Memphis is partnering as Sister City with Porretta Terme, a town in northern Italy. Memphis & Shelby County Film Commissioner Linn Sitler describes this collaboration as “a dream come true.” As a result of this partnership, “Memphis Day” will be celebrated during the Festival del Cinema di Porretta Terme, scheduled for December 6–13, 2025.
The festival will conclude with a double feature that includes Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow" and Teresa Dickerson's "Hoop Street." These screenings mark the latest achievement of The Film Exchange, a program developed by the Memphis & Shelby County Film/Television Commission in collaboration with the Porretta Film Festival. It aims to promote locally produced films between the two regions.
This year, The Film Exchange hosted a feature competition where the winner would earn a trip to the Porretta Film Festival and the chance to screen their film. A jury comprised of film professors, a producer, and a cinema author selected "Hoop Street" from five submissions by filmmakers from Shelby County. The trip is sponsored by Craig Brewer and the festival.
According to Luca Elmi, president of the Porretta Film Festival, "In one year, The Film Exchange has grown from [us] screening only short films from Memphis in 2024 to screening a feature-length film at our 2025 Festival. We are very excited to show off films from our Sister City to our international audience of film lovers."
Brewer said the 20th anniversary of "Hustle & Flow" makes the moment especially meaningful. "I'm honored on the 20th Anniversary of 'Hustle & Flow' to know that it will be shown at Memphis' Sister City's prestigious film festival—Festival del Cinema di Porretta Terme. What an opportunity to showcase side-by-side my early example of Memphis independent film and an example of local independent film today, 'Hoop Street!'"
Directed by Memphis filmmaker Princeton James, "Hoop Street" marks the debut feature film by Teresa Dickerson. This project is a co-production by her company, Isaiah 54 Films, alongside Princeton James Productions and Gravity Productions.
Dickerson, who previously worked with the Memphis Grizzlies and Kroger, said the selection is a career milestone. "Having my first feature film, 'Hoop Street,' selected to screen at The Porretta Film Festival is truly beyond anything I could have hoped! I'm so thankful to The Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission for giving local filmmakers like me a platform to share our stories, especially with 'Hoop Street' also receiving The City of Memphis/Film Commission Production Incentive Award for Memphis Filmmakers. I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Craig Brewer for sponsoring my flight to Italy and for his belief in independent Memphis films."
James said he was drawn to Dickerson's vision from the start. "When Teresa first approached me about 'Hoop Street,' I immediately saw her passion, her work ethic, and her integrity and I knew I wanted to help steward that vision.... I'm grateful to God for the opportunity to operate in my gift and to contribute to another feature film coming out of Memphis and The Mid-South...."
A small delegation from Memphis will travel with Dickerson and James to Porretta Terme in December for "Memphis Day," which will be held on the festival's closing date, December 13. This event not only fosters cultural exchange but also celebrates the legacy of Memphis filmmaking—both past and present—on an international stage.