Independent filmmaker Henry Ferrini hails from Gloucester Massachusetts, the vibrant and struggling New England seaport that has, for more than 25 years, been his muse. Over the years, much of his work has been focused on his hometown, cultivating a passion for local cultural geography that has summoned him to surrounding working-class communities such as Lynn, Salem, Peabody and Lowell, unearthing material most would overlook. His latest project returns him once again to his own backyard.
In all of Henry Ferrini's work there is a central mission: To connect into the place that holds our being. Known for non-fiction films, Ferrini’s free form approach creates distinctive non-linear films. Powerful independent elements (imagery, music and narration) become fused to create, according to Ferrini, "film poems." This form is plain in his most recent release, "Lowell Blues: The Words of Jack Kerouac," a 30 minute journey through Kerouac's hometown guided by readers Gregory Corso, Johnny Depp, Carolyn Cassady, David Amram, Robert Creeley, and Joyce Johnson, with an original musical score composed by international jazz legend Lee Konitz, Willie Alexander and Jim Doherty. Lowell Blues recently garnered the "Grand Festival Award" in the 2001 Berkeley Film Festival, and has been featured in over 20 film festivals around the world. It has been incorporated into the Lowell public school curriculum, and Universities and public high schools have opted to include it in their semesters' syllabi.
Ferrini's current project focuses on the seminal avant-garde poet, Charles Olson. Little-known outside literary circles, Ferrini intends to bring a greater audience to the achievements and contributions of Olson.
Please visit my website at www.ferriniproductions.com to learn more about me. Information on my latest film Polis Is This: Charles Olson and the Persistence of Place can be found at www.polisisthis.com.
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