The 2026 Indie Memphis Film Festival will open on November 5th with The Lorraine, a documentary film by Sam Pollard about the history of Memphis’ most famous lodging place, the Lorraine Motel. Best known as the place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the Lorraine Motel was a center of Black culture in Memphis for decades before the tragic killing of the civil rights leader. The historic structure is now the home of the National Civil Rights Museum.
“Having just completed The Lorraine, I was honored to be asked to direct the film about the hotel/motel and its historic relevance to the city of Memphis and to the country,” says Pollard. “Coming away from the project I learned how impactful the history of the Lorraine was culturally and that it was more than just the place where Dr. King was assassinated. It was a beacon among many during the horrific days of Jim Crow for African Americans who needed places to stay in the South.”
Pollard is a veteran filmmaker who began his career as an editor on the legendary 1973 horror film Ganja & Hess. He worked with Spike Lee on a string of his early films, including Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, and the Academy Award nominated documentary about the 16th Street Church Bombing in Birmingham, 4 Little Girls. He directed two episodes of Eyes on The Prize, and co-directed Indie Memphis’ 2018 opening film, Mr. Soul.
“There are few filmmakers working today better equipped to capture the profound historical and spiritual weight of Memphis than Sam Pollard,” says Brandon Harris, Indie Memphis Artistic Director. “This year, we are fiercely rededicating Indie Memphis to the grit and ingenuity of American independent film, turning our focus primarily toward vibrant regional storytelling. We couldn’t have found a more appropriate opening salvo than The Lorraine.”
After skipping 2025 due to budget cuts and fundraising issues, the film festival will return with an opening night screening Downtown at the Halloran Centre by the Orpheum on November 5th. The festival will continue November 6th through 8th at the Malco Powerhouse Cinema Grill and other venues Downtown. The festival’s full lineup will be revealed at a preview party on September 30th at the new Metal Museum location in Overton Park. For more on the saga of Indie Memphis’ near-death experience, read my story in this month’s Memphis Magazine.
