Legendary Bluesman Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry and his Family will perform a short set after the screening, and will perform a longer set Friday night at Macaulay College, 35 W. 67th St.

“The Blues will never go away, but we are at the threshold of the last of the generations of the guys who were there–who were actually there when the art form was created,” says a character in True Delta. That’s the essence of this film: Knowledge and experience from the oldsters need to be passed to a younger generation to prevent the blues from fading away. Focusing on the Mississippi blues, directors Lee Quinby and Daniel Cowen interview historians who explain the culture that has created this essential American music, and showcase musicians who attest to the importance of the blues remaining culturally relevant.

Screening with Smoke Songs (Briar March, 20m):

Punk rock and human rights don’t necessarily share a common cause, but in the case of the band Blackfire, their music and their message are two integral parts of a solid and strong identity. Born into the Navajo Nation in an area on Black Mesa that is still in political dispute, band members (and siblings) Jeneda, Clayson and Klee Benally find it impossible to separate their passion for music from their sociopolitical messages. Mixing pure punk rock on electric equipment with Native American words, rhythm and sometimes dance, their music carries messages about government oppression, relocation of indigenous people, genocide and other rights issues that are often suppressed in this country’s dominant media culture–and their outreach doesn’t stop on the stage.