“This is something to see in this little town here,” said the Rev. Charles Jereniga, who gathered with a crowd outside a movie reception at the Marshall Hotel. “Denzel is pretty popular in a little town like Marshall. It’s pretty exciting.”

On the red carpet leading to Marshal Cinema on Thursday night, Washington wore a purple Wiley baseball hat and smiled and waved at fans. At least a hundred people gathered outside the theater in this town of about 24,000 people located 140 miles east of Dallas.

“This is where it started,” Washington said. “You can feel it. These are real people. It’s a small-town story. I’ve done a few screenings of this movie, but this is the best one.”

Washington directed the film, which on Thursday was nominated for Golden Globe Award for best drama. He also stars as educator and poet Melvin Tolson, who led the all-black Wiley College debate team.

The film chronicles the story of Tolson as he helps shape a group of Wiley students into an elite debate team.

“We’re here to celebrate the accomplishment of your town,” Washington told an audience at the screening. “We’re really proud of it. We’re excited about bringing the film back home where it belongs.”

Earlier in the day, stars of the film Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker held a news conference on the campus of Wiley, which has a population of about 900 students.

“We hope people see the film and get touched by it,” Smollett said. “So far, people are getting so much joy from it. That’s food for our soul.”

The debate team at Wiley has been defunct for years. Washington said he’d like to see team resurrected.

“I’m pleased as punch for these young people and people that came before us as we celebrate with this town and this school,” he said. “We’ll try to help the school and get the debate team back on its feet. It seems like the right thing to do. It’s time for another winning streak.”

[via Associated Press]