With the inauguration next week of the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival (SOAPIFF) at ETSU and in downtown Johnson City, the concept of the “independent” film festival will have returned to its roots – Mary Jane Coleman started the ball rolling 37 years ago with the first Sinking Creek Film Celebration.
Coleman established Sinking Creek in 1969, making it the oldest continuous film festival in the South and the second oldest in the nation, according to SOAPIFF founder Mark Compton, an ETSU graduate student who thoroughly researched such festivals as part of his master of arts in liberal studies (MALS) thesis project in cross cultural tourism development.
Although started in this region, Sinking Creek was later moved to the state capital and is now known as the Nashville Film Festival.
SOAPIFF is the only all-inclusive film festival in this region of the state; the next closest festivals are the Blue Ridge Film Festival in Roanoke, Va., and the Asheville (N.C.) Film Festival, which takes place in early November. SOAPIFF’s purpose is to “publicly recognize the work of independent filmmakers” and to “encourage film production and film culture in Southern Appalachia.”
“The independent film festival, which is a festival without movie studio fare, is Mrs. Coleman’s brainchild – it did not exist until the Sinking Creek Film Celebration. She went to film schools across America seeking the best in independent and student films,” Compton said. “Her dedication started the careers of many of today’s film professionals by helping find scholarships for higher education and helping establish film programs in secondary education throughout the South. She zealously espoused independent film as art, and was a driving force for film while a member of the Tennessee Arts Commission.”
Compton notes that because of Coleman’s love of the art form of motion pictures SOAPIFF is raising funds for a scholarship in her name for future filmmakers in the American South.
SOAPIFF will salute Coleman and her vision during an opening reception in her honor tonight from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Charles, located at 308 E. Main St.
Three films are making their world premiere after the reception. “Seeing Things Into Being” is from Stan Woodward, Coleman’s longtime friend and a supporter and participant in the Sinking Creek Film Celebration. This is one of several Woodward films making their world debut during SOAPIFF; the whole “Southern Routes Collection” will be featured on campus in Rogers-Stout Hall as part of ETSU’s third annual Fall Family Festival on Homecoming Saturday.
“Alice in America,” a film which “places many unexpected twists on the Lewis Carroll classic,” is produced by Bonnie Comley, one of the producer’s of the Tony Award-winning “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and written and composed by playwright Jaz Dorsey of “Nellie,” “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and “Caf Escargot,” who will be present for the Thursday night premiere at The Charles.
Mexican Zombie, a “spoof on the Bela Lugosi classic, White Zombie,” is the creation of 16-year-old Eli Berry, a student at University School on the ETSU campus.
The aspiring young filmmaker entered two films in SOAPIFF. Berry’s “The Undead,” loosely based on the original shooting script of the lost Lon Chaney silent film classic, “London After Midnight,” will air on Saturday, Oct. 28, in ETSU’s Ball Hall auditorium.
Numerous films, ranging from shorts to documentaries to retrospectives, will be screened at ETSU, at The Charles and at Numan’s, located at 225 E. Main St., Friday through Sunday afternoon, featuring the following genres – Art, Classic Foreign Silent Horror, International (French, Japanese), Appalachian films from Appalshop, Digital Animation, Cross Cultural and Silver Screen Horror Classics. Several of the selections are part of ETSU’s curriculum.
For specific times, locations, film titles and descriptions, see soapiffinflics.com.
As an added bonus, a number of educational seminars and lectures with professionals in the field are slated for Friday and Saturday at The Charles, starting at 4 p.m. both days.
The Film Festival awards ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday in Ball Hall, with a reception hosted by ETSU’s master of arts in liberal studies program.
Festival entries will be added to the SOAPIFF collection retained by the ETSU Archives of Appalachia, located in Sherrod Library, and may be used by the public for educational purposes.

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