KCP Announces Howard Frank Mosher Tribute Tour With Filmmaker Jay Craven

Vermont filmmaker Jay Craven will hit the road this summer, for a series of film screenings and personal reflections to pay tribute to his 30-year collaborator, Northeast Kingdom writer, Howard Frank Mosher.

"Howard Mosher died pretty unexpectedly in late January," said Craven. "And many Vermonters already miss him for his laugh-out-loud humor and fertile imagination of our place. Writers miss him, too, because no one was more generous with his time and support."

Craven will open each evening with prepared and off-the-cuff reflections, "My Life, So Far, With Howard," that explore his long collaboration with Mosher. He will then present a 25th Anniversary screening of his first Mosher feature film, "Where the Rivers Flow North," starring Academy Award nominee Rip Torn, Native American actress Tantoo Cardinal ("Dances with Wolves," "Legends of the Fall"), and Michael J. Fox.

"Howard was much more than a source for our film stories and characters," said Craven. "He was also a constant ally, a ready source of laughs, and a steadying influence in times of strain. This was especially crucial during our struggles with headstrong actor Rip Torn on the filming of "Rivers." I will tell a few tales that have not been publically shared before-because they capture a rarely seen side of Howard and his work."

Set in 1927 in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, "Where the Rivers Flow North" tells the story of an old logger, Noel Lord, and his Native American mate, Bangor, who face the extinction of their way of life when the local power company plans to build a giant hydro dam that will flood them off their land. Lord and Bangor face emotional and physical challenges as they struggle with the power company, Vermont's unforgiving terrain, and their own thorny relationship.

"Where the Rivers Flow North" played more than thirty festival dates including Sundance, Seattle, Avignon, Vienna, and Vancouver. Special screenings include The Smithsonian, Lincoln Center, and Harvard Film Archive. The picture was also one of three U.S. finalists for Critics Week, Cannes International Film Festival. Critical comments include: "Breathtakingly beautiful." (Bob Mondello, NPR); "A freshness rarely seen on screen." (Caryn James, NY Times); "Powerful and unconventional." (Geoff Gilmore, director, Sundance Film Festival) and "Remarkable performances" (actor Gregory Peck).

The Mosher Tribute tour is produced by Kingdom County Productions with sponsorship support from Vermont Public Radio. For more information contact Jay Craven (jcraven@marlboro.edu).

An initial round of play dates includes the following:

7pm, Thursday, July 27, Next Stage Arts, Putney, VT

7pm, Friday, July 28, The Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT

2pm, Sunday, July 30, Woodstock Town Hall Theater

7pm, Sunday, July 30, Middlebury Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, VT

7pm, Saturday, August 5, Norwich Congregational Church

6:30pm, Sunday, August 6, Weston Playhouse, Weston, VT

6:30pm, Thursday, August 10, Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT

Will include an on-stage interview by Rumblestrip radio producer Erica Heilman

6pm, Saturday, August 12, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, VT

6pm, Wednesday, August 16, Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, VT

6:30pm, Tuesday, August 22, Savoy Theater, Montpelier