‘Steel Dreams’ is first up for Henry Turner Jr. Foundation’s new film series

Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room Museum Foundation will present a new film series the last Saturday of each month, beginning at 8:30 p.m. April 29 and continuing into 2024.

The films will spotlight Louisiana and other regional filmmakers with a focus on the arts, music and industry. The screenings will take place at Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 2733 North St., Baton Rouge.

The April 29 offering will be “Steel Dreams” by Charles Bush. It’s the story of African American artist Albert “Al” Lavergne, who is internationally known for his life-size and larger-than-life metal sculptures. A graduate of Southern University, he became a professor at Western Michigan University. Some of his work is still on display in Baton Rouge — “Awakening” on the Southern University campus and “The Musicians” near the State Capitol.

On May 27, it’s “Jessi Campo Live at Mardi Gras,” filmed in 2020 at the 7th Annual Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival. Based in Miami, Campo is a bilingual songwriter and Latin powerhouse torch singer. The documentary was produced by Martin Louper for Fresh Wave Media Solutions in Baton Rouge.

A series of short films by local filmmaker and podcaster Nick Savides will be presented June 24. The shorts will cover everything from local industries to museums, love and war, war and peace, animation, fairy tales and music.

Turner will give an acoustic performance after each film.

More screenings will be announced quarterly.

The $10 admission will also include a soul food side dish; nonalcoholic beverages and snacks will be available for sale.

For more info, visit htjmuseum.org or call (225) 802-9681.

The monthly film series is sponsored by Louisiana Entertainment, a Division of Louisiana Economic Development; Cutting Edge Music Business Conferences and the museum foundation.