When local filmmaker Craig Brewer spent his inheritance to make The Poor and Hungry, he was taking a leap of faith. But Brewer's gamble on his filmmaking talents paid off after the film, released in 2000, won critical acclaim.
The University of Memphis College of Communications and Fine Arts will honor the film director and writer for his work today at 11:30 a.m. in the Rendezvous restaurant downtown with the 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award in the Creative and Performing Arts.
"I'm genuinely touched I'm getting this award," he said. "It means a lot to me because there was a time, when I created The Poor and Hungry, when I didn't know what I should do."
The low-budget film's success was the reward for hard work and diligence, he said.
"We put all of our energy into this thing and people don't realize how much you bled for it," he said.
Brewer, who directed and wrote the nationally acclaimed films Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan, said he had wanted to make movies ever since watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Memphis musicians play a tremendous role in Brewer's movies, he said.
"I've lived in Midtown and Memphis, so I've come to know a lot of them," he said. "I'm generally inspired by them."
Brewer said he is also heavily influenced by his family and emotions.
"Whenever I get a story in my head, it's from something I need to work out," he said "My emotions are raw."
After the success of The Poor and Hungry, Brewer taught an acting class at The U of M, which gave him a feeling of connection to the campus, he said.
"I always felt like I didn't really have a college experience and I really missed out," he said. "I was actually making movies with people who wanted to make movies. I've maintained friendships with all of them and put them in some movies."
Sometimes students misinterpret the film business, Brewer said. Instead of focusing on grades, they should focus on gaining experience outside the classroom.
"It's a hard business," he said. "They need to get used to challenging themselves now instead of later."
Because college curriculums tend to be tightly structured, students can have difficulty finding time to create work, he said.
"If you study and execute a project, there will be an outcome and a grade," he said. "Art doesn't work that way. You need to be working harder."
Some students, like Scott Wilson, finance major at The U of M, said they enjoy Brewer's work.
"He's very true to his films, and the way he directs is awesome," he said. "The way he portrays Memphis in Hustle and Flow is phenomenal. He has worked very hard to get where he's at."
Brewer's hard work and artistic versatility were grounds for honoring him as the thirtieth recipient of the CCFA's Distinguished Achievement Award, said Dean Deyo, president of the Memphis Music Foundation.
"Craig is one of those people who has his foot in all the arts," he said. "He is a great representative for the arts in Memphis."
Deyo said The Poor and Hungry amazed him.
"I was really impressed with him in the early stages, when he was shooting video in black and white with a handheld camera," he said. "It was amazing what he could do then, and now he has a big budget."
The award honors artists of all mediums, said Simone Notter Wilson, Administrative Associate of CCFA.
"It honors a Memphian for his or her achievement in creating and performing," she said. "The award was established in honor of Elvis Presley in 1979."
Past recipients include Sam Phillips, Booker T. Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King and CybillShepherd.
