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CLEMSON - Aspiring Clemson University filmmakers have a chance to meet independent filmmakers working in the industry today, as the movie-makers bring their films to campus throughout the school year.

The Southern Circuit Film Series connects independent filmmakers to audiences throughout the South.

Assistant professor Aga Skrodzka-Bates oversees the Southern Circuit Film Series, which runs through April, at Clemson.

"It's a great opportunity for our students to talk to actual filmmakers working outside of the industry, who very often make their films on shoestring budgets," she said. "They can learn from the filmmaker everything from the type of camera they used to make their films to how to apply for grants to finance their project."

The first Clemson Southern Circuit screening takes place 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, with Jeff Riffe's documentary "Ripe for Change."

"It's a great independent documentary about the intersection of food and politics," Skrodzka-Bates said. "It's looks at sustainable agriculture, farming methods, mass production, all sorts of environmental issues."

Riffe will be on-hand to answer questions about his film after the screening.

"He's been making documentaries for a long time," she said.

Officials with Clemson are still exploring the possibility of creating a film major at the University, Skrodzka-Bates said.

"We're still in the process of encouraging the administration to look at that proposal with a kind eye," she said. "It would certainly add to the prestige of the institution."

Other films coming to Clemson are part of the series include "Counting Backwards," the story of a man who learns he has leukemia the day after he meets the woman of his dreams, Oct. 29; "The Meaning of Tea," a documentary about tea and its use around the world, Nov. 19; "Member of the Club," a look at the world of New Orlean's Mardi Gras Queen pageant contestants, Feb. 25; "All About Us," a film about two Africa-American men trying to make it big in Hollywood, April. 1; and "A Man named Pearl," artist Pearl Fryar, who creates beautiful creations with plants and shears, April 22.

All six screenings will be held at the McKissick Theatre at the Hendrix Student Center, and admission is free, Skrodzka-Bates said.