The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) will host a free screening of the 2025 hit film Sinners on October 15 at the Temple Theater, followed by a panel discussion on October 16 at The MAX.
Set in Mississippi and showcasing Mississippi musicians, Sinners follows twin brothers in 1932 Clarksdale who return home to open a juke joint. The film intertwines historical drama, social commentary, and horror with a soundtrack that features Mississippians Bobby Rush, Cedric Burnside, James "Super Chikan" Johnson, Sharde Thomas-Mallory, and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. A box office and cultural sensation, it became the highest-grossing original live-action film in the United States in 15 years.
The two-day experience will begin with a free screening of the film at The Temple Theater on Wednesday, October 15, at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to The MAX the following night, Thursday, October 16, at 6:30 pm, for a robust panel discussion featuring Chandra Williams, Executive Director of the Crossroads Cultural Arts Center in Clarksdale, Tyler Yarbrough, a Project Manager for Partnership for a Healthier America's work in the Mississippi Delta who helped organize this summer's Sinners weekend in Clarksdale, Nina Parikh, Director of Film Mississippi, and Jay Wesley, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians who served as a cultural consultant for Sinners and also appears in the film as an extra. The panel will be moderated by Ralph Eubanks, an accomplished writer currently serving as writer-in-residence at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, and will conclude with a performance by Rev. Slim, a blues artist from Grenada, Mississippi.
“Everyone who has seen Sinners wants to discuss it,” said Penny Kemp, President and CEO of The MAX. “I’ve seen the film twice and I can hardly wait to see it again. Bringing it to The Temple is a perfect fit and we look forward to a lively discussion and live music at The MAX.”
The MAX is partnering with Film Mississippi, the Mississippi Film Society, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and Downtown Meridian for the screening and panel discussion.
Concessions, including traditional movie fare along with beer and wine, will be available at the screening with all proceeds benefiting The Temple Theater.
Sinners is rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content, and language. Parental guidance is strongly suggested.
For more information about these and other upcoming events, visit www.msarts.org/events.
