McKinney Avenue Contemporary to show Believe It Anyway!

The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) will show “Believe It Anyway!”—five stories from the Christian Bible presented in a series of silent short films—on Jan. 11 at 8:15 p.m. in the Heldt/Hall Theater. The films were created by A&M-Commerce Marketing Communications Creative Director Paul Bryan.

“Believe It Anyway!” is a collaborative project that presents Bryan's visuals with the accompaniment of a live orchestra conducted by A&M-Commerce graduate Chris Ramos, who composed the original score.

The screening, which will follow a 6 p.m. reception with the artists, will be Bryan's first major exhibition in Dallas.

Bryan's short movies explore questions surrounding faith and depict tales such as that of Abraham and Isaac, The Great Flood and the fall of Jericho through animation, stop motion, puppetry and live action.

“We have devoted ourselves to creating a truly honest look at modern faith and how it relates to some very troubling stories from the Old Testament,” said Bryan. “Sometimes abstract, sometimes whimsical, sometimes frightening, always emotional, viewers should prepare for no less than an audiovisual feast.”

A&M-Commerce hosted the first public performance of “Believe It Anyway!” in the Jack and Lou Finney Concert Hall of the music building in April 2013. It was the first event at the university to merge entirely original works of film and live music in a single show.

The screening of “Believe It Anyway!” at The MAC is a free event that is open to the public. For more information, visit http://the-mac.org/film-screening-paul-bryan-believe-it-anyway/ and the event’s Facebook page.

View a video from the event: