This three-year, self-funded production follows Nojoe’s Circus, led by Joey Thurmond, on the road traveling to festivals all over the United States. The film features interviews from iconic clowns and circus performers talking about the misunderstood art of clowning. Viewers also get to see Joey and his family’s journey from city to city, trying to entertain audiences while keeping their business afloat.
After a successful world premiere at the 1st annual Gwinnett Center International Film Festival in July of 2013, Mr. Espeut’s film took home two nominations and an “Audience Choice for Best Feature Film” award. Later that year, the film had its Kentucky premiere at Louisville’s International Festival of Film. Simultaneously, the film had its Michigan premiere as an official selection at the Flint Film Festival. Mr. Espeut finished 2013 with a Golden Reel Award in the Documentary Film Competition at the 5th annual Nevada International Film Festival.
This year, Mr. Espeut has been nominated for the Indie Auteur of the Year Award by the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival. In the 15-year history of Bare Bones, this award has been reserved only for narrative feature directors. Mr. Espeut will be heading to Muskogee, Oklahoma as the first documentary filmmaker to receive this nomination. Along with the film’s official selection and Oklahoma premiere, “GreasePaint” has been nominated for the Best Educational Feature Documentary Award at Bare Bones.
The Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival was named one of the “20 Best Festivals for New and Emerging Filmmakers” and has long been attributed as the “World’s Friendliest Film Festival”. They were also included as one the top 20 documentary festivals by PBS. “GreasePaint” will be screened on Saturday, April 12th at 4:00 p.m. at the Three Rivers Museum located at 220 Elgin Street, Muskogee, Oklahoma 74401. Mr. Espeut will be in attendance for the premiere and Q&A. For more information about the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival, visit http://www.barebonesfilmmusicfestival.org
In addition to the Bare Bones achievements, “GreasePaint” has been officially selected to have its Florida premiere at the 16th annual Sarasota Film Festival. Mr. Espeut considers this a true homecoming. Sarasota is so rich in circus history and some of the film’s interviewees have many ties to the city.
“GreasePaint” features International Clown Hall of Fame inductee Jackie LeClaire, who was interviewed at the Ringling Circus Museum along with former Ringling Brothers Circus clown Karen Bell. The film also features the circus museum’s curator Deborah W. Walk, who was interviewed on board the restored Wisconsin Pullman Rail Car, which belonged to John Ringling. The youngest “Boss Clown” in the history of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Chuck Sidlow, was also interviewed in Sarasota. Circus Ring of Fame member, Dolly Jacobs, was interviewed at Circus Sarasota, which she actually co-founded. Dolly is the daughter of Master Clown Lou Jacobs, who is an International Clown Hall of Fame inductee and was the first living person to have his portrait appear on an American postage stamp. “GreasePaint” will be having two screenings at the Regal Hollywood Stadium 20 located at 1993 Main Street, Sarasota, Florida 34236. The first screening is Tuesday, April 8th at 5:30 p.m. in Theater 10 and the second screening is Wednesday, April 9th at 6:30 p.m. in Theater 8. Mr. Espeut will be in attendance for the premiere and the Q&A sessions that follow each screening.
For more information about the Sarasota Film Festival, visit http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com. For more information about “GreasePaint,” visit http://www.GreasePaintFilm.com.
