Meltdown in Dixie, a documentary film about the battle over a Confederate flag flying outside of an ice cream shop in Orangeburg, will premiere on SCETV at 6pm on Sunday, October 10th. SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant.
Directed by Orangeburg, S.C. native Emily Harrold, Meltdown in Dixie explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in the 21st century through a local look at a battle over a flag flying outside the Edisto River Creamery. The film follows the owner of the Creamery as he tries to bring the flag down. Countering this, the film also profiles the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who want to keep the flag flying.
“The role of Confederate symbols in our society today is a very charged and dividing issue,” said director Emily Harrold. “While it was hard to turn the camera on my hometown on such a controversial subject, I believe the film offers insights on all sides of the issue. I hope the film encourages audiences to more openly consider their feelings on the topic and acknowledge the legacy of hurt that Confederate symbols continue to uphold.”
This airing of Meltdown in Dixie follows a film festival tour of the film that has included Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (where the film won Best Short), American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (where the film won Best US Short), and Ashland Independent Film Festival (where the film won Best Documentary Short). The film is a Topic Original Documentary. It is part of the World Channel’s America Reframed Series.
Along with the ETV broadcast, Meltdown in Dixie will play on the South Carolina Channel on October 11th at 8pm and ETV World on October 17th at 2pm.
Official Website: https://www.meltdownindixie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeltdownInDixie
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA ETV AND PUBLIC RADIO
South Carolina ETV is the state’s public educational broadcasting network. Using television, radio and diverse digital properties, ETV’s mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning. ETV currently presents A Chef’s Life, Expeditions, Reel South, Yoga in Practice and Live from Charleston Music Hall on public television in addition to the national radio production, Chamber Music from Spoleto Festival USA.
ABOUT EMILY HARROLD
Emily Harrold, Producer/Director, is a documentary filmmaker from Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her films have screened at festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, DOC NYC and the Telluride Film Festival. Harrold produced the PBS American Experience documentary Voice of Freedom about singer Marian Anderson, which premiered in February 2021. Her feature documentary directing debut, While I Breathe, I Hope about politician Bakari Sellers, won the documentary Audience Award at the 2018 New Orleans Film Festival, premiered on WorldChannel’s AfroPop series in 2019, and won a 2020 Southeast Region Emmy. Harrold is also part of the team behind Discovery’s Tigerland (Sundance 2019) and National Geographic’s Ron Howard-directed Rebuilding Paradise (Sundance 2020). Harrold is a member of Film Fatales and the collective The Filmshop. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 21-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
