NATCHEZ &045; When last year’s recipient of a Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration screenwriting award put his new accomplishment on his Web site, the city’s gained &uot;great exposure,&uot; said Natchez Tourism Director Walter Tipton.

The plug from actor and screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton is just one of the ways the NLCC &045; which begins Wednesday &045; helps put Natchez on the map, Tipton said.

&uot;The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration is growing in stature every year,&uot; he said.

While the tourism department has not been tracking overnight numbers for the celebration, Tipton said this year’s event is one of the most publicized. &uot;It grows every year, both in caliber of programming and in numbers,&uot; he said.

This year, for example, Mississippi Broadcast Networks has signed on as a co-sponsor, which could increase the celebration’s &045; and the city’s &045; exposure.

And a group of Utah students will be in town to film sites for a documentary on African-American heritage.

The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, in its 15th year this year, kicks off Wednesday with pre-conference discussions and opening ceremonies, then continues through the week with lectures on this year’s theme, &uot;Scoundrels to Statesmen: Politics in the Deep South.&uot;

Most of the lectures and events are free and open to the public, while some are ticketed events. The celebration headquarters is the Natchez Convention Center.