Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: The 28th Lone Pine Film Festival

Monday, October 09, 2017

The 28th Lone Pine Film Festival

We're back from a wonderful weekend at the 28th Lone Pine Film Festival!

Over the last few years the Lone Pine Film Festival has become a treasured experience we look forward to each fall, and this year's festival was no exception. We had a terrific time!

This year I enjoyed eight films, two TV episodes, a lecture, and two tours in the Alabama Hills, and that's just for starters. There was time to chat with festival guests, shop and have a book signed, plus drive out for a quick look at the "Hoppy Cabin" which we last saw in 2014.

We also greatly enjoyed our annual dinner with Beth Ann Gallagher and her husband; it's always wonderful to see them!

When we arrived in town Thursday afternoon, all was in readiness for the evening's banquet at the Museum of Western Film History:

Just a few hours later the joint was jumping!

Dinner plus live country music made for a fun time.

Not to mention horses!

Festival guests seen here included William Wellman Jr., Lisa McCrea, unidentified, Wyatt McCrea, and filmmaker Justin Koehler, whose documentary FLOATING HORSES: THE LIFE OF CASEY TIBBS (2017) was shown later that evening.

More festival participants seen here include (from left) Rob Word, Packy Smith, Diamond Farnsworth, Bruce Davison, Wyatt McCrea, and Larry Maurice.

After dinner we moved across the street to the Lone Pine High School Auditorium, where the festival's film screenings take place, to watch FLOATING HORSES.

Casey Tibbs was a champion rodeo rider who went from a poor childhood to great success, including working in the film industry, while also struggling with personal problems. He passed away in 1990.

After the movie Wyatt McCrea (left), who was one of the documentary's executive producers, interviewed Justin Koehler about making the film.

Tibbs knew a number of interesting people, including Joel McCrea, Richard Farnsworth, and Steven Ford (son of President Gerald Ford), who make appearances in the documentary in archival footage (McCrea and Farnsworth) and a new interview (Ford). Wyatt himself was also interviewed in the documentary, having first met Casey when he was a child.

I learned quite a bit from the film; ultimately, though, Tibbs' personal issues were such that the film was a bit sad. For those who would like to dig deeper, a 2015 article in the Ramona Sentinel contains further details on Tibbs' life and the film.

I'm already at work on several festival photo posts covering each day's events. Perhaps they'll entice a few of my readers to make it to the festival in 2018!

I'll also be posting a review of SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960), plus a gallery of stills from ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO (1953).

We've already booked our room at the Dow for next year's festival!