In a Special Screening, Musician Dinerral Shavers' Legacy Lives On Through a Foundation and a Film

The Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund (DSEF) is pleased to announce plans for its upcoming screening of THE WHOLE GRITTY CITY.  

The feature documentary will be shown in a special one-time screening at AMC Elmwood Palace Theatre (1200 Elmwood Park Blvd, Elmwood, La 70123) on November 6th at 7:30pm. There will be a live performance by The Chosen Ones Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians, special guest appearances, and a Q&A with filmmakers Richard Barber and Andre Lambertson.

THE WHOLE GRITTY CITY gives us a glimpse into the lives of New Orleans’ marching band members and the charismatic teachers working to prepare these youth for Mardi Gras Season as well as the real world. Most importantly, this film proves that music education is an essential tool needed to counter the culture of violence. The Whole Gritty City first premiered at the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival and aired nationwide in a February CBS special hosted by world renowned jazz great, Wynton Marsalis.

The Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund is a non- profit 501(c)3 organization founded in March of 2007. This organization was created in memory of Dinerral Shavers, an educator, musician, entrepreneur, and New Orleans Civil Sheriff. In his passing, the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund has hosted several programs and initiatives to promote youth empowerment, community development, and enhanced educational opportunities in the city of New Orleans.

The film's director Richard Barber says Shavers' story was the initial inspiration for the film. It was a central part of a CBS 48 Hours broadcast he had worked on about the post-Katrina violence that catalyzed a march on City Hall. "I watched interviews with Shavers' high school band students. They talked about their own lives and struggles, and about the positive impact Mr. Shavers and this band had on their lives. I realized something very powerful was happening here," says Barber. When he and co-director Andre Lambertson returned to New Orleans, they found more and more dedicated teachers that were using music to save and change the lives of youth through music all over the city.

Barber says this screening is a special one, both because it's being presented by Nakita Shavers who is carrying on her brother's legacy, and also because there will be a live performance by a band that features one of the young musicians in the film. Jaron "Bear" Williams was an 11-year-old beginner in the film. Now he's a senior at Landry-Walker High School, and plays trumpet in The Chosen Ones Brass Band. The Landry-Walker Band director, Wilbert Rawlins, Jr., is also a prominent presence in the film.

The film is being screened through Tugg.com, a platform that helps individuals and organizations to host screenings in their local theaters. All proceeds will benefit DSEF. Tickets are $10, must be purchased in advance, and can only be purchased at:  http://www.tugg.com/events/10961

Film Trailer: http://vimeo.com/100816654