Mountain color by day, technicolor by night.
NEWS ........ Inauguration of the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival
Thursday, Novenber 13th, 2008

In 2007 Phil Pollard and the Band of Humans kicked off the Festival at The Charles in downtown Johnson City with a lively grandstand blast of their raucous post-modern dada-esque Parade of delirious rhythm and blends, and Jaz Dorsey on piano accompanied the voice of Norma Leadingham in songs from classic films. During the GALA, SOAPIFF presented the Mary Jane Coleman Award to three recipients. This year the Award went to Bill Landry, creator of over 1900 films in the acclaimed Heartland Series, Appalshop, for support of all forms of culture in the Appalachian region including many independent films, and Anne Pope, current Co-Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission, for her outstanding work supporting film and video production as Tennessee Film Commissioner during Governor Sundquist's administration. Also during the evening, Phil Pollard and the Band of Humans performed a new composition for the screening of the classic silent film Nosferatu. Guest filmmakers arrived for the event from New York, Atlanta, Nashville, Winston-Salem and San Francisco.

Movies, Music and Mountains
Come! Join the festivities next October! Movies, Music and entertainment. The Film Festival coincides with Autumn color in the Smoky Mountains. Admission to Festival movie screenings is free to the public at all theatres.

ETSU
The University, a Festival Co-sponsor of the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival, is located in Northeastern Tennessee in Johnson City, Tennessee, the heart of the Southern Appalachians. Courses in film studies offered by the University will include study of Festival films. Contact the East Tennessee State University Film Studies Program for further information about credit courses coinciding with the Festival.

Smokies photo by Gay Bryant.
Appalachians photo by Chris Kinser.