Athens International Film & Video Festival: Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie

Apr 24 2009

Stuart's is proud to again be a venue for the Athens International Film + Video Festival!

In Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie, filmmaker Jay Delaney provides a look at the trials and triumphs of life in the Appalachian foot hills. Through the experiences of two amateur Bigfoot researchers in southern Ohio, we see how the power of a dream can bring two men together in friendship and provide hope and meaning that transcend the harsh realities of life in a dying steel town.

Dallas Gilbert and Wayne Burton are out to convince the world that Bigfoot exists. They have amassed a vast library of video footage and still photographs after years of venturing into the woods and forests surrounding Portsmouth, Ohio, to conduct their Bigfoot research. They hope this material will prove the creature's existence – and catapult them to fame and wealth. Their appearance on the front page of a 1999 issue of the Portsmouth Daily Times served to spread the word throughout southern Ohio, but many skeptics remain. After years of failed attempts to attract national attention to their work, Dallas convinces a high-profile Bigfoot researcher from California to make a stop in Portsmouth to see his and Wayne's research locations during a national Bigfoot tour. But a misstep by Wayne on an Internet radio talk show throws the future of their research – and the strength of their friendship – in doubt. The California research team eventually shows up in Portsmouth, but the ensuing events leave Dallas and Wayne downtrodden. In the aftermath, the two learn more about themselves, their friendship and the fragile hope that sustains the American dream.

"A mournful, respectful portrait of a middle-American underbelly, Bigfoot is subtle, human, and touching – not at all typical." – Cindy Widner, Austin Chronicle

For more information, visit www.athensfest.org/