FestivALL had the premiere, along with the WVIFF, last June of a new feature film, “Still Bill,”  about WV-born and raised musician Bill Withers, once a famous popular musician who gave it all up to stay home and raise his family and work at a regular job. He was in the first group of people inducted into the WV Music Hall of Fame in its first class in 2007. ( I for one had no idea that the man who wrote “Lean on Me,” and many other popular tunes was from WV.) I have never seen a more inspiring film about a musician, showing how he had to overcome incredible handicaps, including growing up in a WV coal camp, stuttering until he was 28, and finally walking away from a music industry that wanted to turn him into something other than what he is.

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Russ Barbour, 2009 WV Filmmaker of the Year,  and Chip Hitchcock worked for several years documenting the life of one of our state’s most extraordinary citizens, Ken Hechler. The result was the 120 minute film, “Ken Hecher- In Pursuit of Justice.” ( I assisted in research on the film and programmed the Kanawha Valley premiere on Ken’s 94th birthday, September 20th, 2008, for The South Charleston Museum.) After months of hard work by Chip, Russ, and who knows how many others, the entire archive created was sent to the Special Collections section of the Marshall University Morrow Library.

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 WVIFF film strip from their website

Pam Haynes, director of the WV Film Office and past president of the WVIFF, sent out an e-mail announcing the films that would be shown at this year’s event, marking 25 years of the festival. Below is part of the e-mail the WV Film Office recently sent out. (more…)

 Ken Hechler meets Luis Argeo the Saturday of his North American premiere of “AsturianUS,” outside Ken’s apartment. The Cultural Center is in back of them, on Greenbrier St.

Luis Argeo is a Spanish-born filmmaker/author who came to WV several years ago and made his film, “AsturianUS,” about people from the northern province of Spain, Asturias, coming to the Clarksburg area in the early part of the 20th century. I worked with him on the film, and programmed the North American premiere after it had its world premiere in Madrid. The fall Goldenseal features a story by Mr. Argeo about his research along with three other articles about the Spanish in West Virginia. He will be flying in from Madrid to introduce his film on December 11th at 7 PM open the Clarksburg Pare Lorentz Film Festival.

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 Waiting for the key to open the La Belle

Dr. Fred Barkey, president emeritus of the West Virginia Labor History Association (a founding member) and other members of the WVLHA board, held their October meeting inside The La Belle Theater for the first time and at 11 AM went next door to the Interpretive Center, visiting the “Belgian Glassworkers and the Founding of South Charleston” exhibit. As a member of both boards myself, it was actually the first time that I got to experience the full experience of the exhibit with the talking mannequins. New items have been added since the opening on September 12th including the LOF items. Below are pictures I took of the historic event. WVLHA contributed hundreds of dollars to the $30,000 exhibit. (more…)

Now on DVD. 

In the summer of 1998 filmmaker Bob Gates and reporter Penny Loeb interviewed 45
West Virginia residents affected by Mountaintop Removal blasting for coal. This 32 minute video tells some of their stories.  Now updated on DVD it contains an aerial shot of a mountaintop blast at  Bob White,
Boone County, West Virginia. (more…)

 Terry Lively on left with WVLHA prez Gordon Simmons. WVLHA helped her purchase her new camera for her project on the history of public employees in WV.

Terry Lively was the first and only woman to lead the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild. She was secretary for four years and president for 3 years. She has been a member of eight years. During those years, which coincide with the WV Filmmakers Festival in Sutton, she has been there every step of the way including helping celebrate its 25th anniversary last year. New officers will be announced shortly. Also, B.J. Gudmundsson as been replaced as the treasurer. Ms. Lively said, “When I became president, we had $ 36 i the kittty. Now we have $900.” Thanks to Ms. Lively and BJ for helping make the WV Filmmakers Guild a stable, financial institution for the next generation of filmsmakers who are replacing them.

 The sign outside on The LaBelle  – the misspelling was shortly corrected

As I have written many times, The South Charleston Museum has constructed the world’s only exhibit honoring the hard-working Belgian glassworkers that moved from Indiana and elsewhere in 1907 to begin the Kanawha glass industry. The local press gave the opening good coverage and hundreds of people attended the three events related to the opening. I was only able to attend the actual ribbon-cutting but many people came to see the Belgian travelogue and others attended the receptions with comments after the ribbon-cutting. It was perhaps the grandest day in the history of The South Charleston Museum which has been around in various forms for over thirty years. Many South Charleston people have served on its board, raising money, and keeping it going. This new exhibit should be well-attended given its uniqueness. Hopefully, everyone interested in the history of the Mound, the Midland Trail, the South Charleston History will visit it. It seems that there is a mini-renaissance of interest in local history in the area and state. From reports I have received, many people have made their way to the Center and enjoyed the historic exhibit. (more…)

 Photos by Brad Hatmaker

Steve Date traveled from my own hometown of Minneapolis last weekend to present his new feature documentary, “Welcome to Coalwood.” He screened it on Friday at The South Charleston Museum La Belle Theater to about 50 viewers, and then traveled to Coalwood for its official world premiere. I was unable to attend either event but I did watch it immediately at home last night and I think Mr. Date hit a home run! Four stars, fantastic film in every way. I hope that it gets shown not  only on WVPBS but national PBS. It really captures a lost age, and what some people are doing to keep the positive spirit that existed in Coalwood back in the Fifties alive.

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