Report on 2007 Appalachian Film Festival
Sam St. Clair, chairman of the Huntington-based Appalachian Film Festival, greeted me at the curb as I drove up to the Keith-Albee Theater in Huntington. I was the second act for the opening day of Huntington’s most interesting film event of the year.
About 20 people were in attendance. I had only 45 minutes so I spoke fast and showed two great WV short films - “On Location with ,” which is about the 1971 film made in Moundsville starring Jimmy Stewart, Kurt Russell in his first serious dramatic role, George Kennedy, and Strother Martin along with Anne Bancroft. I also screened part of “Disney’s American Legends” -the first part about John Henry produced by Disney several years ago with assistance from “the Walt Disney of West Virginia, ” James Cope of Destiny Images. ( He now works for the WV Film Office with Pam Haynes.) I didn’t have too much time left over so I held up various WV DVDs and several books about WV films and filmmakers. Unfortunately few members of the audience had ever seen “Matewan” of “The Night of the Hunter.” Even the president of the board had never heard of “Fools” Parade.”
Hopefully WV colleges and high schools will expand their education of students about the deep and extensive history of filmmaking in the state. My friend Sanford Berman suggested I write a history, calling it “Hollowwood.” (Jerry Williams already wrote a book about Hollywood’s version of Appalachia in “Hillbillyland.”
I also got a copy of “Lenders Morgan” from F3 Films in Nashville. The director, Jon Russell, called me at home last Friday to ask how he could meet with me. I had to have lunch with two of Huntington’s leading supporters of cinema, Bob and Poochie Myers.
