Houston Premier of INSIDE THE CIRCLE This Friday at MFAH

“If you can hold yourself down in battle, you can hold yourself down in life.”
Romeo Navarro, founder of B-Boy City



After a critically acclaimed world premiere at SXSW earlier this year, the award-winning documentary INSIDE THE CIRCLE will have its Houston premiere as part of the MFAH “Premieres and Revivals” series. The film will screen at 7 pm and 9:30 pm on Friday October 26. The film’s director Marcy Garriott will participate in an audience Q&A after each screening, along with the film’s subjects: dancers Omar Davila, Josh Ayers, and Romeo Navarro.

Capturing the raw power of a grassroots hip-hop movement, INSIDE THE CIRCLE tells the story of two strikingly talented Texas b-boys (break dancers.) Josh and Omar are former best friends who become rivals when they join competing dance crews. Immersed in the b-boy culture of defiant creativity, Omar rises to international renown while Josh tangles repeatedly with the law. Both of them struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives, and the “B-Boy City” competitive events thrown by visionary street dancer Romeo Navarro serve as emotional milestones in their journey to adulthood. As Romeo aptly observes: “If you can hold yourself down in battle, you can hold yourself down in life.”

INSIDE THE CIRCLE reveals a hip-hop culture sometimes invisible to the world at large, full of love, acceptance, hope and creativity.

Director Marcy Garriott is a Houston native and Rice graduate who now lives in Austin. Josh Ayers (Masterz of Mayhem/MIND180 crews) and Omar Davila (Jive Turkeys/Mighty Zulu Kingz crews) are world-class b-boys who regularly win international competitions; Josh also tours with Black-Eyed Peas vocalist Fergie.

INSIDE THE CIRCLE takes us across Texas, and around the world, with a few stops in Houston along the way. The innovative Houston-based non-profit Youth Advocates is featured, along with members of world-renowned Houston dance crew HaviKoro. The film’s short animated sequences and its website were developed by Houstonian b-boy Mario Jaramillo and his graphic arts company Robot Agency.

The film is very character/narrative-driven, but at the same time deals with universal issues felt by the b-boy community worldwide. The three b-boys that it focuses on (Romeo, Omar & Milky) will be in Houston also for the screening, available for interviews, etc. And Houston’s HaviKoro crew shows up through-out the film, as the established “role models” for the younger up & coming b-boys. The film has other strong Houston ties as well, such as highlighting the unconventional youth intervention organization Youth Advocates.

www.insidethecircle.com

So come out and see the HOUSTON PREMIERE of the award-winning documentary INSIDE THE CIRCLE at THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON (Same place the Bun B screening of STyle Wars was held)

Friday October 26, 7:00 and 9:30 pm

1100 Bissonnet Street

Director Q&A after each screening, plus b-boys Josh, Omar & Romeo

After-party till 2 AM with DJ Comp1, 2609 Dunlavy

Praise for the film:

** SXSW 2007 Audience Award **

** San Diego Film Festival 2007 Audience Choice Award **

“Amazingly good…”
www.aintitcool.com

“Easily the single most inspirational and gripping film of its kind I’ve seen in quite some time...”
www.film.com

“An absorbing documentary about two Texas b-boys that not only features the most sizzling breakdancing to be seen on the big or small screen, but also does the only lucid job I've yet encountered of explaining the aesthetic of this street art without diluting its power...”
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun

“It’s a film about perseverance in life and transformation through art that gives a message of hope to everyone.”
Nancy Schiesari, Award-winning filmmaker and Professor, University of Texas Dept. of Radio-Television-Film

“… a MUST-SEE film…”
Adrian Harewood, CBC Radio, Ottawa Canada

(PS We will be giving tix away to new members tonight on Damage Control so tune in).