It's Happening: Casting a Positive Light on West Virginia
By Julie Perine on December 21, 2023 from It’s Happening
Those who attended Studio 9’s Nutcracker performance this past weekend may have experienced a surprise appearance by actor, Dean Cain.
Cain was in town again to film projects with JC Films, owned by Jason Campbell. Campbell’s wife Heather owns Studio 9 Dance Academy and he is including portions of the holiday performance in a couple of his current movies starring – you guessed it – Dean Cain.
The filming done at “A Children’s Nutcracker” performances at Bridgeport High School will be included in two upcoming films, “Hank’s Christmas Wish 2” – costarring Michael Sigler, Eddie McClintock, Cydney Chase (daughter of Chevy), and the Platon twins – and “A Christmas Carol” – a spoof on the comedy classic by Charles Dickens.
Since rolling into Bridgeport in June of 2018 to film a portion of “Megan’s Christmas Miracle” at Studio 9, JC Films has made dozens of family, faith-based movies in the area. Some of the earliest were “A Promise to Astrid,” “A Child of the King,” “Dispatched,” and “The Zombie Club.” In 2021, the production company made a movie here called “Light Up Night,” a modern-day story of Ruth which also features Bridgeport’s own beloved Christmastime tradition.
When Cain entered “A Children’s Nutcracker” Saturday night to film a scene – playing the town mayor and dressed in a sports coat featuring colorful Christmas bulbs - the audience stayed on script and did what Jason Campbell suggested. After a second take, the actor addressed the crowd saying that he has probably made 30-plus movies here in Bridgeport and surrounding areas.
And there are many more to come.
JC Films has launched a campaign to make a film in all 55 West Virginia counties.
“This is to change the stereotypes with films in West Virginia, shedding positive light on something great that has happened in each county and highlighting that in the film,” Campbell said. “And it also gives opportunity for locals to get involved in the filmmaking and the arts."
Campbell, who is also a Bridgeport City Councilman, said he often speaks at county commission meetings to share the initiative and get counties on board.
“About six months ago, I was invited to speak at the County Commission Conference in Charleston and mentioned how films about West Virginia always feature opioids and hillbillies and that we wanted to go to all 55 counties in West Virginia to make a positive movie with Dean,” Campbell said.
He hasn’t had to work too hard to make his case. County after county has jumped on board, many providing funding for the films. Then, the action begins.
“Dean and I sat down with representatives from Webster and Calhoun counties this past weekend. They shared stories about their counties – something positive and that happened in real life,” Campbell said.
The Pleasants County movie is called “Faith, Family, Football” and features a football coach/special needs teacher who had a stroke mid-season and how the community came together to pull the team to victory.
The Lewis County film is “The Great Bank Robbery that Created West Virginia.”
"While most people (at least here in WV) know that we were created out of the Civil War, less well-known is the fact that West Virginia was originally funded with money stolen from a Weston, West Virginia bank in 1861," Campbell said.
A movie called “In God’s Time” was shot in Upshur County, as well as “Hank’s Christmas Wish” and, of course, the sequel that was partially filmed last weekend in “A Children’s Nutcracker.”
It is a journey.
“We won’t make all 55 movies in a year, but maybe over the next 10 years or so,” he said.
Likely, six counties will be highlighted in 2024.
In addition to the West Virginia productions, JC Films has production clubs all over the country and even in Australia, Canada, The UK and Uganda.
“These are communities getting together to make movies with faith and family content,” Campbell said. “I write the script, they cast, and Dean and I go there to film.”
So, where can you watch all these movies?
“Most of them go to Prime and we’ve launched JC Plus that can be accessed on Roku, Apple TV, Sony, and Amazon Fire,” Campbell said. “Most of them can be seen on Pure Flix, too.”
See a list of films and how you can get involved with upcoming productions HERE at JC Films.org.
