By JACK WEATHERLY The movie industry in Mississippi has dropped precipitously since a key incentive was allowed to sunset on July 1, 2017. But legislation to restore that incentive – a cash rebate of 25 percent of the payroll for out-of-state cast and crew members – has made it to the final stages of approval with strong support in both ...

For nearly 10 years, residents in a California farming community have had to drive nearly 40 miles (64 kilometers) to see the latest film, a rare trip for some in a place where a third of the population lives in poverty. That all changed in May when Moctesuma Esparza, a Latino movie producer, opened his latest Maya Cinemas theater in ...

The wonders of Spain, the majesty of Russia and some of the greatest works of art from throughout the world may soon have a home in Vicksburg. The Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange, which previously organized four international exhibitions in Jackson, is working to bring a permanent museum focusing on international art to downtown Vicksburg. The Mississippi International Arts ...

By JACK WEATHERLY Dave Matthews and Hank Williams Jr. are among the musical acts that will perform in the C Spire Concert Series at the Brandon Amphitheater after the facility opens in April. The $20 million amphitheater is being built by the city on 250 municipally owned acres. The city sold $14 million in tax-free 30-year municipal bonds in 2016. ...

JAKE COYLE, AP Film Writer NEW YORK — The movies have tended to skip from slavery to the Civil Rights movement, but Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” plunges into the complex tragedies of the in-between era of Jim Crow. The film, which Netflix hopes will be its first feature-film Oscar contender, follows two neighboring families — one black, one white — on ...

By JACK WEATHERLY The bad news is that a key component in the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program will fade to black after July 1. The good news is that the cash rebate on 25 percent of the salaries paid to nonresidents of Mississippi is the only part that was lost. Going into the current session of the Legislature, talk ...

By BECKY GILLETTE SEMINARY — Claudia “Ka” Cartee, 69, has been “telling a story with clay” since she was a little girl and her father, a professional mold maker who had a regional ceramic slip business, gave her a potting wheel. A professional potter since 1973, Cartee has averaged making two tons of clay per year into art ranging from ...

TOMMY THORNTON Tommy Thornton, Executive Director of Hattiesburg Clinic, will serve as grand marshal for the 32nd Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo, set for Feb. 17-18 at the James Lynn Cartlidge Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center. » READ COMPLETE STORY at Hattiesburg Business Today

A plan to transform the former Hattiesburg American building into a public arts center is taking shape. The Hattiesburg American reports that local architect Sarah Newton has completed the schematic design for the building and is moving forward with design development, including drawings of floor plans, alterations and building elevation. The newspaper reports that the concept of turning the building ...

RIDGELAND — “Chicken Soup for the Soul” is coming to the small screen. Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the motivational book, tells WAPT-TV he plans to shoot the series in Mississippi. The book takes a look at dozens of inspiring stories from everyday people. Hansen spent Monday morning motivating students at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. Hansen says Mississippi is the ...