Southern Documentary Project

Southern Documentary Project SouthDocs is an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. We teach the next generation of storytellers.

MA-Documentary Track
MFA-Documentary Expression

Documentary Day Camp 2026!! ✨️ Tech demos, camera fun, inspirational speeches, and homemade bagels. No better way to sta...
08/21/2026

Documentary Day Camp 2026!! ✨️ Tech demos, camera fun, inspirational speeches, and homemade bagels. No better way to start the semester!

📸: Olivia Whittington

“Southern Studies Alumna Combines Research and Storytelling at ESPN” written by Rebecca Lauck Cleary. “The foundation of...
08/10/2026

“Southern Studies Alumna Combines Research and Storytelling at ESPN” written by Rebecca Lauck Cleary. “The foundation of Liza-Handly Hughes’ storytelling ability was cemented at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Now, the recent alumna puts those skills to use as a sports content researcher for ESPN." Congrats, Liza!!!

🎉 Congratulations to Ashish Shrestha for successfully defending his MFA thesis, “Threading the American Dream.” Ashish ...
07/20/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Ashish Shrestha for successfully defending his MFA thesis, “Threading the American Dream.” Ashish is pictured here with his committee Prof. Juli Jackson, Prof. John Rash (Chair), and Dr. Andy Harper.

07/09/2026

“This project is a documentary profile of Joe Wrenn, a folk artist based in Tillatoba, Mississippi, that is framed as a conversation. Filmed inside of his studio in Tillatoba, and at the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, the work moves between intimate and public spaces to explore how Wrenn’s art lives in dialogue with the state of Mississippi.

Wrenn describes his process of creating pairings on luan boards and hand-carved wood, transforming everyday materials into layered visual narratives. His work is deeply rooted in history and place, particularly the legacy of Black farmers in Tallahatchie County, whose labor and memory continue to shape both the land and his artistic practice. Through his storytelling and various works of art, their histories are able to live on today."

To watch the film, follow the link in our bio or visit https://southdocs.org/mississippi-creates-visual-art/.

Janelle Minor is a Southern Studies MA student (documentary track) at the The University of Mississippi - Ole Miss, where she also earned her undergraduate degree. An Oxford native, she explores the relationship between public narratives and lived experience, with a focus on the Mississippi Delta.

Her work examines race, memory, and representation through documentary storytelling. Utilizing oral history, photography, and videography she is committed to centering the voices of Black Mississippians and centering the joy and pride that is present in this heavily contested space. She aims to document each life with care, depth, and paying attention to the voices that shape it.

Mississippi Creates: Visual Art is a collaborative project between SouthDocs, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

“This project is a documentary profile of Joe Wrenn, a folk artist based in Tillatoba, Mississippi, that is framed as a ...
07/08/2026

“This project is a documentary profile of Joe Wrenn, a folk artist based in Tillatoba, Mississippi, that is framed as a conversation. Filmed inside of his studio in Tillatoba, and at the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, the work moves between intimate and public spaces to explore how Wrenn’s art lives in dialogue with the state of Mississippi.

Wrenn describes his process of creating pairings on luan boards and hand-carved wood, transforming everyday materials into layered visual narratives. His work is deeply rooted in history and place, particularly the legacy of Black farmers in Tallahatchie County, whose labor and memory continue to shape both the land and his artistic practice. Through his storytelling and various works of art, their histories are able to live on today."

To watch the film, follow the link in our bio or visit https://southdocs.org/mississippi-creates-visual-art/.

Janelle Minor is a Southern Studies MA student (documentary track) at the University of Mississippi, where she also earned her undergraduate degree. An Oxford native, she explores the relationship between public narratives and lived experience, with a focus on the Mississippi Delta.

Her work examines race, memory, and representation through documentary storytelling. Utilizing oral history, photography, and videography she is committed to centering the voices of Black Mississippians and centering the joy and pride that is present in this heavily contested space. She aims to document each life with care, depth, and paying attention to the voices that shape it.

Mississippi Creates: Visual Art is a collaborative project between SouthDocs, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act, one of the most far-reaching pieces o...
07/06/2026

On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act, one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in United States history.

In 2015, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of this watershed event, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History partnered with the Southern Documentary Project, an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, to produce the original short film, "50 Years and Forward: The Voting Rights Act in Mississippi."

50 Years and Forward: The Voting Rights Act in Mississippi traces several events that led to the passage of the act through historical materials and contemporary interviews.

To watch the film, visit southdocs.org/projects or follow the link in our bio.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has issued rulings that weaken the Voting Rights Act.

