Shuvrajit Das Biswas
‘Miss Juneteenth‘ is a wonderful debut feature film from Channing Godfrey Peoples that explores the Miss Juneteenth tradition in the Lone Star State. We see how a mother who is dissatisfied with her life tries to get her daughter to be part of the Miss Juneteenth Pageant. She wants her daughter to have a better life and get a scholarship to a historically black college. Peoples has colored the movie with her opinions and experiences, and due to the personal nature of the story told, you might be wondering where ‘Miss Juneteenth’ has been filmed.
Miss Juneteenth Filming Locations:
‘Miss Juneteenth’ has been filmed entirely in Fort Worth, Texas, in the summer of 2019. More specifically, filming has taken place in the Southside neighborhood where the director grew up, and also in the historically African American neighborhood of Como, west of the city center.
Among the specific locations where filming has taken place is the Northside Laundromat at 1507 North Main Street, Fort Worth. It is located just southeast of Marine Park. We get to see the Speedway Car Wash at 5225 McCart Avenue, located conveniently north of I-20/Southwest Loop 820 and off McCart Avenue, the Ignis Fashion Design at 2239 North Main Street, and Viola’s Cafe at 312 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Some scenes have been shot at the Juneteenth Museum at 901 East Rosedale. The museum is dedicated to preserving local memories and historical relics. You can check out the director’s photo at the site.
The movie has also been filmed at Llyod’s Cafe at 1264 East Rosedale Street. Popular among locals and visitors, the cafe is known for its Southern barbecue. Among the themes touched upon in ‘Miss Juneteenth’ is motherhood, the sense of community, and women in society. Accordingly, some parts have been filmed in the Women’s Club of Fort Worth, at 1316 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the oldest organization there dedicated to empowering and supporting women. Finally, some scenes have also been shot at American Legion on 1250 Mansfield Avenue. It is a veterans service organization that mentors youths and lends support to community programs.
Therefore, it is clear that ‘Miss Juneteenth’ has resorted to extremely location-specific filming. After all, the movie aims to capture the director’s experiences while growing up. At the same time, the film attempts to portray the community and its culture. While all the locations aren’t iconic, they all help in weaving a tale that is extremely personal to the filmmaker. By keeping the entire project local, from the choice of filming spots to the crew, Channing Godfrey Peoples has managed to accurately depict the essence of what the Miss Juneteenth Pageant means to her, and by extension, an entire community.
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