Carter Giltinan is best known in Charleston, WV for her gardening, serving as city beautification director for some years. I used to program movies for her during The Sternwheel Regatta. Finally, on January 13th, her son, T.A. Taylor, will be seen in the CBS mini-series, “Comanche Moon.” (more…)

The NY Sunday Times today has an interactive website showing O. Winson Link’s photo of a drive-in theater in Iaeger, McDowell County, WV with a real train going right in back of a screen showing a plane flying by to the right. Check out the website.

Tol’able David (1921) was chosen this year to be one of the 25 films inducted into the National Film Register. The film was directed by Henry King, a native of Virginia, who adapted the original story by Joseph Hergensheimer to the screen. Originally D.W. Griffith was going to direct. It was shown all over the world, influencing filmmaking even in Russia. It was filmed on location in Blue Grass, Virginia and continues to be shown.

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 A logo I created but never used for the WV Jewish Film Festival

 While arranging my many computers files related to the West Virginia Jewish Film Festival,  I realized that for ten years I have been working with Dr. Fred Pollock, Dr. Steven Jubelirer and other members of the Jewish Cultural Series to present some great films, both at the Park Place Stadium Cinemas and at other venues in the valley. (more…)

 Author Xris (Chris Hess on your far right with guest Christopher Janus, Professor Kalaras and Valerie Valentine at Yeager Airport

Distinguished Mountaineer:

Christopher Xenopoulos Janus

By Xrisanthi Hess, PAA Mountaineer Chapter President

Photos courtesy of Steve Fesenmaier 

“A man cannot sincerely help another without helping himself.” – The Feeling Good Book: Quotations to InspireBy Christopher Janus Christopher Janus has accomplished many things and met many people in his life. He attended Harvard and Oxford, joined the State Department, started his own investment firm, organized various high-profile fundraisers, has written articles for several well-known and highly respected newspapers and magazines, and has authored numerous books, just to name a few.  He has met and conversed with a variety of dignitaries, from Presidents and Prime Ministers to Hollywood executives and movie stars. Throughout the course of his 96-years, he has influenced and helped the lives of many people. It’s the affect he had on one life, one person who he never met, that I want to share with you.     (more…)

Check out the Wired Science episode about WV’s own high tech astronomical site, the Green Bank Radio Telescope -

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/313-the_green_bank_telescope.html

 Ray and Judy Schmitt on their front porch

2007 was perhaps the best single year ever for WV’s own filmmakers, producing many great films. Most of them were shown at the 2007 West Virginia Filmmakers Film Festival or at the South Charleston Museum’s WV Film Series. I was able to present some of them at the two WV Library Assn. meetings this year, either in Flatwoods or Morgantown. I can safely say that few of WV’s leaders from the Governor on down have watched them. Luckily Secretary for Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin did provide some funding for the Sutton film fest - about the only such state funds given in any way to most of the WV filmmakers themselves. (more…)

I previewed a sensational new documentary about the murder of five labor activists in Greensboro in 1979 called “Greensboro - Closer to Truth.” It was so great to see the amazing murders right on camera, and then to see that all of the men who are shown murdering the activists were found innocent by local juries. And then to see the recent “Truth and Reconciliation” events where two of the men actually testify in public about their roles in the murders.

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Burning the Future will be one of a dozen new documentaries to be shown this coming April on the Sundance Channel. Other films to be shown include Les Blank’s “All This in Tea” (which I reviewed on June 7th on this blog.) Read more at this website. I for one want to see all of the films in this new Green series - so I called Suddenlink and ended up paying less than $1.00 to get Sundance, IFC, etc. If you get cable, check out the additional cost - it may surprise you.

 SCM presented two films about WV musicians in cooperation with the WV Music Hall of Fame last fall

Teresa Whitt, director/curator of The South Charleston Museum,  delivered a Christmas Eve surprise to the board of the South Charleston Museum,  sending out an e-mail on Wednesday, Dec. 19th, at 4:30 PM that her last day was Friday, Dec. 21.  She offered to help make the transistion during the first two weeks of January 2008, using her annual leave time, but the city of South Charleston has a policy of paying the person a lump sum payment. She wrote me, ” If I had been able to stay on as an employee for those extra days, it would have given the museum well over three
weeks notice. ”  I for one will greatly miss her.

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