Produced in 1916, A Vermont Romance was the first feature film ever made in Vermont. This extraordinary piece of folklore, commissioned by the Vermont Progressive Party, is a window through which we can view the people and landscape of Vermont one hundred years ago. It was filmed in many locations around the state, including St. Johnsbury, with a cast of amateur Vermont actors. It is a classic melodrama, the tale of Dorothy, who loses her father and the farm, then moves to Burlington to find work, adventure, and romance.
The new digitally re-mastered version will screen at Catamount Arts at 7pm on Friday, April 15. Accompanied by live piano, with an original score by veteran film composer/pianist Bob Merrill, the screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Nat Winthrop, co-producer of Freedom and Unity: The Vermont Movie; Rick Winston, film historian; and Gregory Sanford, former Vermont State Archivist. Presented by the Vermont Movie Archive Project (VAMP), a new initiative of the Vermont International Film Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and make accessible Vermont’s film heritage. The Vermont Romance Tour is funded in part by a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council and Vermont Public Radio, media sponsor for the tour. Additional information regarding the screening can be found at www.catamountarts.org.