by Joy Doss | photos courtesy of Mark Jones
I sat down with filmmaker Mark Jones at Java Cabana, our interview set to a wonderfully expansive soundtrack that zigged from Amy Winehouse and Ray Charles then zagged to classic rock. It was quiet, save for the amazing music, as we sat nestled amongst all things vintage (how did I not know about the awesome vintage selection?!!).
Mark will try to tell you he’s a boring study, but don’t pay him no nevermind. He is anything but.
First of all, Mark, you were a closeted gay man in the 80s at a Presbyterian college as a religion major who did a brief work stint in rural Virginia. The town was called Meadows of Dan, which was near nothing. All of that is a story in and of itself.
As a filmmaker, Mark has experienced some success. Yet, he is also careful to remain grounded, connected and engaged with the community. He is actually a well-adjusted entertainment pro! That deserves a mention for sure.
Rewinding a bit:
His fascination with film was initiated when his family bought a camcorder in 1980. He and his brothers made films but Mark maintained his interest level, even making a film about the book of Amos in lieu of a paper in college. (Yes, he got a good grade.) With a little due diligence, I uncovered the digital nugget of fun that is The Edge of Happiness, his online soap opera. Clearly, it was a by-product of his love for daytime soaps as a Days fan and now a General Hospital fan. He says, “It’s the only genre where you might have romance, comedy, drama and suspense in one episode.” Truth! Though a few years old now, it is still available online. Perhaps one of these digital platform gurus can help monetize it! There should be more episodes of this! Do note that there are some familiar faces that float across the screen like WREG’s Cori Ventura and musician Billy Worley. In fact, Mark is intentional about using homegrown talent in his projects both in front of and behind the camera.
“We have an abundance of local talent—incredible actors and crew members. I thought about bringing people in but what we have here works!”
Having lived in New York City for 3 years as well as some other smaller towns, Mark clearly has love for Memphis, which is evidenced by his involvement. He is active at Idlewild Presbyterian Church and served as a deacon for three years.
He is involved in the committee to save the Coliseum; he’s on the board of Indie Memphis and heavily involved in Outflix. However, Mark is also a very passionate about the LGBT community. He would love to see the city be more progressive and honor some of its LGBT pioneers like Bill Kendall, who ran the Gill Theatre. Even raising the flag at city hall in his honor or for Pride, which would surprisingly be a first, would be a great step forward.
He has several ideas in mind, some that he is actively working toward like naming a street or park after Bill Kendall or declaring Bill Kendall Day. “Wouldn’t it be great to rename the Hernando DeSoto bridge? It would show the world that Memphis is secure in its masculinity.” Indeed!
As we talked, I learned that his passion is not limited. He participated in the recent Women’s March and the march against the immigration ban. He also has other ideas for the city like free bus service, noting that no-fare bus service would be faster and the number of riders may increase. This would make Memphis a model city. More importantly, it would put $3 a day back in the pockets of working class people, who rely most on public transportation.
“We have an imagination problem in Memphis. The government class continues to look back when they should be looking forward.” I said, hmmm, I feel politics in your spirit! He laughs at this and says it would be fun to run for City Council or Mayor but he isn’t sure he has what it takes. The BS may put him in a bad space. Nonetheless, he has faith in Mayor Strickland and hopes to see him move Memphis forward, eventually catching up to peer cities like Cincinnati.
However, since he came out in 1994 Memphis has moved closer to acceptance and safe space. Mark counts himself among the fortunate ones as many times these experiences are fraught or met with anger and rejection. His family initially had questions and concerns but they were ultimately very supportive. His parents joined PFLAG and his dad marched with in the Pride parade in 1997. He is also fortunate to be with longtime partner, Ben. They met at a wedding in 2001 and haven’t looked back since.
Mark continues to make movies, primarily centered around LGBT characters, stories and issues. His first film was a coming out story and his latest, Tennessee Queer enjoyed critical praise and a run at theaters. It’s available for purchase on Amazon or to rent on Amazon Prime. You can also buy it at 5-in-1 on Broad Avenue. He released a short film last year called Death$ in a $mall Town and is now set to shoot another short at the end of February, Winding Brook.
We may catch Mark at the movies, on the film circuit, in one of his favorites places in Cooper Young, or at his most favorite eatin’’ spot, Payne’s BBQ! But maaaaybe, just maybe, at City Hall as our city’s next LGBT pioneer. If he’s not in chambers, he’ll at least push some buttons!
We’ll keep our eyes peeled Mark. Keep going!
