened in over 30 film festivals worldwide and has won multiple awards. Brooke recently achieved a major milestone by successfully filming her first horror feature, The Cramps: A Period Piece, on 35mm film. The feature is based on her personal struggles with endometriosis. She also filmed a short documentary, Endometriosis: A Period Piece, telling that true story. In addition to her creative work, Brooke has been deeply involved in nurturing the filmmaking community in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 2021, she founded the all-female-run film production company Warped Witch Cinema, alongside launching the Warped Witch Film Festival (formerly known as Southern Gothic), the first horror/genre film festival in her hometown. She's also curated events such as The Horrors of Being a Woman film showcase and the LGBTQ+ film festival, Pride Acadiana Queer Film Festival.
Julie Bordelon is the founder and executive director of Southern Screen, a nonprofit organization that curates year-round arts and educational events and an annual festival showcasing and cultivating storytelling through film, music, podcasts and more. She is also the executive director of #CreateLouisiana, a Louisiana nonprofit supporting indigenous talent and the entertainment industries through the use of grants and development programs. Bordelon is also is a freelance producer, consultant and event coordinator, with almost 20 years’ experience working in the film and music industry.
“Ancestral Artistry” premiering at Southern Screen this year!
"Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead" by Brooke H. Cellars
“Rising Dawn” directed by Monique Morton Derouselle
Makemade / Parlance by Allison Bohl DeHart and Conni M. Castille
Follow Southern Screen!
FALL PANZANELLA SALAD
from chef katie konow of tchoup’s mid-city restaurant + bar in lafayette
“This cozy, Italian based salad is perfect for a hearty appetizer or a light main course. It utilizes the crisp, autumn produce that is just coming into season.”
Apple Nước chấm
1 ½ cups Lime Juice
1 cup Fish Sauce (I prefer 3 Crabs Brand)
1 ½ cups Water
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
½ cup Granulated Sugar
6 each Garlic Cloves, minced
3 each Thai Chilies (can sub for serrano)
1 each Bell Pepper, sliced thin
½ cup Red Onion, sliced thin
¼ cup Green Onion, sliced
2 each Pink Lady Apples (or your favorite red apple)
2 each Granny Smith Apples
Small dice your apples into bite size pieces. Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar until combined. Add all of your fruit and vegetables. Allow to marinate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Put together your salad:
1 loaf Marbled Rye or Sourdough Bread
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ½ cups Goat Cheese
1 cup Toasted Walnuts, chopped
2 each Pears, sliced
¾ cup Apple Nước chấm
Cut or tear your bread into large chunks. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and bake on a lined or sprayed sheet tray at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown, but still tender. In a large bowl, toss bread chunks, walnuts, pears, goat cheese, and Nước chấm. Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
I like to save the “croutons” for last because they absorb all of the yummy flavors and juices from the salad! Enjoy!
LAGNIAPPE!
a little something extra for y’all
“meet the gurus of gravy” in garden & gun magazine!
Many of you know about the annual Blackpot Festival & Cook off that takes place the last weekend of October each year here in Lafayette, but now it’s getting national recognition in the press! Written by Brett Martin (GQ, Vanity Fair, etc), this piece highlights the cook-off portion of one of our favorite events of the year, and highlights familiar Coop faces Tanner Dimmick (of Spoobill Watering Hole & Restaurant), Sullivan Zant (of Vestal Restaurant), Jesse Guidry (of Lafayette Travel), and Toby Rodriguez (of Lâche Pas Boucherie), among others. It’s a fun deep dive into cook-off culture, and we’re proud of our GRAVY GURUS!
While lesser-known than gumbo or jambalaya, gravy is a Cajun classic worth its weight in gradoux. And at the annual Blackpot Cookoff in Lafayette, it’s the stuff of legend
Pro tip: If you like what you read about here, check out the Lâche Pas Boucherie COMING NOVEMBER 8-10, 2024 to Grand-Couteau, Louisiana!
k.c. jones: Dreams in the dulcet grey
november 7th
acadiana center for the arts: louisiana crossroads series
November 7th brings a Louisiana Crossroads show unlike any other. Throughout the evening of “Dreams in a Dulcet Grey”, the genre-bending K.C. Jones (OF THE COOP!) along with her fellow bandmates and local musicians (Trey Boudreaux, Jim Kolacek, Joel Savoy, Megan Constantin, and Leah Graeff) collaborate with the incredible BLiPSWiTCH dance company out of Austin, TX to bring their music alive in an immersive movement experience you won’t want to miss. In honor of the show, she’s releasing a new single, “Only Me to Talk to Blues” - listen below!
We hope you enjoyed this edition of the Coop – we’ll see you next month
Have Feedback? Have ideas for a story you’d like us to cover, or a topic you’d like to learn more about? We’d LOVE to hear from you! Write us at bonjour@valcourrecords.com or using at the contact form at the bottom of this page and we’ll be more than happy to get back to you.
The Coop is produced through a partnership between Valcour Records and Atchafalaya National Heritage Area as well as with support from the Acadiana Center for the Arts ARTSpark Grant, and from the Arhoolie Foundation.