FALL SEMESTER 2023
Cinema at the Bud Frank Theater
ETSU Campus - Directions & Venue Information
Thursday, October 5 - Our Hospitality opening reception 6pm, screening + live music 7pmTuesday
Tuesday, October 24 - Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer on campus) - 7pm
Monday, October 30 - Rocky Horror Picture Show, 7pm
Sunday, November 5 - Frankenstein (National Theatre Live), 2pm
Monday, November 13 - Frosty's Winter Wonderland, 6:30pm & 7:15pm
Friday, December 1 - White Christmas, 7pm
October 27th @ 7pm
Highlands Horrorfest
Wallace Theatre - 215 East Main Street
Screenings, costume contest & awards. Other events listed on the web site.
SPRING SEMESTER 2024
March 1-3, 2024
52 Film Fest
www.52filmfest.com
You and your team have 52 hours to make a film in downtown Johnson City. A screening
of all completed films follows the competition.
April 4th-11th
Center for Cinema Convening 2024
Film Screenings & Workshops - additional info TBA
PREVIOUS EVENTS:
Center for Cinema Convening 2023:
Territoriality
March 31-April 1st
Center for Cinema Convening #3
Film Screenings & workshops, including:
A grantwriting workshop with Joanna Rabigger https://www.joannarabiger.com
April 12 & 13
Filmmaker Visit: Austin Bunn
ETSU Literary Festival
Center for Cinema Convening 2022:
The Trees for the Forest/The Forest for the Trees
ETSU Campus
Friday, April 22:
1-3 pm: Field Production Audio Workshop
Korey Pereira, Soularity Sound
Warf Pickel 103, ETSU Campus
Saturday, April 23:
8:30-9:30am: Field Production Audio Project: Bird Walk on Campus Trail
Korey Pereira, Soularity Sound
Pre-registration required. Contact langes@etsu.edu
10-12pm: Post-Production Audio Workshop
Korey Pereira, Soularity Sound
Warf Pickel 103, ETSU Campus
1-4pm: Camera Workshop
John Fiege, Fiege Films
Pre-registration required. Contact langes@etsu.edu
7pm: Screening - Above All Else. With director John Fiege, Fiege Films
Post-screening Q&A moderated by Dr. Chelsea Wessels and Dr. Matt Holtmeier, Film Studies
Martha Street Culp Auditorium, ETSU Campus.
https://www.etsu.edu/ehome/maps/
https://www.etsu.edu/students/student-center/information/floorplan.php
In this dramatic, firsthand account of activists on the front line of the climate fight, one man risks it all to stop the tar sands of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from crossing his land. Shot in the forests, pastures, and living rooms of rural East Texas, ABOVE ALL ELSE follows David Daniel, a retired stunt man and high-wire artist, as he rallies neighbors and activists to join him in a final act of brinkmanship: a tree-top blockade of the controversial pipeline. What begins as a stand against corporate encroachments on one man's land becomes a rallying cry for climate protesters nationwide.
Center for Cinema Convening 2022:
Science & Fictions: Cinema in East Tennessee
May 14 & 15, 2021 - via Zoom
An interdisciplinary symposium focused on local topics using film as a catalyst for conversation and action.
The symposium is composed of three seminars, an asynchronous film screening, a film production skills workshop, and a collaborative film and design workshop. Science & Fictions: Cinema in East Tennessee employs the interdisciplinary and discursive properties of film and filmmaking to discuss crucial issues for our region at a crucial moment in our history. This event is focused on the hyper-local: artists, researchers, and entrepreneurs from the region will share their insight. Community members will be invited to engage with the symposium and to help develop ideas that will best serve the specific needs of people in East Tennessee. Select experts from outside the region will expand the breadth of the dialogue, connecting the local to the global.
FRIDAY, May 14th:
» Storied Histories: Revisiting Appalachian Myths for the Future.
10:00-11:30 EST
Panelists: Elizabeth Catte BIO (Pure America, What You’re Getting Wrong About Apppalachia), Ash-Lee Woodward Henderson BIO (Highlander Research & Education Center), and Mimi Pickering BIO (Appalshop).
Moderator: Wayne Winkler BIO (Beyond the Sunset: The Melungeon Outdoor Drama, 1969-1976)
Film Screening: Morristown: in the Air and Sun (Anne Lewis, Appalshop/University of Texas, Austin) https://vimeo.com/95627924
» Communicating Science: Media, Covid & Public Health.
12:00-1:30 EST
Panelists: Dr. Rebecca Fletcher BIO (Appalachian Studies), Dr. Wanda Franklin BIO (ETSU Nursing),
John Hoffman BIO (Better World Projects)
Moderator: Dr. Abbey Mann BIO (Quillen College of Medicine)
Film Screening: The Antidote (Kahane Cooperman, John Hoffman) https://theantidotemovie.com/
» What Can Film Do Here?
