SOUTHERN EXPOSURE is a film fellowship program that is actively raising awareness about Alabama’s incredible natural resources and important environmental issues that impact all of us. This innovative summer fellowship brings emerging filmmakers from across the country to tell authentic, engaging stories through short documentary films about Alabama’s environment — and the people who cherish it — from the mountains to the coast. The program is hosted by Alabama Rivers Alliance each summer.
Made possible through the support and partnership with environmental and conservation groups across the state, Southern Exposure fellows have the opportunity to create inspiring, captivating films that give viewers a sense of how much Alabama has to offer and the importance of protecting its resources.
As a result of these poignant stories depicting the triumphs and challenges facing the state, numerous films from past fellowship years have been selected for screening in juried film festivals around the country!
Live screenings and online distribution of the films continue to reach a variety of audiences, in Alabama and across the nation, helping Southern Exposure fulfill the mission to spread awareness, appreciation and inspire action on behalf of Alabama’s environment.
More info coming soon!
Contact Kelly Marshall at [email protected] to learn how you can host a screening of the Southern Exposure films for your organization, university or school group, colleagues, church, or others who may be interested.
January 17 - 19, 2025
See Saving Seagrass at the Lookout Wild Film Festival
March 6 - 11, 2025
See Forces of Nature at the Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival
April 4 - 6, 2025
See Forces of Nature at the Red Dirt Film Festival
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL AT YALE
OUTER BANKS ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
THE ARCHAEOLOGY CHANNEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FILM FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL
NORTH DAKOTA HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
THE ROSE FOUNDATION FILM FESTIVAL
OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
FRANKLIN INTERNATIONAL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL
FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL - VIRTUAL
BLACK LENS WEEK @ SIDEWALK CINEMA
WASATCH MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
IMAGINE THIS WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
CHAGRIN DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
DOCUTAH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NORTH DAKOTA HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
COLORADO ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
THE TENNESSEE INTERNATIONAL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL (TIIFF)
ST. AUGGIES SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
MCMINNVILLE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
GEORGE LINDSEY UNA FILM FESTIVAL
BRING SOUTHERN EXPOSURE FILMS TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
Contact Kelly Marshall at [email protected] to learn how you can host a screening of the Southern Exposure films for your organization, university or school group, colleagues, church, or others who may be interested.
You can also stream the Southern Exposure films directly on your TV using Roku or Amazon Fire. Click here for more information.
SE allowed me opportunities to grow as a filmmaker, create meaningful work, & explore a beautiful state with amazing people and places. It was refreshing & empowering to be a part of a community dedicated to our films' success and the betterment of the planet. Every state needs a program like this!
—Nora Long, 2023 Fellow
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The Southern Exposure experience not only sharpened my filmmaking skills but also fueled my continued passion for telling stories with impact and purpose. The amazing environmentalists I met across Alabama quickly became family and friends of mine.
—Asia Singleton, 2022 Fellow
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Southern Exposure really is a force of nature -- pun intended -- a whirlwind of hard work but a lot of fun. The program is supported so much by the team they have built, whose knowledge and southern hospitality is unmatched!
—Lily Ahree Siegel, 2023 Fellow
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They made it really easy for us to fall in love with Alabama, especially as first timers. I think they also made it really easy for us to become concerned about this beautiful place because they opened our eyes to a very diverse range of pressing environmental needs here.
—Liza Slutskaya, 2016 Fellow and 2018-19 Program Coordinator
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Southern Exposure was an incredible opportunity to build my filmmaking portfolio in a meaningful way. The program allows directors freedom of artistic expression while prompting a community-oriented filmmaking model and involving stakeholders in the decision-making process.
—John Haley, 2020 Fellow
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My experience in Alabama in 2014 had a profound impact on me as a filmmaker, but more importantly I linked up with a great posse of friends and collaborators.
—Chris Jones, 2014 Fellow
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Southern Exposure was the best 6 weeks of my life and really solidified that documentary film was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Not to mention I still collaborate with the other three fellows who have become my personal and professional lifelines.
—Kaitlin McMurry, 2018 Fellow
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Run by an amazing group of experienced filmmakers & passionate advocates, it's impossible to leave this program without an impressive film for your portfolio and meaningful connections to those fighting for important issues across Alabama. I wish I could be a part of this fellowship every summer!
—Celine Francois, 2021 Fellow
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I truly believe that Southern Exposure is a MUST for young, southern documentary filmmakers with interests in the realm of Social and Environmental Justice. Not often do you get an opportunity like this in the South, especially one of such value and importance.
—Jeb Brackner, 2019 Fellow
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This opportunity allowed me to grow as a professional in the world of environmental filmmaking & gave me skills + insights on how I can use film & media to be a powerful advocate of the natural world. I gained a better appreciation for the culture, people & nature of the beautiful state of Alabama!
—David Diaz, 2018 Fellow
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Southern Exposure was an amazing experience – learning about the pressures on the environment, being embraced by Alabama's community of environmental advocates, soaking in beautiful natural treasures, spending a summer with a talented group of filmmakers – I couldn't recommend it more.
—Emily Fraser, 2013 Fellow
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Having the chance to explore Alabama's natural landscapes, the mentorship and peer-critique process within a diverse group of filmmakers, and the networking opportunities the process brought with it gave me such a positive experience with a group of peers whose friendship and work I truly value.
—Rhonda Chan Soo, 2013 Fellow
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My favorite part of Southern Exposure was meeting so many amazing people. I had a lot of fun making my film and traveling to some of the many beautiful areas of Alabama. I love what Southern Exposure represents and was honored to be a part of it!
—Mindy Keeley, 2014 Fellow
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Michele Forman is the Series Producer for Southern Exposure. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder / director of Media Studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Michele gained her experience as an executive in feature films. As Director of Development at Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, she was responsible for the acquisition and development of new projects. In addition, Forman served as associate producer on Mr. Lee's Academy Award-nominated film 4 Little Girls, a feature-length documentary for HBO about the bombing of the Sixteenth Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Since then, Forman has been directing and producing documentary projects for film and television, earning an Emmy nomination for Coat of Many Colors (2001). Her feature-length documentary Climb for the Cause: A Breast Cancer Story (2007) documents five women who became activists for women’s health after surviving breast cancer. The film sent Forman up Mt. Kilimanjaro, one of the world’s tallest peaks. She also produced the multiple award-winning documentary Alabama Bound (2017), which explores the legal roller-coaster ride of LGBTQ family rights in the South over the last decade.
Learn more about her by clicking here.