The West Virginia Film Office this week released a showreel highlighting selected film and television productions filmed in the Mountain State. The showreel aims to showcase locations in West Virginia to business prospects as well as to encourage film-related tourism in the state.
“We’re excited to share these clips of West Virginia’s versatile landscapes used by filmmakers all over the nation, appearing on screens both big and small,” Commissioner of Tourism Amy Shuler Goodwin said. “We’ve seen a number of cities and towns around West Virginia directly benefit from film-related tourism because folks want to come see these amazing backdrops for themselves – it’s a great form of product placement.”
“Having this showreel to share with business prospects will provide another avenue for us to pitch West Virginia as a great location for film production,” West Virginia Film Office Director Pam Haynes said. “When productions film in West Virginia, it’s always important to emphasize that West Virginia labor is hired and the state’s business service providers are utilized before, during and after filming, creating a positive impact in local economies.”
One need only to look at Huntington for a film tourism success story. Nearly 300 bus tours have stopped in Huntington to visit locations used in the Warner Bros. feature “We Are Marshall,” which stars Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Straithairn, Anthony Mackie, Ian McShane, and Kata Mara.
“It’s amazing how much interest is still being shown for the ‘We Are Marshall’ tour,” Cabell-Huntington Convention & Visitors Bureau President, Tyson Compton, said. “Although the film is now ten years old, we still have requests for the tour, both from individuals and tour groups. In fact, we hosted a bus tour just last week. They were passing through Huntington but wanted to stop specifically for the tour.”
A more extensive filmography for West Virginia, including locations not included on the showreel, is available on the film office website at www.wvfilm.com/filmography.
The West Virginia Film Office is a section of the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Tourism Division. Follow the Film Office on Facebook.com/wvfilm or Twitter @wvfilm.