2:00-3:30 EST
Panelists: Caroline Heldman BIO (The Representation Project) and Bob Raines BIO (Tennessee Entertainment Commission).
Moderator: Steve Marshall BIO (Media & Communication)
Film Screening: Black in Appalachia (various) https://www.blackinappalachia.org/
SATURDAY, May 15th : 
» Telling Covid Stories: A Community-based, Collaborative Film & Design Workshop. 11:00-1:00 EST
Panelists: Felipe Fiuza BIO (Literature & Language), Sam Pettyjohn BIO (Public Health), Kelly Porter BIO (Art & Design), & Jake VanHuss BIO (Media & Communication)
WATCH the videos we made! Thanks to everyone who collaborated with us on this project!
COVID QUESTIONS (for kids): https://youtu.be/2JkbRfL7M6A
COVID SCHOOL EXPERIENCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBso2pLwMso
VACUNATE: https://youtu.be/Z89nZH1fJko
VICKY'S STORY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NCVF9qyVjI
Producing Film & Branded Media: Elan Bogarin BIO 2:00-4:00 EST
A FREE MEDIA WORKSHOP Presented by the Department of Media & Communication, the Northeast Tennessee Entertainment Alliance & the Tennessee Entertainment Commission
Film Screening: Shorts by El Tigre Productions: http://www.eltigreproductions.com/film
>> Participant Bios
Elan Bogarín
Elan Bogarín is an Emmy-winning director/cinematographer known for her hyper creative
magical-realist approach to documentary. Her feature film 306 Hollywood, called a
"landmark" by rogerebert.com, premiered opening night of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival,
was featured in over 10 'best of 2018' lists, played over 70 festivals, won multiple
awards, and was broadcast on PBS's POV and Amazon Prime. Elan has been nominated for
Emmy, Gotham, Spirit, and Critics Choice awards and was chosen for Filmmaker Magazine’s
25 New Faces of Film, DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40, and Emerging International Filmmaker
at Hot Docs. Elan is the co-director of El Tigre Productions where she creates innovative,
award winning films and media strategy for the world’s leading museums and brands
including Google, MoMA, The Getty, The Whitney, Coleccion Cisneros, and The New York
Times. Elan is a co-founder of the Wassaic Project, an arts festival and residency
in Wassaic, New York that has worked with hundreds of artists over 12 years. She has
received support from organizations including Sundance, Artemis Rising Foundation,
Ford Foundation / Just Films, NYSCA, Latino Public Broadcasting, and IFP.
Dr. Elizabeth Catte is a historian and writer of compact non-fiction. She is the author
of Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia and What You Are Getting
Wrong About Appalachia. Elizabeth's essays, with subjects ranging from politics to
pop culture, have appeared in the Boston Review, the Nation, In These Times, and the
Washington Post. She currently lives in Staunton, Virginia but calls Knoxville, Tennessee
home.
Felipe Fiuza
Felipe Fiuza is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at East Tennessee State University
(ETSU), where he is also the Director of ETSU's Language and Culture Resource Center.
As director of the center, he works towards closing the gap between East Tennessean
native speakers of english and people from other languages and cultures through language
services, such as interpretation and translation, offered by the center. Felipe's
first poetry book, Ucideia, just won first place in a peer-reviewed literary contest
from the Federal University of Espírito Santo Press, and as a result will be published
by them with a release date of March, 6th, 2020. His research interests are linked
to the intersection between literature and cognitive sciences.
Rebecca Adkins Fletcher (PhD) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Appalachian
Studies at East Tennessee State University. As a medical and cultural anthropologist,
Rebecca’s research is guided by political economy and social justice frameworks and
focuses on the biopolitical dynamics of health disparities through a regional and
place-based lens. Rebecca has published in Medical Anthropology Quarterly, Economic
Anthropology, Journal of Appalachian Studies, and PeerJ. She is co-editor of the book
Appalachia Revisited: Regional Perspectives on Place, Tradition, and Progress (2016)
from the University Press of Kentucky and serves on the Journal of Appalachian Studies
Editorial Board. As Assistant Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services,
Rebecca is an Appalachian Regional Commission Appalachian Teaching Project fellow
and Director of the Governor’s School for the Scientific Exploration of Tennessee
Heritage.
