The fifth annual Indie Grits Film Festival, a juried film competition that focuses on empowering all levels of Southern filmmakers with an independent mentality and far-reaching artistic scope, will take place April 13-17, 2011 in Columbia, South Carolina.

“We were tired of films filled with caricatured rednecks and trailer parks so we created Indie Grits to showcase the exciting new work coming out of the Southeast. We embrace films and filmmakers from the fringes of the indie and experimental world, those who appreciate DIY filmmaking for what it is rather than thinking of it as a stepping stone to bigger filmmaking,” says Andy Smith, Indie Grits festival director. “Last year over 1,600 people attended Indie Grits films and programs, and we are really happy this is growing into such a regional event.”

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Indie Grits, the festival will feature several new exciting events, including famed filmmaker Helen Hill’s final work, “The Florestine Dresses.” Hill, a native of Columbia, was making this film when she was killed in her home in New Orleans in 2006. Hill’s husband, Paul Gailiunas, has been working to finish the film for several years, and the film will debut at Indie Grits.

In addition to a slate of experimental, feature-length, short and feature-length films, this year’s Indie Grits will also feature Crafty Feast on Saturday, April 16, as well as collaboration with Slow Food for a tasting event featuring several local chefs on Wednesday, April 13. Of course, there will also be several after-parties featuring local musicians at several venues around town, including a Toro y Moi performance. More screening details will come after all the films are collected following progressive deadlines this winter.

For more information, visit www.indiegrits.com . For interviews, email kwalker@RileyCommunications.com or call (803) 227-0914.