Fifth Annual WYO Film Fest Held Over Weekend

Justin Stroup talks with Joe Martin about the film, “Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl“

The fifth annual WYO Film Fest was held Friday through Sunday Sept 30- Oct. 2, at the WYO Theatre as well as other business around the town.

To kick off the event on Friday there was a VIP Cocktail Hour sponsored by The Antelope Butte Foundation, Verdello, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The reception was followed by the feature film “Magic Hour” from the Teton Gravity Research, a skiing film about finding beautiful moments in some of the most beautiful, wild places on the planet.

According to Justin Stroup, executive director of the fest, he said when they started, he had no idea what to expect, but today he said that nearly a 1000 people come through the theater to see the films. Some even come from out of the Sheridan area. He talked about the process used to choose the films.

Later, there was an Opening Night After-party at The Warehouse Gastropub.

Several filmmakers and actors attended the event and were on hand to talk to the audience throughout the weekend.

Saturday was filled with movies, and some Q&A with the attending filmmakers. Bryce Holden and Julia Ponce Diaz talked about the movie they made, Soredia, a movie about a self-conscious French girl who visits the California mountains and finds herself lost and, desperate for a sense of belonging, acts on her obsession towards a new friend.

Rob Motley and BJ Klophaus talked about their film, The Ephemeral Area, about finding ice climbs in the Wind River Range.

Rob Motley, who made the short film, talked about how it came to be.

The editor and producer Klophaus added how he came to be a part of the film.

One movie included in the fest was titled, Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl, about a band by the same name that performed around Bisbee, Arizona. “Whiskey Girl” Amy Lopez was born in Billings, Montana, and her family lived in Ranchester where she attended Tongue River Schools. She met and married “Nowhere Man” Derrick Ross and they were together for several years.

From the time she was very young, Amy loved to sing and make music. With Amy on keyboard and vocals, and Derrick on guitar, for many years the couple were very much a part of the Bisbee, Arizona, music world. They were soul mates and had an extraordinary connection of love and making music. They were friends with stand-up comedian Doug Stanhope, who was a part of the documentary as well as many family members. And then the music stopped….

Joe Martin, of shoplifter studios, Tampa, Florida, was at the Film Fest and talked about Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl.

One short film featured was by Sheridan Photographer Kevin Palmer, titled Of Vapor and Wind, using time lapse photography, tells the story of the magnificent thunderstorms that roll across the Great Plains in the spring and summer. They bring rain, hail, lightning, tornadoes, rainbows and unforgettable sunsets.

Another film, Attack and Release, was about how rivers and fly-fishing helped one man to heal. Other Short Films included For the Love of Afghanistan; ‘John L’ black midi; Moles; Resurrection and Sweat of His Cow.

On Saturday night was a feature length documentary The Outside Circle: A Movie of the Modern West by Craig Rullman, director and producer.

On Saturday night was an Italian dinner in honor of the 50th Anniversary of The Godfather movie at the Buttero Italian Eatery followed by the film Resurrection, and a Saturday night after-party at Luminous Brewhouse.

On Sunday, after a VIP coffee tasting and Bloody Mary brunch there was a screening of the horror film, Watcher, and the 50^th Anniversary Edition of The Godfather at the WYO.