By Heston Robinson
Student Reporter
Amarillo College’s FM90, Matney Mass Media Program, the Department of Music, Music Makers and Presidential Scholars are teaming up with Panhandle PBS for a new Indie Lens Pop-Up screening, “We Want the Funk!” at noon on Thursday, April 3 in the Panhandle PBS Studios.
This particular documentary will explore the history of funk music and showcase influential funk musicians. FM90 Student Music Director Evan Banner, or more commonly known as Electric Evan from “Good Times Radio” will be spinning records during a live DJ set before and after the screening. “I’ll have a little bit of records in there; it’ll be a little fun DJ set,” Banner said. “Then we’ll watch the screening and we’ll do a follow-up afterward.” Banner will also be the discussion panel moderator after the screening. “I have no doubt it’ll be interesting, especially with all the stories of those old musicians and how everything came to be,” Banner said.
Panhandle PBS Community Development Manager Cullen Lutz said they’ve been screening the Indie Lens films for more than six years now. “We’re all about our mission, which is to educate, empower, inspire and entertain the people of the Texas Panhandle,” Lutz said. “These amazing documentary films from independent filmmakers, I think help us do that and explore a huge variety of topics and have discussions about these important topics through our participation,” Lutz said she sees these screenings are a way for AC students, faculty and staff to mingle outside of class.
KACV Production Manager Tanner Willis said Panhandle PBS hosts film screenings that are open to the public throughout the year. “We’ll do two here, one in the spring and one in the fall, along with our other screenings of local content. They’ll put out a list of films that we can choose from.” The films themselves have proven popular with students as well. “We’ll have anywhere between 50 to 75 people in the studio. That’s pretty full for the space we have,” Willis said.
Anyone who attends the events will receive free lunch and the opportunity to learn about a topic they may not be aware of. “You never know what you’re going to get; it’s a surprise,” Lutz said.
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