WVIA nominated for Mid-Atlantic Emmy for short doc on rock ‘n’ roll Vietnam photographer
From a press release: WVIA Executive Producer Ben Payavis and Producer/Director John Mikulak have been nominated by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for a 2020 Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award in the Human Interest – Program Feature/Segment category for the production of “Mark Jury: Beyond Demons.” Featured as part […]
WVIA reairs local documentary ‘Ubaldo’ May 23-24 after cancellation of Jessup festival
From a press release: As the Saint Ubaldo Society in Jessup celebrates La Festa dei Ceri in different ways this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, WVIA-TV will air a special rebroadcast of its award-winning original documentary film “Ubaldo” on Saturday, May 23 at noon and 9 p.m. as well as Sunday, May 24 at […]
Online screening of ‘Vinyl Nation’ documentary benefits indie record stores like Gallery of Sound in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City
“Vinyl Nation,” a documentary about the resurgence of vinyl records, the diversification of vinyl fans, and what this means for America today, was scheduled to premiere in theaters and with some special record store screenings on the weekend of Record Store Day, but that all changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. To help record stores […]
Sylvester Stallone endorses documentary on Scranton Rocky impersonator now trending on Amazon Prime
“The Pretender,” a documentary that follows the quirky story of a daydreamer from Scranton who became a Rocky Balboa impersonator and tour guide in Philadelphia, has been available to stream on Amazon Prime since last October, but a recent endorsement from Sylvester Stallone himself has caused the movie to trend and find a wider audience […]
All of WVIA’s original local documentary films are now streaming for free
From a press release: In its ongoing mission of supporting lifelong learning, VIA Public Media is opening up its entire online collection of documentary films. The library spans more than 30 years, dating back to 1987’s “A Journey to the Endless Mountains” all the way through “Peoples of the Susquehanna River” from 2017. Viewers can […]
Scranton-produced Jason Miller documentary ‘Miller’s Tale’ now streaming for free
Nine years after its release, an hour-long documentary on the fascinating life of actor and playwright Jason Miller called “Miller’s Tale” is now streaming for free online. On Saturday, independent filmmaker and Scranton native Rebecca Ferris posted a short message on the film’s Facebook page following recent news of the spread of coronavirus in Pennsylvania. […]
‘At the Drive-In’ documentary on Mahoning Drive-In in Lehighton now available on DVD and digital
After screening at film festivals, on television, and at the local drive-in theater that is the subject of this award-winning documentary, “At the Drive-In” is finally available on DVD and digital platforms like iTunes and Amazon. Released on home video on April 9, the heartwarming movie tells the story of the Mahoning Drive-In Theater in […]
Documentary on Scranton-born Rocky impersonator gets NEPA premiere at Ritz Theater on March 23
Rocky Balboa, the fictional boxer created and played by Sylvester Stallone in a long-running film franchise, has inspired many to pursue their dreams, but none have followed in the Italian Stallion’s footsteps quite like West Scranton native Mike Kunda. From his childhood into adulthood, he has always wanted to be Rocky, but how does one […]
Mahoning Drive-In documentary ‘At the Drive-In’ gets TV premiere on WVIA Aug. 2-11
From a press release: As it continues to make its rounds on the film festival circuit, the award-winning independent documentary “At the Drive-In,” which tells the story of the Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton and their struggle to stay open in the modern world, will make its broadcast premiere on WVIA-TV this Thursday, Aug. 2 […]
VIDEOS: NEPA musicians perform with ‘Polka King’ Jack Black on ‘Colbert’ and ‘Today’ show
While the NEPA Scene Podcast recorded a show with John Mikulak, whose local documentary inspired the new Netflix movie “The Polka King,” several Northeastern Pennsylvania musicians were in New York City yesterday performing polka music with its star, Jack Black, on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which aired later that night on CBS. Black […]