On April 29, 2026, the court issued a 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, essentially dismantling Section 2.

This section prohibits state and local government from enacting any voting standard, practice, or procedure that discriminates on the basis of race, color, or membership in a protected language group.

This ruling has triggered a wave of map redrawing and gerrymandering across the South that will have an immediate impact on communities of color by diluting political representation.

Combined with rulings that simultaneously allow states to restrict access to early voting, implement voter ID requirements, and administer voter purges, these rulings promise to undo all that the Voting Rights Act accomplished.

50 Years and Forward reminds us why the act was necessary in 1965, and still relevant now.

Feeling stuck in a creative rut? Sometimes a focused exercise is all you need to clear your mind, and get back into the ...
06/30/2026

Feeling stuck in a creative rut? Sometimes a focused exercise is all you need to clear your mind, and get back into the creative groove!

You can watch Cody's film "Five Years in 8mm" today for free! Visit Voices With Impact Film Festival, and follow the lin...
06/25/2026

You can watch Cody's film "Five Years in 8mm" today for free! Visit Voices With Impact Film Festival, and follow the link in their bio. "Five Years in 8mm" is one of ten films featured from Voices with Impact's 2026 cohort. Congrats, Cody!!

06/23/2026

Check out the trailer for "Mississippi Made'" by Mariel Sprock and Cody Stickels!

“Our intention in making this documentary about the Mississippi based painter Brejenn Allen is to show how art can be a way to care for yourself while also caring for your community. Our central idea is that you can change the world through art when you take care of yourself first, and we wanted to explore how that looks in a real person’s life. Through following Brejenn’s routines, driving through Mississippi, working with kids, planning her projects, and creating her artwork, we aim to show how her creativity is shaped by the world around her and her interaction with it."

To watch the film, follow the link in our bio or visit https://southdocs.org/mississippi-creates-visual-art/.

Mariel Sprock is a master’s student majoring in American Studies. Currently enrolled at a university in Germany, she spent an academic year at the University of Mississippi as part of her graduate studies. With a strong interest in U.S. history and contemporary American society, she joined the course Documenting the South in Film to deepen her understanding of Southern culture while gaining hands-on experience in documentary filmmaking. The work created reflects a curiosity about regional identity, storytelling, and everyday life in the American South.

Cody Stickels is a filmmaker, photographer, and writer focused on emotionally driven stories that unite audiences. He’s a Chicken & Egg (Egg)celerator Lab fellow with A Texas Son and participated in the Film Independent Documentary Story Lab. Most recently, Cody was selected for the Voices With Impact Mental Health Short Film Grant for 5 Years in 8mm. Cody holds a BFA in Film & TV from New York University and currently serves as a Teaching Assistant while pursuing his MFA in Documentary Expression at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

Mississippi Creates: Visual Art is a collaborative project between the SouthDocs, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Department of Theatre & Film at the University of Mississippi, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

“Our intention in making this documentary about the Mississippi based painter Brejenn Allen is to show how art can be a ...
06/23/2026

“Our intention in making this documentary about the Mississippi based painter Brejenn Allen is to show how art can be a way to care for yourself while also caring for your community. Our central idea is that you can change the world through art when you take care of yourself first, and we wanted to explore how that looks in a real person’s life. Through following Brejenn’s routines, driving through Mississippi, working with kids, planning her projects, and creating her artwork, we aim to show how her creativity is shaped by the world around her and her interaction with it."

To watch the film, follow the link in our bio or visit https://southdocs.org/mississippi-creates-visual-art/.

Mariel Sprock is a master’s student majoring in American Studies. Currently enrolled at a university in Germany, she spent an academic year at the University of Mississippi as part of her graduate studies. With a strong interest in U.S. history and contemporary American society, she joined the course Documenting the South in Film to deepen her understanding of Southern culture while gaining hands-on experience in documentary filmmaking. The work created reflects a curiosity about regional identity, storytelling, and everyday life in the American South.

Cody Stickels is a filmmaker, photographer, and writer focused on emotionally driven stories that unite audiences. He’s a Chicken & Egg (Egg)celerator Lab fellow with A Texas Son and participated in the Film Independent Documentary Story Lab. Most recently, Cody was selected for the Voices With Impact Mental Health Short Film Grant for 5 Years in 8mm. Cody holds a BFA in Film & TV from New York University and currently serves as a Teaching Assistant while pursuing his MFA in Documentary Expression at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

Mississippi Creates: Visual Art is a collaborative project between the Southern Documentary Project, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

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