Dr. Wanda J. Franklin earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Akron, Master of Science in Community Health Nursing and a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from the Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Franklin also earned an Associate Degree in Accounting and Business Management Technology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She began her nursing experience as a neuroscience staff nurse at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She has been an Assistant Professor of Nursing specializing in Community and Public Health at The University of Akron, Dwight Schar College of Nursing at Ashland University, and the Southern Vermont College. Wanda’s teaching expertise includes community and public health nursing, cultural dimensions and competency in nursing, nursing policy, and beginning nursing courses. Research interests include spiritual well-being, perceived stress, and coping in African American women, health disparities in underserved populations, culture and nursing, and the social determinants of health. Dr. Franklin is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at ETSU were she is currently chair of the Equity and Inclusion Committee and a Diversity Champion in the College of Nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing and locally a member of Progression Together (PRO-TO) Club. Other times and locations she has been a board member of oral public health care initiatives, community health research, and community outreach.
Caroline Heldman
Dr. Heldman is Chair of the Critical Theory and Social Justice at Occidental College
in Los Angeles and Executive Director at The Representation Project. She has published
six books, including Women, Power, and Politics: The Fight for Gender Equality in
the United States (Oxford University Press, 2017) and Madame President? Gender & Politics
on the Road to the White House (Lynne Reinner, 2020). Dr. Heldman has also published
over a dozen research reports focusing on social justice and media representations
of marginalized groups.
Dr. Heldman has been featured in the popular documentaries Missrepresentation, The
Mask You Live In, The Hunting Ground, Informant, Equal Means Equal, Liberated, Nevertheless,
and The Great American Lie. She developed numerous film impact campaigns for social
change as the Executive Director of The Representation Project and as a consultant.
Dr. Heldman has developed film curricula, social media hashtag campaigns, and marketing
campaigns to maximize the social impact of films.
Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson is a 35 year old Affrilachian (Black Appalachian), woman from the working class, born and raised in Southeast Tennessee. She is the first Black woman to serve as Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Research & Education Center in New Market, TN. As a member of multiple leadership teams in the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), Ash-Lee has thrown down on the Vision for Black Lives and the BREATHE Act. Ash-Lee has served on the governance council of the Southern Movement Assembly, the advisory committee of the National Bailout Collective, and is an active leader of The Frontline. She is a long-time activist who has done work in movements fighting for workers, for reproductive justice, for LGBTQUIA+ folks, for environmental justice, and more.
John Hoffman
John Hoffman is a six-time Emmy-winning filmmaker. He has made films with the NIH
for 15 years, most recently FIRST IN HUMAN, a six-hour series about the world’s largest
research hospital – the NIH’s Building 10 – which was directed by Hoffman and premiered
on Discovery in August of 2017. Other projects produced in partnership with the NIH
include THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION, ADDICTION, SLEEPLESS IN AMERICA, and THE ALZHEIMER’S
PROJECT. RANCHER, FARMER, FISHERMAN, which Hoffman directed with Susan Froemke, tells
the story of America’s unlikely land and water conservation heroes. The film premiered
at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. OUT OF MANY, ONE premiered on Netflix in 2018
and told the story of five immigrants seeking American citizenship and featured Supreme
Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. His most recent film, THE ANTIDOTE, made in response
to the times we are living in, is an exploration of kindness, decency, and the power
of community in America. It premiered on Amazon Prime in November, 2020. Hoffman spent
three years as the Executive Vice President of Documentaries & Specials for Discovery
after nearly two decades as Vice President of Documentary Programming at HBO.
Abbey Mann
I earned a B.A. in psychology from Bryn Mawr College (2007) and an M.S. (2012) and
Ph.D. (2016) in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt. Since completing a
postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Psychology at East Tennessee
State University (2016-2017), I have been an assistant professor at the university’s
Quillen College of Medicine, serving as the Director of Primary Care Research in the
research division of the Department of Family Medicine.
I am originally from Philadelphia, PA, where I spent the first 22 years of my life.
I have since lived in Boston, Nashville, and Pittsburgh. When I’m not working, I
enjoy running, hiking, and camping with my spouse, two kids, and two dogs. I look
forward to traveling again when it’s safe to do so!
Stephen Marshall, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Media and Communication
at East Tennessee State University. He is currently a marketing consultant for Siren
Marine as well as Retail Service Systems. Dr. Marshall also consults for Adobe and
is a brand strategist consultant for Creative Energy, Advertising Age’s small agency
of the year. From 2017-18, he was Adobe’s Industry Expert in Higher Education and
in 2020, Dr. Marshall earned the distinction as an “Adobe Master Teacher” making him
one of only 35 in the world with this unique credential. Dr. Marshall identifies opportunities
bridging academics to industry - producing effective innovative outcomes for students
as well as for organizations. As an expert in media and marketing, Dr. Marshall has
presented at numerous industry and academic events advocating for his Applied Marketing/Media
Education Norm (AMEN) bridging academics to industry. Digital literacy is an essential
component to his approach with Adobe publications and videos highlighting his initiatives. Dr.
Marshall brings two decades of professional and academic experience to every endeavor.
