David Novack e-mailed me that his great 2008 feature film starring 2009 Goldman Award winner Maria Gunnoe has won another major award - the top prize for in-depth television reporting from the Society for Environmental Journalism. ( Ken Ward from the Charleston Gazette is a member.) Last fall BTF received the top award in the WORLD for socially active documentaries, The Pare Lorentz Award. It has also won many other awards including “best film” at the 2008 WV Filmmakers Festival. Congrats to Mr. Novack and his colleagues. I hope more West Virginians get to see the film. ( It premiered at the WV International Film Festival in spring 2008.)

Mari-Lynn Evans has announced that her new film about the effects of coal mining, “Coal Country,” will have its West Virginia premiere on July 11th, 7 PM, sponsored by  The South Charleston Museum in the  La Belle Theater. ( SCM press release below) It is produced by Evening Star Productions. Admission is FREE. (Sierra Club info on film.) (more…)

 Sign for the Matewan Massacre in the new WV State Museum

Adam Hodges of The WV Division of Culture & History was telling me a few facts about the new museum. 6000 items vs. 2000  in the old museum. It would take 26 hours to walk through the museum, watching all 22 film clips being shown in the space. I walked through it on Monday, not stopping to watch any of the films which I will some day. I was very impressed, after working in the Cultural Center for 30 years. Stan Bumgardner, the creative adviser, told me that computer stations will be added in the future, providing updated history.

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 Terry Lively after receiving her 2009 Crystal Award for producing and editing the book version of her 2007 film, “Crossings - Bridge Building in West Virginia”

As I often tell film students, great filmmakers are very often great writers as well. One local instance of this combination is WV Filmmakers Guild prez Terry Lively. She has been making films for years, teaching courses at WVSU, the state’s only film school, and doing a lot of writing. Both sides of her brain seem to be working to their maximum.

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The Charleston FestivALL will be showing “Still Bill: the Movie, ” the first WV screening of a new documentary about Bill Withers, born in Slab Fork, WV, on June 24th in conjunction with the West Virginia Intl. Film Festival. WVIFF will also be screening the annual student films as part of their annual competition. More about WV Music Hall of Fame inductee Withers here.

Shannon Tinnell, the wife of WV filmmaker/graphic novelist Robert Tinnell, has completed her MA thesis film, “When the Wind Stole the River,”on WV’s worst tornado that took place in the Harrison County community of Shinnston on June 23, 1944. She was a student in the WVU Dept. of History - Public History Program. One hundred people died just in the city of Shinnston that was almost totally flattened. Both Tinnells have family roots in the town. 

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Dr. Fred Pollock has announced that the 2009 Summer WV Jewish Film Program will take place at The Cultural Center at the WV State Capitol on Sunday, July 19th, at 7 PM. Admission is free. The first film to be shown is “The First Basket,” a new film about Jewish professional basketball players. (more…)

Filmmaker Joe Hodges introducing his films

Filmmaker/retired bricklayer Joe Hodges introduced the two great films that he recently made about two giant Kanawha City glass plants, LOF and OI,  in front of more than 200 people on Saturday, June 13th. The LOF film is called “Remember MacCorkle Ave. & 57th Street” and the OI is called “Time Goes By, 57th St. & MacCorkle Ave. North, 1921-2007). It was the largest audience of any film shown by The South Charleston Museum since it began its WV Film Series in June 2004. Thanks to hard work by SCMF board members Judy Romano, Margaret Field and her sister, Phillis Shawver, Phyllis Wehrmann and projectionist Steve Siders, a great time was had by all.

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 B.J. with the camera that was stolen

B.J. Gudmundsson, one of WV’s leading filmmakers, was robbed two weeks ago  while she was on a trip to WVU. The thieves stold her Sony VX2000 camera along with a recent work in progress. They also stole several military, etc. medals given B.J.’s father. The local police have identified several local suspects but have been unable to recover the camera or other items.$5,000 reward for info leading to return of camera and tapes. If you have information on these items and/or this robbery, please contact her at 304-645-4998 in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. 

The South Charleston Museum Foundation Board met with designer Stan Bumgardner on Wednesday, June 10th, at its monthly meeting to discuss their new exhibit showing the world of Belgian glassworkers that existed between 1907 and 1928 in South Charleston. The Belgian glassworkers and their families came to WV to work and live at the Banner and Dunkirk Glass Companies. Bumgardner told the board that he would have the exhibit installed by September 2009. There will be a reception on Saturday, September 12th, at noon at the new Interpretative Center next door to the LaBelle Theater.

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