A celebration of harmony, fellowship and a gospel noisy crew.
The only thing mightier than Lena Mae Perry’s electrifying voice is her faith. She’s spent the last 50 years sharing and sharpening both as the steadfast bandleader of The Branchettes, a legendary North Carolina gospel group that has packed churches throughout the South and lifted weary hearts as far away as Ireland. STAY PRAYED UP is a spirited celebration, inviting audiences into “Mother” Perry’s close-knit community as the 82-year-old strives to extend her sacred song ministry ever forward.
“I belong to a noisy crew, a church gospel noisy crew,”
— Wilbur Tharpe
The film follows The Branchettes as they record their first, fully live album, a hallmark in the canon of Black gospel groups. Health concerns with long-time, long-fingered pianist and friend Wilbur Tharpe underscore the importance of “capturing the spirit” for producer Phil Cook, a white Wisconsin-born gospel enthusiast and musical polyglot half of Perry’s age. Through shared prayer, laughter and praise, this “church gospel noisy crew” demonstrates that music, like faith, ain’t nothing without some fire inside.
News
“Stay Prayed Up” Premieres at 48th Annual Telluride Film Festival
“Mother” Lena Mae Perry and The Branchettes brought audiences to church during a Sunday morning world premiere and surprise performance at the 48th Annual Telluride Film Festival. The feature length documentary and concert film was one of just three dozen films screening at the annual high-profile event in Telluride, Colorado over a gorgeous Memorial Day weekend.
“I’ve never seen a film about gospel music that so beautifully depicts the music’s deep spiritual power”
in a recent interview with film team members for Telluride’s Publication Film Watch.
The Palm Theater was filled with a joyful noise from the festival audience throughout the Sunday screening, with many moved to tears as The Branchettes took the stage and delivered a “real Telluride moment” according to Festival Director Julie Huntsinger.
Upcoming Screenings
“I’m not a show off when it comes with dealing with God. He’s got to be in the midst or I need to go somewhere and sit down.”
The Filmmaking Team
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Concert film crew, from left, Ben Turney (Production Audio), Mikel Barton (Producer), Cornell Campbell (Cam. Op.), Corey Reid (Cam. Op.), John Laww (Cam. Op.), Mother Lena Mae Perry, Matt Durning (Co-Director, D.P.), Lena C. Williams (Producer), Matt Hedt (Gaffer, Cam. Op.), D.L. Anderson (Co-Director, D.P.)
Co-Director D.L. Anderson
Over the past decade, Co-Director D.L. Anderson has made visual meals out of music and moments from the rural American South. His first documentary feature FARMER/VETERAN (Co-Director, Editor, Producer) is an immersive experience that “defies your expectations at every turn.” Its broadcast premiere on PBS’ INDEPENDENT LENS followed festival acclaim from Shanghai to Hot Springs. A more recent doc-hybrid short, THE SEEDS WE KEEP (Co-Director, D.P., Editor) offers a luminous love song for the art of cultural preservation in the face of erasure. Anderson is a Co-Founder and the Creative Executive Producer at Vittles Films and SUPERCOLLIDER. You can often find him swimming in a river, eating sardines and seeking ways to dismantle systems of oppression with faith that there is a just and abundant table for all.
Co-Director Matt Durning
Co-Director Matt Durning makes films that amplify human connection. He came to documentary filmmaking through progressive political campaigns, and his passion for social justice continues to drive his work as a storyteller. Durning has produced lauded non-fiction work for outlets including HBO, ESPN, Wired, PBS FRONTLINE/World, Al Jazeera America, Ovation, Smithsonian Channel, and YouTube. His short documentary, PERRY COUNTY, won numerous festival accolades and was a national finalist for the IDA David L. Wolper Award. Durning is the founder and executive producer of Interlocking Pictures, a full-service documentary production company based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. With over a decade of experience in non-fiction film, television, and commercial production, Durning has established a directorial style guided by empathy, exploration, and execution.
Contact Us
For additional information or distribution; prayedup@vittles.us
For press or media inquiries contact; leslie@supercolliderco.com
Support Us
Would you like to help fund our film outreach or sponsor post-screening performances? Make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, The Southern Documentary Fund, or reach out directly to discuss further and hear our exciting release plans; prayedup@vittles.us
Partners
Stayed
Prayed Up LP
Live at Longbranch Disciples Of Christ Church in Newton Grove, NC on April the 6th, 2019.
12' vinyl record plus 16 page full color 8"x8" booklet
Limited Pressing of 300
After a nearly 50-year calling of singing gospel music, The Branchettes gave a live concert in 2019 to be both filmed and recorded. The resulting Stayed Prayed Up is the first live album in the band’s storied career. Featuring full-on vocals from Lena Mae Perry, glittering keys from Wilbur Tharpe, soaring harmony and a thundering tambourine by Angela Kent, all backed by The Guitar Heels. Over the course of these nine songs listeners are transported right inside the walls of Longbranch Disciples of Christ Church, never more sure of why The Branchettes have been touching audiences' hearts for half a century.
For more about the Branchettes, check out: