About Us

Founded in 2024 by filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist Devon “Vonnie” Smith, the South Dallas Cinema Project (SDCP) is a community-based moving-image initiative dedicated to expanding access to Black film, contemporary art, and public dialogue in South Dallas.

Operating through a decentralized, distributed model, SDCP brings film screenings, moving-image exhibitions, workshops, and public conversations directly into libraries, recreation centers, cultural institutions, museums, parks, and neighborhood spaces throughout South Dallas. Rather than relying on a single venue, the Project builds lasting partnerships across the neighborhood, expanding access to the arts while strengthening the neighborhood's cultural infrastructure through recurring public programs.

Since its founding, SDCP has collaborated with the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, South Dallas Cultural Center, Southern Methodist University's Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Through these relationships, the Project connects artists, scholars, filmmakers, and neighborhood residents through shared encounters with cinema.

SDCP views cinema not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a catalyst for conversation, learning, and collective community life.

Founder and Director

Devon “Vonnie” Smith

Devon “Vonnie” Smith is a filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist, and Professor of Practice in Production at Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts.

His artistic practice encompasses documentary and experimental moving-image work, with particular attention to Black cultural histories, memory, representation, and the preservation of histories often excluded from dominant narratives.

Through the South Dallas Cinema Project, Smith extends his artistic practice into a sustained program of neighborhood-based screenings, creative exchange, and public engagement.

The South Dallas Cinema Project is an initiative of South Second Contemporary.