PHOTOS AND STORY BY HANNAH GORE

The City of Jackson saw the arrival of its first film festival this August, thanks to the leadership of one local filmmaker who decided to bring her idea into reality. The Hub City Film Festival was hosted at the Ned R. McWherter Center in August and featured an opportunity for locals to view movies made by filmmakers from the West Tennessee region. In addition to the film viewing, attendees were able to hear from these local filmmakers in panel discussions and Q&A sessions that occurred periodically throughout the festival.

This festival was directed by Shelby Tyre, whose background in the movie and television world played a major role in her decision to plan and host a film event in Jackson that could bring the film community together.

“Film has always been so fascinating to me. I loved watching movies and television growing up. There’s something about when you are encapsulated in a story, the theater lights are low and it is just you and another world. I went off to film school and then moved to Los Angeles for a few years. But during the pandemic, I came home and instantly knew I was home and the only thing missing was a community of filmmakers and artists. I knew we were here, it was just about finding them. So a festival was the obvious answer to that problem,” Shelby said.

Shelby was born and raised in Ohio and spent time in multiple states before moving home to Jackson. While she was growing up, Shelby often visited family in Los Angeles who were involved in the entertainment industry. She explained this connection to the industry helped her gain an appreciation for movies and television from a young age.

“I did a lot of those studio tours when I would go visit family out in LA, so the film world was this amazing and magical place that I badly wanted to be a part of,” Shelby stated.

Shelby attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied production. She explained that though she originally wanted to study directing, she chose production because she felt that learning the art of creating a film in its fullness would be the most beneficial to her in her career. Shelby mentioned that she gained more knowledge of the logistics behind how a film is made, and how valuable that was to her in understanding how to take an idea to a movie screen.

After graduating college in 2018, Shelby pursued her filmmaking dreams in LA. She worked as an assistant to talent agents, but felt that she was unable to do the kind of work she wanted to be doing. Eventually she made the decision to move back home to Jackson. She began working with local news station WBBJ as both the nightly news director and the Football Friday Night executive producer.

These events in Shelby’s life led to a passion for seeing local cinema represented in the city of Jackson. Inspired by her West Tennessee community and their ability to come together to celebrate people, causes, and culture, Shelby began to pursue the planning of the Hub City Film Festival.

“The idea sparked up among a few friends of mine about a year ago, and I’m the type that if I think I can do something right then I’m gonna go for it,” Shelby said.

Shelby knew that there were filmmakers eager to show their work to their community, as well as people who were willing to help fund and organize a film event. Despite the challenges of planning an event that is the first of its kind, Shelby was encouraged by her community and their willingness to help and be a part of the city’s first ever film festival.

“This has been simmering below the surface here in West Tennessee for a while. It just needed someone to help bring it up to the forefront and get it started. And I’m really happy that I had a group of friends and people to encourage me to try and do that,” said Shelby.

Shelby made it clear that she wanted this event to become a way for local filmmakers and film enthusiasts to make their presence known not only to one another, but also to those who are not yet involved but would like to be in the future: “Like I said, filmmakers and artists are here; we just don’t have a place for us to meet and really establish that film community. My hope is that over time that grows and allows people to find each other and collaborate and create more films and art.”

Shelby mentioned that she was incredibly proud of the event. Shelby’s passion for the art of film and her faith in her community played a key role in making this event happen, and she hopes that the festival will only grow more in coming years.

“I think from this first festival we brought some awareness just to the fact that we are here and creating. I think the more we make our presence known, the more people who aren't filmmakers or artists will want to be involved. It doesn't just stop at this festival. I hope people are ready to hear more from us,” said Shelby, regarding how she thought the film festival impacted Jackson.

It is because of Shelby and her team’s hard work that the festival was such a success. This film event has already made it apparent that there are people here who are waiting for the opportunity to be involved in this facet of the arts in Jackson.

“When people think of film, movies, TV, etcetera, they think of the big Hollywood world. We often don’t think about the aspiring filmmakers and creators, or what those 'big Hollywood' people had to do to get where they are. There are James Camerons, Ava Duvernays, Greta Gerwigs, Wes Andersons, Christopher Nolans, etc. right here in West TN, we just have to give them their audience and support them to work toward their goals,” Shelby explained.

Whether it be through sharing their own films or attending the festival to support other creators, the Hub City Film Festival is set to become a much-anticipated and well-attended celebration of another set of artists who find their way to Jackson, Tennessee.

Contact Shelby Tyre at shelbyadeletyre@gmail.com to learn more about the festival or get involved.

Hannah Gore is a photographer from Jackson,Tennessee, who currently lives in the nearby town of Medina. She graduated from Jackson State Community College in 2023 with a degree in mass communication. Through her passion for authenticity, she seeks to capture the heart and soul of Jackson through the art of photography. When she doesn’t have a camera in her hand, you can find her in the corner of a coffee shop with a good book, brushing up on her foreign language skills, or watching Korean dramas.

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