![\"james-franco\"](\"http:\/\/james-franco.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/james-franco.jpg\")
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James Franco, Elysium Bandini Studios and UCLA are developing \u201cMississippi Requiem\u201d \u2014 a single movie consisting of four black and white shorts \u2014 Variety has learned exclusively. Franco will star in the adaptation of William Faulkner\u2019s stories, along with Topher Grace, Amy Smart and Alicia Witt.<\/p>\n
The pic deals with issues of race, gender and class set in the American South during the early 20th Century. Beth Grant, Marianna Palka, Elayn Taylor, Sky Van Vliet and Zackary Arthur also star, along with musician George Lewis Jr., known as Twin Shadow.<\/p>\n
The four Faulkner stories adapted include \u201cA Dry September,\u201d \u201cThat Evening Sun,\u201d \u201cElly\u201d and \u201cA Rose for Emily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elysium Bandini is partnered with UCLA\u2019s School of Theater, Film and Television; Lee Caplin of Picture Entertainment; and Sabrina Coryell of Engaging the Senses Foundation.<\/p>\n
This production is the second film collaboration this year under Elysium Bandini, the newly formed philanthropic studio model between Franco and Vince Jolivette\u2019s Rabbit Bandini Productions, and Jennifer Howell\u2019s The Art of Elysium.<\/p>\n
Elysium Bandini\u2019s existing film slate includes \u201cForever,\u201d \u201cYosemite,\u201d \u201cMemoria\u201d and the recently announced project at USC, \u201cThe Mad Whale.\u201d All of the movies\u2019 proceeds benefit programs for the nonprofit The Art of Elysium, a favorite charity of Kirsten Dunst, Eva Mendes, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.<\/p>\n
Franco directed two previous Faulker adaptations \u2014 \u201cAs I Lay Dying\u201d in 2013 and \u201cThe Sound and the Fury,\u201d which premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival.<\/p>\n
Student filmmaking teams on the four short films comprising \u201cMississippi Requiem\u201d are led by Arkesh Ajay, Jerell Rosales, Kelly Pike and Marta Savina, as well as UCLA producing students Juanita Cepero, Matt Russak, Aaron Edmonds, Safiya Farquharson, Zachary Hamby, Cecilia Albertini and Ariane Ackerberg.<\/p>\n
Executive producers are Franco, Jolivette and Howell of Elysium Bandini; Coryell of Engaging the Senses Foundation; and Lee Caplin of Picture Entertainment, who also represents Faulkner\u2019s estate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n