What's Happening in Blue Ash, OH…

A filmmaker who has entertained movie buffs for 20 years is coming to Cincinnati.

Kevin Smith is famous for his quirky films like “Mallrats” and “Clerks,” which he shot on tiny budgets and featuring hometown locations. He shot “Clerks,” his 1995 debut, in the convenience store where he worked, filming after the store closed. The film won at Sundance, and Miramax subsequently distributed it to theaters, launching Smith’s career.

Arguably, part of Smith’s success is because “Clerks” came out at the right time. Both Hollywood studios and audiences were eager to hear from outsiders, so a convenience store clerk from New Jersey, who shot a raunchy comedy in black and white featuring a couple of slackers, was seen as a major deviation from the mainstream. Smith’s film was a main driver of the indie film movement in the U.S. in the 1990s.

He followed up “Clerks” with “Mallrats,” which again featured nerds and slackers, and a cameo by the late Stan Lee talking about what else but comics.

Smith has released 16 feature films to date, including “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Dogma,” and what critics suggest is his best movie, “Chasing Amy.”

He will appear at 6.30 pm and again at 9.30 pm on August 8 at Memorial Hall. When performances like this are scheduled organizers often use poster printing to create advertising for them.