“O PIONEER,” the latest feature documentary from directors Clara Lehmann and Jonathan Lacocque, received the Audience Award at Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in San Jose, California in August and is screening at film festivals across Appalachia through the fall.
“O PIONEER” is a documentary that celebrates three Appalachians from West Virginia as they embark upon an important journey that unfolds in the midst of a pandemic and personal heartache. Weaving narration with archival pioneer footage, candid moments from each subject, poetic vignettes and dream-like animation, “O PIONEER” redefines what it means to be a pioneer and asks viewers to courageously champion the pioneer within.
The film also aims to defy the stereotypical understanding of the American pioneer through a fresh and modern narrative set in West Virginia, which continues to experience a decline in population. In 2017, West Virginia ranked second highest in both numeric and percentage population decline. With this exodus and the grim facts about how opioids and joblessness ravage the state, those that stay face two paths—one of hopelessness and apathy and the other of the pioneer.
In August 2023, “O Pioneer” received funding support from Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN), West Virginia’s only accredited angel investment network. CRAN announced its $50,000 investment to support the promotion, marketing and distribution of the film.
“This is a showcase investment for CRAN and marks our first entry into supporting the growing creative sector in West Virginia,” notes Kevin Combs, executive chairman of CRAN.
“We were wowed and inspired by the creativity put forth by Clara and Jonathan in creating this feature-length documentary, which tells a 21st century story of pioneers, and more importantly, West Virginia pioneers,” says Scott Widmeyer, deal lead for CRAN.
Lehmann says “Filmmaking, while collaborative and rich during creation, can become lonely and wanting upon completion. With financial and authentic advisory support, Country Roads Angel Network has breathed life and inspiration into one of the hardest parts of filmmaking. We want to sincerely thank Country Roads Angel Network for supporting our vision and for being the light West Virginia deserves.”
In addition to its world premiere at Cinequest, the film will screen publicly at the following events:
• Richmond International Film Festival (Richmond, VA) Thursday, September 28
• MTN Craft Film Festival (Clarksburg, WV) Saturday, September 30
• Louisville International Film Festival (Louisville, KY) Friday, October 6
• Rome International Film Festival (Rome, GA) November 2-5
• Cucalorus Film Festival (Wilmington, NC) November 15-19
Additional film festival screenings will be announced as they become available, and an Appalachian tour of screenings will follow the film’s festival run.
Directed by Lehmann and Lacocque, “O PIONEER” stars Kaïa Kater, Nellie Rose Gundersen Davis, Tim Hibbs and James Morley. Written by Lehmann and produced by Lehmann, Lacocque and Grace Lawson, the film features cinematography by Lacocque, who also edits with Chris Parkhurst to a score composed by Ho-Ling Tang.
Lacocque says, “Appalachians, specifically West Virginians, deserve and need to see themselves in stories like ‘O Pioneer’ because they defy the stale narratives that are so destructive to the region and its people. Long live the pioneer.”
For more information, images, review screeners and interview requests:
Jill Rosen, Publicist, “O PIONEER”
Email: jill@jillrosencomms.com
Phone: +1 (917) 326-0145
Mia Farrell, Publicist, “O PIONEER”
Email: miafarrell@mac.com
Phone: +1 (424) 279-2271
About Coat of Arms LLC
Coat of Arms is an award-winning creative studio located in Helvetia, West Virginia, creating independent films and specializing in original filmmaking services. Founded in 2010 by directors Clara Lehmann and Jonathan Lacocque, Coat of Arms defines films and brands through the art of visual media.
About CRAN
With CRAN, entrepreneurs have access to more than 30 supportive investors that they can look to for guidance. CRAN’s investors dedicate significant time to mentoring, both before and after a venture is ready for funding. Mentoring activities include fine-tuning business models, advising on capital stacking and ideal capital structure, assisting with marketing strategies and performing business plan reviews. In some instances, CRAN members become advisors to the companies, so they receive continued guidance. Finally, CRAN members frequently leverage their own networks to provide the entrepreneurs with key introductions to potential customers, vendors and other strategic partners. Learn more at www.wvcran.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
