PLEASE ASK FOR IT is a 20-minute documentary film centered around Aikei Pro’s Record Shop in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
The shop’s proprietor, David “Fox” Caldwell, has played a critical role in spreading Black music across the region. Established in 1960 and located on “Blues Alley”, the shop has been featured in many blues magazines all over the world inspiring numerous collectors and enthusiasts to travel to Holly Springs to get a look inside and meet Mr. Caldwell.
Mr. Caldwell has managed to keep Aikei Pro’s open for 63 years; surviving Jim Crow, integration, and more recently, local efforts to gentrify and “clean up” the Alley where the shop is located.
The film is screening at film festivals in the US and Europe through August 2024.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Down on the Blues Alley in Holly Springs, Mississippi, you might meet David “Fox” Caldwell, the beloved owner of Aikei Pro’s Record Shop. Established in 1960 and a landmark on the Blues Trail, his shop was the hang-out for great Hill Country Blues artists like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside — earning a place in blues magazines all over the world. Amidst waves of change and pressure from other business owners in town to close up shop, Mr. Caldwell, lovingly dubbed the “Father of the Alley,” keeps the dream alive, against all odds.
Featuring original music by William Tyler, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Precious Bryant, Little Joe Ayers, and more.
5/8/24 Philadelphia Independant Film Festival
5/15/24 Orlando International Film Festival
4/24/24 Indy Film Festival
3/29/24 Ethnografilm Paris
3/22/24 Oxford Film Festival, Mississippi
3/21/24 Fargo Film Festival
2/24/24 Oceanside International Film Festival
2/23/24 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Montana
2/11/24 Spokane International Film Festival
1/27/24 Cinema on the Bayou, Lousiana
12/9/23 Community Screening at Rust College, Holly Springs
12/8/23 Vail Film Festival
11/8/23 Wondros Screening LA
11/4/23 Tucson Film Festival
10/28/23 Indie Memphis
10/21/23 Topanga Film Festival
10/6/23 Louisville International Film Festival
8/19/23 Defy Film Festival, Nashville
8/6/23 Chain NYC Film Festival
FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS
AWARDS
Oxford Film Festival: 2024 Winner Best Doc Short; Winner Best Made in Mississippi Doc Short
Oceanside International FIim Festival: Winner Best Editing in a Short Film
Indie Memphis Film Festival: 2023 Winner, Audience Award for Best National Documentary Short
Topanga Film Festival: 2023 Winner, First Place for Best International Short