His publications and research presentations focus on strategic brand media strategies,
digital transformation/CX initiatives, and educating for digital literacy. He has
extensive client as well as agency experience working in the B2B, B2C, research, marketing
technology, and education spaces.
Sam Pettyjohn
Samuel Pettyjohn, DrPH, MPH – Center for Rural Health and Research, Department of
Community and Behavioral Health. Pettyjohn is a DrPH graduate from ETSU. His research
interests and experience focus harm reduction, state and national opioid use disorder
policy, and opioid use disorder co-morbidities including homelessness, HIV, HVC, stigma,
and poly-substance use. He provides expertise in dynamic system modeling, community-based
participatory research, and health literacy. Pettyjohn received his Master of Public
Health (MPH) in health policy from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO. During
his doctoral training, he worked on a team that received an RDC Major funding award
from ETSU to develop a dynamic system model of opioid overdose among people in active
recovery.
Mimi Pickering is an award-winning filmmaker and director of Appalshop’s Community Media Initiative. Pickering’s documentaries often feature women as principle storytellers, focus on struggles for equity and justice, and explore the efforts of grassroots communities to address local issues that frequently reflect global concerns. In 2005, her film The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man was selected by the Librarian of Congress for inclusion in the prestigious National Film Registry. Other documentaries include Chemical Valley, an examination of environmental racism in West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley that aired on the PBS series P.O.V, and Hazel Dickens: It’s Hard To Tell The Singer From The Song, a portrait of this singer/songwriter whose feminist country ballads, union anthems, and blue collar laments combine the traditional and the political Most recently Pickering and Anne Lewis completed Anne Braden: Southern Patriot, a documentary on the life and legacy of this legendary civil rights leader, journalist, teacher and mentor to three generations of social justice activists. As CMI Director, Pickering leads Making Connections News, a multi-media Story Bank exploring sustainable and just economic options for renewing Appalachia’s economy and creating healthy communities. She is also a team leader for All Access EKY, a collaboration that combines storytelling, media making, youth empowerment, and community outreach to advocate for and increase access to all birth control options in Appalachian Kentucky.
Kelly Celeste Porter is an associate professor of graphic design at East Tennessee State University. In addition to her 7 years of teaching, she has also worked for 10 years as a designer and design researcher for Ryobi Power Tools, The B.B. King Museum, Mississippi Blues Trail, and Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. Professor Porter has presented at UCDA, CAA, SECAC, and Pop Culture Association conferences and she is published in the International Journal of Signage and Wayfinding. She received her MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a BFA in Graphic Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Appointed by the Governor in 2012 to lead economic community development and job creation
initiatives within the State’s entertainment sectors. Raines is responsible for advancing
the strategic goals of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission (TEC); managing (TEC)
incentive & grant programs; marketing Tennessee's key industry assets and competitive
advantages; acting as strategic advisor to senior government officials and providing
State Legislators’ with analysis of the State's entertainment sector. Over his 16-year
career, Raines has consulted for a 1000 + production projects with notable clients
including Viacom/CBS, NBCUNI, Lionsgate, WARNERMEDIA, Legendary Pictures, 20th Century,
Disney/ABC and Netflix. His leadership in key development initiatives grew the State’s
employment rate in motion picture/video production by 135% from 2013-2018; producing
10,000+ Tennessee production jobs; $420M in new incomes for Tennesseans’; 10,000 +
production days and $655M in economic output for State businesses & production vendors.
Under Raines’ tenure as executive Director, the State of Tennessee has risen to
be ranked 6th in the nation for motion picture/video production employment; No. 1
for workforce concentration and No. 2 for total employment in record production and
music publishing. Raines holds a degree in Business Administration from East Tennessee
State University and an accreditation with the International Association for Management
Education.
Jake VanHuss
Jake VanHuss is a Lecturer in the Radio/Television/Film Program at East Tennessee
State University in the Department of Media & Communication. He has worked as a freelance
videographer, editor, designer, motion graphics and visual effects artist in media
and film for over 14 years. Jake holds a M.S. in Engineering Technology from ETSU
and will received his M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Georgia at Athens
this Summer.
Wayne Winkler
Wayne Winkler
Wayne Winkler is the director of public radio station WETS-FM/HD (89.5 MHz) in Johnson
City. A native of Detroit, one generation removed from Appalachia, Wayne is a former
president of the Melungeon Heritage Association and author of the books Walking Toward
the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia (2004) and Beyond the Sunset: The Melungeon
Outdoor Drama, 1969-1976 (2020) both published by Mercer University Press. Wayne is
the host and producer of Soul Kitchen, heard Friday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight
on WETS. He also produces the nationally distributed programs Your Weekly Constitutional
and Your Daily Constitutional with Stewart Harris.