Three great events coming up this weekend – and three great opportunities in three different places to see the film, greet our star who plays “Gus” , Zach Gilford, meet our director, Matthew Leutwyler and support a good cause.
That same night, a little further south, our director/editor Matthew Leutwyler will be appearing at the Naples International Film Festival in Florida for a screening November 5 at 8 pm. The film will screen again on November 6 at 12 pm and on November 7 at 11:30 a.m. http://naples.bside.com/2010/films/theriverwhy_matthewleutwyler_naples2010
The filmmakers of “The River Why” donated 25 tickets to veterans from Walter Reed Hospital who are participating in Project Healing Waters so they could see the film when it screens at the Alexandria Film Festival (Virginia), November 6 at 7 pm. Project Healing Waters is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. For tickets, please go to: http://alexandriafilm.org/schedule/
It looks like both the Saturday, October 9, and Thursday, October 14 screenings of “The River Why” are sold out at the Mill Valley Film Festival. There might be tix available if you stand in the rush line.
I’m heading up to beautiful Oregon for the Bend Film Festival and a 3 pm screening on Friday, Oct 8, before coming back for Mill Valley’s screening on Saturday. The Bend Film Fest will also screen TRW on Sunday at the Sisters Movie House at 10 a.m. www.bendfilm.org
Our director, Matthew Leutwyler, can’t make it to the Saturday Mill Valley Film Fest screening , but will be there for the screening on Thursday, October 14. Stop by and say hi.
The following weekend, we have screenings at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and the Gig Harbor Film festival in Washington state and the Salem Film Festival in Oregon.
The Gig Harbor screening is Friday, Oct 15 at 1: 3o pm. www.gigharborfilmfestival.com
The Salem Film Festival screening is Friday, Oct 15 at 6:30 pm and Monday, October 18 at 3:15. http://www.salemfilmfestival.com/2010/films/features/riverwhy.html
The Heartland Film Festival is October 16 at 7 pm, October 18 at 6 pm, October 19 at 6 pm and October 22 at 8:15 pm.http://www.trulymovingpictures.org/festival-years/2010/movie/the-river-why
And keep an eye out for “Greenlit”, the documentary one of our Executive Producers, Miranda Bailey, directed about our efforts – sometimes more successful than others – to make “The River Why” green. An enlightening and hysterical film. It’s playing at a number of the fall film festivals.
Now, acknowledging there is more to life than coming-of-age love stories with fishing, I have this to say:
Some of you know, one of the ways we’re raising money to pay for the costs of production is through donations. We’ve currently raised about $700,000 and we want to get that up to at least $1 million. Once the costs of production are recouped, we will be “re-gifting” the amount raised through donations to non-profits that support rivers and fish. If the film does well, that amount will increase. It’s a way to not only pay attention to the issues, but to do something about them. I attribute the inspiration for this to 1% for the Planet….although for “The River Why” this will be closer to 25%….and possibly more.
We would welcome anyone who wants to get involved with this effort. When we reach “re-gift” time, you will have a say in where your portion goes.
The San Francisco Film Society is our fiscal sponsor. To donate, please go to:
There will always be many interpretations of great works of art and literature, the best (and simplest) example being “Romeo and Juliet” in tights and flowing gowns re-interpreted as “Westside Story” in jeans. But I especially like how Jam-Tex encourages the broadest appreciation of the experience.
FROM: Jam-Tex
Music, Culture, and History
The River Why
Last week I got to see the world premier of the film The River Why at the Dallas International Film Festival. The movie is based on the book The River Why by David James Duncan. Duncan is a famed environmental and philosophical fiction writer that weaves fantastic narratives about fishing, religion, and baseball. Duncan should be a staple of American literature. Not only is the River Why an amazing read, but so is the heart-wrenching The Brothers K, an excellent work set in the Vietnam War era.
For the most part, it is common knowledge that the book is always better than the movie. This is the case for The River Why, but that does not mean the filmmakers failed. Quite the contrary, the movie version of The River Why is really good. The film captured many of the philosophical underpinnings of the book. The book leaves the natural world to one’s imagination. Whereas the movie brings the wonderful nature of an Oregon river basin alive. My advice would be to read the book and see the movie.
Kristi: I agree. Read the book. See the movie. In whatever order you prefer.
Check out this video (featuring Zach Gilford, Kathleen Quinlan, director Matthew Leutwyler,and Screenwriter Tom Cohen) from the Red Carpet Premiere of The River Why at the Dallas International Film Festival.
Note: the cast and crew appear about 5 minutes in.
William Devan as Dutch on set for "The River Why".
William Devane plays “Dutch”, a bumbling fishing reporter in The River Why. Mr. Devane became widely known for his ten years as the villainous Greg Sumner on the drama series Knots Landing and his role as President Kennedy in the TV film about the Cuban missile crisis, The Missiles of October. He appeared in the films McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Marathon Man, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Testament, Payback and Space Cowboys. He has also appeared on the television series The West Wing and 24.
Mr. Devane is expected to walk the Red Carpet at the World Premiere of The River Why at the Dallas International Film Festivalon April 14, 2010. Zach Gilford and Kathleen Quilan will also be there. You can purchase tickets here.
Crowds wrapped around the historic Armory in Ashland, OR for the Ashland Independent Film Festival.
The staff and volunteers made the Ashland Independent Film Festival an incredible experience. They had the biggest attendance ever and handled everything with grace and warmth. Nearly 1,000 people saw “The River Why” between the two preview screenings.
On Saturday, I spoke on the Reel Woman panel with:
Diane Bell (Director, Obselidia – which won Best Feature)
Gloria La Morte (co-director, Entre Nos, which won the Audience Award and Best Acting Ensemble)
Judith Ehrlich (Co-Director, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers – nominated for an Academy Award)
Emiko Omori (Director, Ed Hardy: Tattoo the World)
Anne Lundgren (Producer, Calvin Marshall)
Sandy Cioffi (Director, Sweet Crude)
They were such an inspiring group with amazing experiences and insight. I was honored to sit beside them.
My birthday was Friday and the audience sang “Happy Birthday” to me. Hard to top that! Saturday came close because a number of people from the crew were at that screening and I loved seeing all of them again.
All in all, it was a great way to start our film festival circuit with a special preview as a “Thank you” to Oregon.
-Kristi Denton Cohen
Producer, The River Why
P.S. To see more pictures from the festival, please visit our Facebook Fan Page.
Cast and crew of "The River Why" celebrate the Special Preview at AIFF 2010.
The "Best Cinematography, The Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC Award: Feature" Award
I’m pleased to announce The River Why won the “Best Cinematography, The Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC Award: Feature” Award last night at the Ashland Independent Film Festival! This is a wonderful honor and very meaningful since we filmed The River Why in Oregon, along the Wilson River in Portland, in 2008.
We’ll post more pictures and updates from the festival soon, but we had to share the great news.
To see the full list of Awardees, please visit the Ashland Independent Film Festival‘s web site.
Kathleen Quilan on set with WIlliam Hurt in "The River Why".
Kathleen Quinlan plays Zach Gilford’s mother in The River Why. Ms. Quinlan made her film debut in George Lucas’ 1973 nostalgic look at the early sixties, American Graffiti. She has appeared in over 50 films, but is best known for her roles as Deborah in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, and for her Golden Globe and Oscar nominated role as Marilyn Lovell in 1995′s Apollo 13.
RT @sthompsonauthor: I love 'The River Why' book. I have wanted to see the ind. film, but it wasn't playing near me so I just ordered...***11 hours ago
