John Averill of Hinton has produced an amazing film about two miracles that took place there, “Angels at the Altar.” It tells the story of an English war bride that took a picture of a local altar one Christmas, showing angels.

(more…)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Patrick Felton
Communications Director
West Virginia Filmmaker’s Festival
304-741-2518
 Patrickfelton at gmail.com

Web site address
WEST VIRGINIA FILMMAKER’S FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OPENING NIGHT FILMS
Horror Films, Oscar-Nominated Short Highlight Weekend of WV Film.
Sutton, WV, Date — An evening of local horror films will kick off the 11th annual The West Virginia Filmmakers Festival On October 1 in Sutton, WV. The festival runs through the 13 at the Elk Theater and Landmark Studio For The Arts in Sutton WV. (more…)

Sug Hawkins

The South Charleston Museum will present the showing of a “lost” film, “In the Company’s Hands,”on Saturday, September 11 at 7 PM at the La Belle Theater. It was made shortly after “Matewan” in fall 1987. The film is a “balanced” view of the coal mine wars that took place in southern West Virginia, interviewing relatives on both sides of the conflicts. Dr. Fred Barkey, SCMF board member, was one of two historical consultants for this film projection.  This event is part of the West Virginia Labor History Week Coalition’s statewide project of promoting West Virginia labor history during the week of Labor Day as proclaimed by the West Virginia Legislature in 2010. Director Jack Kelly, now vice president of Miami Public TV, will be flying in to introduce the film in person. He owns property in the Eastern panhandle and will be retiring here in WV. Admission will be $5.00.

(more…)

Aug. 19, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Pam Haynes
866.698.3456
 pamela.j.haynes at wv.gov

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO FILM IN WEIRTON, WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Paramount Pictures will be shooting a film titled “Wickham” in the Weirton region and surrounding areas. Filming is anticipated to occur from late September to mid-October. It is expected to be rated PG-13. The movie is about a group of teens who spend the summer together and deal with the struggles of growing up. (more…)

Ann Montague, second from left, with two WV Rosie the Riveters and Bill Ramsey on the far right at the Charleston Marriott, Aug. 14th.

I attended the statewide meeting of groups supporting the WV Labor History Week resolution passed by the WV Legislation this year. Below are some of the photos I took. It was great to see Ann Montague there with several WV Rosie the Riveters plus all of the others groups. Betty Carver, director of the WV Tourist Office, spoke. Even WV AFL-CIO prez Kenny Perdue attended and spoke. (more…)

I went to the second showing of “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” at the downtown Park Place Stadium Theaters on Friday. I loved it. The theater manager told me that it was projected digitally and it looked great. ( They are installing a full digital projection system in to their main theater finally, joining Marquee which has spent millions doing it a few years ago.) I really thought that the film was a masterpiece. (Hopefully, the film will run for more than a week downtown. I don’t know of any other theater in WV showing the film.) (more…)

One of two recent films based on the life of the Dancing Outlaw will be shown for a week or so at the Park Place Stadium Theaters in downtown Charleston starting this Friday. They have a poster in their lobby and I saw the preview – on the Big Screen!   The film has received a lot of local ink because it is about our most famous mountain dancer, Jesco White. The film is called “The Wild, Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.” I have written extensively about it and the other film, a Brit docu-drama called “White Lightnin” which hired Jacob Young, the director of “Dancing Outlaw” to assist on.

B.J. Gudmundsson began her career working with the Pocahontas County Free Libraries, working on her Galford Lumber Company film, “Out of the Storm.” Recently she has been hired by them to become the first digital archivist working in any WV public library. (more…)

I have been promoting WV labor films since the day I came to WV in Sept. 1978 and found a new 16 mm print of “Harlan County, USA” in my new office in the Culture Center. Now, 32 years latter, there is a group that wants everyone in the state to study and promote awareness of our great state’s labor history – West Virginia Labor History Week Coalition. (more…)

Dr. Fred Pollock and the Federated Jewish Charities of Charleston provided local people with a night of great new films last Sunday, August 1,  from Seventh Arts - “”The Klezmatics – On Holy Ground” and “Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael Campbell.”

(more…)