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Tin Man
03-19-2006, 23:20
PEA grad Bill Wagner’s film will roll at the Ioka next month


By Mike Sullivan
[email protected]
2005 Mike Sullivan Archive
2004 Mike Sullivan Archive



The phrase "come full circle" has become cliché in American vernacular, but like many overused expressions, it just plain works when used appropriately. Los Angeles-based filmmaker Ben Wagner is a prime example.
When Wagner, a 1995 Phillips Exeter Academy graduate who grew up in Exeter and lived briefly in Portsmouth, moved to LA a couple of years ago, he had aspirations of making a movie. It was a long shot for the kid who spent a lot of time at his parents’ apple orchards in Hampton Falls - yes, the famed Applecrest - to become a bona fide filmmaker, but Wagner is turning what once was merely a dream into a reality.

As was reported in this column last May, Wagner did just that. His first cinematic child, "Southbounders," premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival last June and has been riding a wave of publicity ever since. That publicity tour has taken an interesting twist based on the movie’s content, one that will bring the 29-year-old Wagner back to the area next month.

Yep, Ben Wagner is coming full circle.

"Southbounders" will be screened for audiences in states along the Appalachian Trail from North Carolina to Maine on an upcoming promotional tour, and that will include a stop in Wagner’s hometown of Exeter at the Ioka Theater.

"It was a childhood dream of mine coming to the Ioka to screen a feature film," Wagner said. "I’m so fortunate that it happened this early in my career."

For those unfamiliar with "Southbounders," it is a fictional account of a young woman who, at a crossroads in her life, hikes the Appalachian Trail. Along the way she meets and befriends a group of hikers, one with whom she falls in love. The film then follows the couple and another hiker on their trip along the trail, which at last count registered 2,170 miles on the "Oh my God, you hiked all that way" scale.

Seacoast residents will have a chance to see the film and meet Wagner, who wrote and directed it, next month. On Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. Wagner will be the man of the hour at a "Meet the Filmmaker" session at the Water Street Bookstore in Exeter. The screening of "Southbounders" at the Ioka is Saturday, April 8, at 9 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer period with Wagner and a live concert set from the composer of the film’s music, Jay Nash.

Sounds like a festive homecoming if ever there was one. Roger Detzler, who owns the Ioka, thinks the theater is the perfect venue for "Southbounders."

"We’re much more interested in the locally made stuff," he said. "I’ve been in contact with Ben and we definitely feel there’s strong interest in this area. We certainly hope it will be successful."

Some of "Southbounders" actually was shot in the area, with scenes from the Townlyne Grill, a restaurant on Hampton Road in Exeter, included in the film.

While some people who return home are simply coming back to where they started - another ugly, overused cliché, "back to the drawing board," comes to mind - Wagner is a changed man with a considerable notch in his movie-making belt.

He hasn’t changed in a bad way, mind you. He married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth, last July, and couldn’t be happier, both personally and professionally. But after living in LA for a couple of years, Wagner is more of a Seacoast guy than ever.

"If anything, moving to LA to pursue filmmaking has given me a greater appreciation for the Seacoast," he said. "Not to start dogging LA, but I couldn’t raise a family out here. Eventually, my wife and I will move back to New Hampshire. We have the beach, the woods, the mountains and no smog."

And yes, Wagner himself has hiked the trail and that experience inspired him to make "Southbounders." Making the film, like hiking the Appalachian Trail, has been a rewarding process for Wagner.

"Outdoor enthusiasts have told me we’ve managed to give an accurate glimpse into the long-distance hiking world," he said. "I’ve had fathers come up to me after the show saying that they were so happy to find a film without sex or violence that their families could enjoy.

"I’ve also had jaded hipsters offer that they see a little of themselves in the characters, and indie film buffs like the subtle non-Hollywood story."

The process has been daunting at times and has caused Wagner to grow up quickly in his fast-paced industry.

"From a business standpoint, I’ve realized how much effort you must put into a film beyond the production," Wagner said. "Most filmmakers, myself included, believe that the hard part is making the film, and from a specific creative stance, it is. But getting the film seen by more people than your parents takes another type of creativity and absorbs more time than most filmmakers are prepared to offer."

Wagner is willing to make that time, though, especially when it involves coming home. Next month, he’ll do just that at the Ioka Theater, and make no mistake, he couldn’t be happier. After all, he’s come full circle.

From seacoastonline.com (http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/03192006/mike/93349.htm)

Marta
03-20-2006, 21:49
SOUTHBOUNDERS TRAIL TOUR ANNOUNCED!




We’re coming to a town near you this Spring!

See Southbounders with an audience, meet writer-director Ben Wagner, and hear a performance by composer Jay Nash (www.jaynash.com (http://www.jaynash.com/)).






DATE
TIME
VENUE
CITY
SPONSOR

March 30
7:30 pm
The Evening Muse***
Charlotte, NC


April 1
8:00 pm
Edward C Smith Civic Center
Lexington, NC

April 2
3:00 pm
Buchanan Theatre (http://www.buchanantheatre.com/)
Roanoke, VA


April 2
6:30 pm
VirginiaWesternCommunity College Natural Science
Roanoke, VA
Blue Ridge Outdoors
(540) 777-2110

April 3
7:00 pm
WaynesboroHigh School
Waynesboro, VA


April 4
6:00 pm
WildWare Backcountry (http://www.wildwarebackcountry.com/)
Harrisburg, PA
WildWare Backcountry (http://www.wildwarebackcountry.com/)

April 5
7:30 pm
Higher Ground (http://www.highergroundmusic.com/)
Burlington, VT


April 6
7:30 pm
Water Street Bookstore* (http://waterstreetbookstore.com/)
Exeter, NH
Water Street Bookstore (http://waterstreetbookstore.com/)

April 8
9:00 pm
IOKA Theater (http://www.iokaentertainment.com/)
Exeter, NH


April 9
7:00 pm
Williams College Brooks Rogers Recital Hall (http://www.williams.edu/home/campusmap/mapE.php)
Williamstown, MA
Williams Outing Club

April 11
8:00 pm
DartmouthCollegeDartmouth 105
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth Outing Club

April 12
8:30 pm
Village Picture Shows (http://www.villagepictureshows.com/)
Manchester Center, VT


April 13

TBD**
Greenville, ME


May 19
2:30 pm
Trail Days (http://www.damascus.org/traildays.html)**
Damascus, VA
Backpacker Magazine (http://www.backpacker.com/)


*meet the filmmaker only. No screening or performance by Jay Nash
**screening and Q&A only
***Jay Nash performance with clips from Southbounders



Soundtrack now available at www.southbounders.com (http://www.southbounders.com/)!