“Carolina Independent Film Collective” Monthly Meetup

Opens on August 5

Run Time: 120 min.

Join The Independent Picture House on the first Tuesday of every month for a filmmaker meetup! Grow your network, learn about local projects, and share insight into your current (or prospective) work. This is a free event but individuals must register in advance. Doors open at 6:30pm, come early, have a drink and/or a snack, and mingle before the program (which will start between 7:15pm and 7:30pm).

Our August 5 program will focus on Cinematic Kinship: A Collective Conversation with Lawrence Toppman & Felix Curtis. Discussion is moderated by Afeni Grace, Public Programs Manager for The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture.

About the Speakers:

Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman has been a professional journalist for 51 years, including 45 focused on the arts. At The Charlotte Observer, he served as film critic from 1987 to 2017 and covered theater, classical music, dance, and visual arts for over four decades. He is currently a critic-at-large for The Charlotte Ledger, reviewing cultural events across Mecklenburg County.

A longtime supporter of the performing arts, he has sung for a company-record 42 consecutive seasons in the chorus of Opera Carolina. He also copy-edits and occasionally contributes to the Independent Picture House newsletter, where he regularly presents films and moderates post-screening discussions.

Flex Curtis
Felix relocated to Charlotte in 2006 from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area. A devoted film buff and historian, he began sharing his passion as a curator for the San Francisco Black Film Festival and Black Filmworks, the film festival arm of the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, where he later served as Executive Director.

He was involved with the organization for over 12 years and had participated in its activities since its founding 28 years ago. His first role was as a community-level judge for the Film, Video, and Screenplay Competition, where he became deeply engaged with independent Black cinema. He later coordinated the competition for seven years, overseeing film reviews, category placement, and judge selection.

As a member of the Black Filmworks Steering Committee, Felix curated screenings and moderated filmmaker Q&As. To bring independent Black films to a wider audience, he launched and hosted a monthly screening series at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle in Oakland, which ran for four years.