On March 8th, 2008 at 7PM The South Charleston Museum in cooperation with TerraSalis and the Weber-Green Garden Club will present two new films from Rebecca Frischkorn’s 10-part PBS series, GardenStory – Inspiring Spaces, Healing Places - The Garden as Healer: Healing Gardens of David Kamp and The Garden as Protector of the Planet: The Missouri Botanical Garden. (more…)

USS Nimitz pilot

Mitchell Block is one of the great promoters of documentary film in this country. He founded Direct Cinema Ltd. in 1973, and has taught independent producting doc courses at USC School of Cinematic Studies since 1978. He also served on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science documentary section for years, facing the wrath of filmmakers whose great films were NOT nominated for an Oscar. Several years ago he was the guest of the WV Intl.. Film Festival in the spring, judging films and helping one WV filmmaker gain admission to NYU, his alma mater.  He recently told me about a new series he has produced about life on an American aircraft carrier - Carrier.

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New Films, Web Movies

and Audio Books on WV and Appalachia 2008

January 2008 by Steve FesenmaierAbout access: The biggest problem for WV libraries ordering independent videos, audio books, and other items is finding a vendor that sells them. All of the filmmakers directly sell their films. The following sources sell some of the new items – (more…)

Colin McGinn has been a web friend of mine for several years. I read his great autobiography, “The Making of a Philosopher - My Journey Through Twentieth Century Philosophy.” After reading it, I found his website and e-mailed him, thanking him for writing an honest and exciting story of what it means to be interested in philosophy since WWII. (I spent 1968-78 studying philosophy both as an undergraduate and graduate student at the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, the world’s first center for philosophy of science. I also co-taught an honors seminar on scientific models as a college senior.) I in fact wanted to buy enough copies to send to family and friends for my Christmas present in 2003 - which never happened given their lack of interest in philosophy. He came from a working class family as I have, and ran into the English class system, finally teaching at Oxford even though he couldn’t study there. He eventually left for America and Rutgers University which spent a few million hiring some of the world’s best young philosophers to improve its program. He now teaches at the University of Miami. 

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Terry Lively of the WV Dept. of Transportation produced an award-winning film in 2006, “Crossings - Bridge Building in West Virginia.” A DVD copy was sent by WVDOT in conjunction with WVLC to every public library in the state. Now WVDOT in conjunction with WVLC is going to send  each of them a coffee table size hardback  book version of the film. Congrats to Ms. Lively and her crew for showing the best side of West Virginia. Only 2,000 copies have been printed and there are presently no plans to sell the book (or the DVD.) To see a copy visit your local public library in WV sometime around April or contact Ms. Lively at - tlively@dot.state.wv.us.

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Great news from our friends in North Carolina, makers of “Mountaintop Removal.” Read below….

—–Original Message—–
From: Mike O’Connell [mailto:mikeoc@embarqmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:55 PM
To: Vivian Stockman
Subject: RE: Mountain Top Removal screening info

Hi Vivian,
Don’t know if this is news worthy or not but, On Jan 12 the documentary Mountain Top Removal received a Yubie jury award at this years Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City California, and was invited to be part of the Wild and Scenic touring film festival sponsored by Patagonia.
Mike (more…)

John is the man on the right laughing

John Hoskyns-Abrahall is one of my oldest friends in the film world. Years ago we were roommates at various film conferences. He kicked me out for having too many parties. We have stayed in touch and he has visited Charleston several times. I even stopped by to see him once in Oley, Pa, , driving back from NYC in 2004. John is the president/founder of Bullfrog Films, the world’s best distributor of environmental films. He also distributes Catherine Pancake’s award-winning MTR film, “Black Diamonds” and Sasha Waters’ “Razing Appalachia.”

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CASTING CALL — Escribitionist, Independent Feature

Wazzlehog Films, a group of young local filmmakers, is holding a auditions for its second feature-length film, Escribitionist. The casting calls will take place on Thursday, January 24 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM; Friday, January 25 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM; and Saturday, January 26 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. All will be held at
Marshall
University in the John Spotts Room on the second floor of the

Memorial
Student
Center.

There are a wide variety of roles in the film from elementary school-age children to adults, so all ages are welcome. Excerpts from the script will be read; prepared monologues are welcome but not required. Whether you have acting experience or not, if you want to be involved with an independent film, you are welcome.

Escribitionist is a comedy-drama about Josh Thomson, an aspiring writer who is so candid in his daily blog that he has driven away everyone close to him. When he befriends a girl named Abagail, who comes to him for help writing an English paper, it isn’t long before he finds himself falling in love with her. However, he also finds himself unable to write about his true feelings for once in his life because she has a boyfriend.

Wazzlehog Films has completed eight short films, two of which have won prizes at the West Virginia International Film Festival’s Student Film Competition. Last year, it released its first feature film, Maneater, which was screened at the Appalachian Film Festival, the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival, and the Spooky Movie Film Festival in
Fairfax, Virginia. It won first place in the WVIFF Student Film Competition’s College Narrative Division.

For more information, or if you would like to be involved but cannot attend any of the audition dates, please contact David Smith by email at wazzlehog@hotmail.com or by phone at (304) 663-1903.

==END==

While searching for films made in WV at Facets Multimedia in
Chicago, I ran across this film. Here is a description written by someone who also loves any film made in WV - from Amazon.comWritten by a WV film expert -
Renowned Spaghetti Western star and Clarksburg West Virginia native Tony Anthony rules in this great Italian-made 1972 gangster movie set in prohibition era New York City. Strangely, many of the exterior shots were done in the small town of Farmington
West Virginia.  Anyway, it’s a must see!!!!
Hopefully, some more of his excellent spaghetti westerns will be released on DVD such as Cometogether (1971), Blindman (1971) costarring Beatle Ringo Starr, Get Mean (1976), so DVD distributors take note.  Also, if Mr. Anthony ever reads this review, his birthplace
Clarksburg West Virginia would be a great location for a West Virginia Spaghetti Western Festival featuring his films considering its large Italian-American population and the site of one of the greatest annual Italian Festivals ever.

Robin with his display

Robin Godfrey presented a brief history of his parents’ Charleston Film Club and talked about their involvedment with programming the Jewish Cultural Series for almost 30 years. He made a display with an easel so people could learn about some of the many things his two parents, Peter and Rebecca, did during their 50 years in Charleston. Hundreds of people, both Jewish and non-Jewish including myself, attended the event that some say was the “best Jewish film night ever.” ( Director Dr. Fred Pollock)

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