The Winding Stream, an epic documentary film about the dynasty at the heart of American roots music is nearing completion but needs finishing funds to get there. The film tells the story of the musical Carter and Cash Family and features interviews and performances by many Americana artists, including Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash, George Jones, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and others.
To get to the finish line, Grammy-nominated independent filmmaker and musician Beth Harrington is announcing the beginning of a 60-day effort starting May 1 to raise the needed funds through the online crowdfunding site, Kickstarter. The goal is $50,000. Donors to the campaign can choose from an array of rewards, including tickets to special screenings and after-parties, copies of the film’s companion book, special edition hand-made Carter Family posters, a chance to serve as an Editorial Consultant on the film, a private screening of the completed film in your own home, and a tour of the Carter Family’s hometown, as well as Carter buttons, stickers and other surprises!
An earlier Kickstarter effort raised enough money for Harrington and her crew to complete principal photography. Says Harrington, “We were very fortunate to get some funding through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Faerie Godmother Fund and the Roy W. Dean grant. It’s a real vote of confidence from some big decision-makers. But these days the arts funding just isn’t enough to make a major film. So we’re turning to the fans of this music to help us wrap it up. More and more, Kickstarter is the way filmmakers are getting projects done and we’re excited by that.”
To see learn more about the film, see clips and find out how you can pledge to this campaign,
please visit http://kck.st/JE2VHc.
About The Film
The Winding Stream tells the tale of the musical Carter and Cash Family, the dynasty at the heart of country music. Starting with the Original Carter Family – A.P., Sara and Maybelle – this film traces the flow of their influence through generations of musicians, the transformation of that act into the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle, the marriage of Johnny Cash and June Carter, and the efforts of the present-day family to keep this musical legacy alive.
It is an epic saga and one that’s never been told in its entirety on film.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Beth Harrington is an award-winning independent producer, director and writer whose work most often focuses on American history, music and popular culture. Harrington’s film Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, a music documentary about the pioneering women of rock & roll, was honored with a 2003 Grammy nomination and has been seen on public television and at film festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Harrington is also a musician, most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers.