Russ is the 2010 WV Filmmaker of the Year, and director of the films on Ken Hechler and Gov. Marland, along with many other films. He has a new one that will shown on WVPBS and hopefully at the SCM La Belle Theater. Here is more info on the film….

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Photo courtesy of WV State Archives

Mari-Lynn Evans of “The Appalachians” and “Coal Country” fame will introduce her newest film – “Hawks Nest – Blood Beneath Our Feet” at the Cultural Center.

To all WV lovers of independant film;

I have been a member of Film Independant since the mid-nineties. Each year, we vote for Spirit Awards which recognizes the best categories in Independant film.
Film Independant also presents on-line seminars on all aspects of the indy film process.
This year ,for the first time, FI is sending out screeners on all their nominated films for those that are not in geographic areas and also for any film that you just missed. (more…)

This story below is about today’s arrest of my friend, Josh Fox who made GASLAND. This is what they tried to do with me at the US House Committee on Natural Resource field Hearing in Charleston in Sept 2011. Maria Gunnoe was there with me when they tried for 30 minutes to remove me. The Committee then omitted her testimony from the official press release.. (more…)

Now that we have one foot squarely in 2012, it seems absurd to look back only now on the films of 2011. However, as distributors and theater exhibitors make it increasingly hard to see quality film in WV, we often must wait weeks months or even years after release to catch some of the best films of the year. That being said, 2011 was a very good, if inconsistent year for film. It was a year of looking back into where we have come from as individuals, peoples, nations, and film buffs. (more…)

My favorite film of the year was “My Week With Marilyn” since it reflects so well what I have been doing for 40 years – take care of film “celebrities,” both local and national. Once Nicholas Ray, director of “Rebel Without a Cause,” came to Minneapolis for a weekend and stayed a month with me having to drive him around 24/7. Here are some other films I really enjoyed…. (more…)

Since he sees more films, especially new ones, in NYC and elsewhere, I feel that his Top Ten list is more interesting than my own which I will work on this week. (more…)

Amos Perrine, a Charleston film buff, sent me the link to the annual Village Voice critics list of best films of the year.I saw only 13 of the films, going to one feature film a week. I definitely did NOT think that “The Tree of Life” was the best film of the year.

 Patrick Felton, director of the WV Filmmakers Festival, sent me his list of best WV films so here it is. Thanks to both for loving films as much as I do. (more…)

Dr. Fred Pollock and the Federated Jewish Charities of Charleston are sponsoring another evening of new films about the Jewish experience on Sunday, January 22. They plan on showing two films including an excellent film I previewed, “Live and Become.” The first film is yet to be chosen. (more…)

John Lilly published a shortened list of films on WV music - below are two lists that I have made, one in 2007 and a more recent one. You can see there are many, many films on WV musicians. (more…)