Ralph Openheim, director of Adult Services at Cabell County Public Library in downtown Huntington, actually moved from Hollywood, Ca. to WV several years ago. He is a real expert on film, bringing in friends of his who have actually worked on major Hollywood films and TV series, shown WV films, and a lot more. His latest film series includes great films showing on Tuesdays at the library. Here is his press release for his first program.

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Legendary film programmer Al Milgrom called me recently from Minneapolis about a guest that the UFS brought to town a long time ago. He is one of the founders of The University Film Society in 1962 , now the Minnesota Film Arts, one of the first university film societies in the country.   The MFA is running a series of films by Jean-Luc Godard, one of the greatest post-WWII filmmakers. Milgrom wanted to know when we brought him to the UFS. I told him that I can easily remember since it was one of the first programs we had when I started working for the UFS in fall 1972.

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Simmons and Fones-Wolf at 2007 WV Book Festival in Charleston

Gordon Simmons this weekend will be marking his personal struggle to bring justice to West Virginia with an international labor conference at the Charleston House in downtown Charleston. As I have written elsewhere, he is a rare intellectual, still teaching philosophy courses at night while working full-time as a labor organizer for the UE Local 170that he co-founded. Another thing he has been doing for 30 years is promoting WV authors. Of special interest to me is  his 2007 interview with WVU labor professor Kenneth Fones-Wolf. His book, “Glass Towns - Industry, Labor, and Political Economy in Appalachia, 1890-1930s” is probably the best book I have ever read about WV’s non-coal economy. It proves beyond any doubt that WV’s own corporate leaders purposively did everything they could to undermine WV’s economic success in order to increase their own. Hopefully every WV school child, or at least their teachers, will read this amazing book and teach it in their 8th grade WV history courses. ( Read my story about the 2007 WV Book Festival where Fones-Wolf gave a presentation on his book.) (more…)

  Aaron Arefe at Venice Film Festival

John David, an economics professor at WVU Tech, chair of social sciences and director of the Southern Appalachian Labor School, sent me this e-mail. Haile Germina is one of Africa’s greatest film directors.

  “Teza”, a firm directed by Haile Gerima and starring Aaron Arefe, who
  graduated from WVU Tech in our Public Service Administration program, has
  won the overall “Special Jury Prize ” and  “Best Script” awards at the
  recently held 2008 Venice (Italy) International Film Festival.

Thanks for letting me, and West Virginia know! I hope to see it someday…maybe the WV Intl. Film Festival will show it. (more…)

Carolyn Harmon and her son who wants to become a filmmaker. I told him to read lots of books, build up his intellect first…

Carolyn Harmon is a local independent journalist who has written for Graffiti, Goldenseal and on a regular basis various several publications in Southern West Virginia. A while back she wrote a nice story about some of the things I do to promote WV filmmaking. Check it out. Thanks Carolyn! Maybe I will write a book someday about the amazing people I have met in the film, philosophy and library worlds.

Poster by Rudy Panucci

The South Charleston Museum and Radio Free Charleston will be co-sponsoring an event on October 25th, Saturday, at 7 PM. It is a fundraiser for the Museum proposed by Rudy Panucci. Below is the press release for the event. (more…)

Ross Ballard II,  WV’s only audiobook producer,  giving his presentation Saturnday morning

When I first started out in the Library School at the University of Minnesota in Sept. 1977, lots of film friends asked me why I did that rather than go to a film school, etc. I told them that I loved books as much as I love film. This year I once again attended the WV Book Festival, spending two hours on Saturday at the WVLC booth. I arrived at 9:45 am to attend my first event, leaving around 3 PM. Below are some of the photos I took. Even though the attendance seemed low, I thought the events were as good as ever, and unfortunately, I was unable to attend all of the ones I really wanted to…including Terry Lively presenting her book/film, “Crossings - Bridge Building in West Virginia” and several others. (more…)

David Novack, director of “Burning the Future - Coal in America,” wrote this e-mail to WV Filmmakers Fest director Kevin Carpenter. Posted with his permission - (more…)

Kelley Thompson is one of WV’s newest and most productive filmmakers. Last Sunday the 2008 WV Filmmakers Film Festival presented his “Widen Film Project” after showing the “best of the fest” film, “Burning the Future.” Kelley is always busy, filming local theater productions, working on commercial jobs, and planning his next indie film. He just built a new website that he will be adding to on a regular basis. I am looking forward to his new film on the 1952 Widen Strike which was partially covered in “The Widen Film Project.”

Maria Gunnoe, OVEC MTR activist, in Times Square. She stars in “best film” of 2008, “Burning the Future - Coal in America”

Kevin Carpenter, president of the Sutton-based WV Filmmakers Festival, announced the 2008 winners of the festival that took place last weekend. Shawn Bennett, 2008 WV Filmmaker of the Year, flew in from L.A. to receive his award. ”Burning the Future - Coal in America” was chosen as “best film”, Bob Wilkinson’s “Shades of Gray” about WV author Gray Barker, won as “best feature documentary” and “Johnny Boy” received the audience award. See below for a complete list of winners and news about the WV Filmmakers Guild. Congrats to all the winners, and losers - this was probably the strongest year since the festival’s inception in 2001 for WV filmmakers.  (more…)