SPRINGFIELD — The Mars Theatre will host a July 3 movie premier. It is a sequel of sorts.
Remington Kent will be showing his latest work titled, “Descendants of the Men of the Forest, the Legacy Continues."
Kent’s film pays homage to a movie shot in Effingham County in 1952 by the United States Information Agency. The 1952 film featured members of the Hunter and Reese families of the Guyton area.
The original black and white film focused on the work ethics and value system that existed with Kent’s great-grandfathers, Lewis Hunter and Terling Reese. The new film includes excerpts from the original along with on-camera interviews with surviving film participant James Hunter. He was 12 years old at the time of filming and is now 78.
The original film, "Men of the Forest," can be seen on YouTube.
The original participants in the film had never seen it until it was "rediscovered" last year by a family member. The film captured the families working in the pulpwood industry, supplying wood to Union Camp in Savannah.
Remington Kent's parents, David and Eleanor Kent, proved to be a lot of help in getting this film made. They provided historical and anecdotal information about their great grandfathers.
On the movie flier, Hunter is pictured on the left with Reese on the right.
While making the film, Remington Kent discovered that Hunter never knew the name of the original film involving him and his family. Hunter, however, conveyed that they were honored to be in the original production.
Remington Kent said, "In (Hunter's) words, it couldn't be refused."
When the original film was being produced, nearly all pulpwood work was being done by hand with old-fashioned hand saws worked by two men. Hunter and Reese realized that a neighboring business was producing far more than they were and wanted to find out how.
They visited the neighboring business and discovered it had a power saw enabling it to be much more efficient. That inspired the Hunter and Reese families to start saving purchase a power saw for themselves and improve their situation dramatically.
In addition to the new power saw, David Kent's Grandmother, Mamie, had been wanting a new sewing machine and by the end of the original film's production they had saved enough to get the new Singer.
David Reese said, "As family, if you stick together, you work together, you can accomplish anything."
Remington Kent is a GFA on-set production assistant and started at Savannah Technical College. He said his parents inspired him to put this film together. He has also been involved with producing television commercials and other small films in the area.
There will be a reception following the film showing at the Effingham County Recreation and Parks Department gym on Hwy 119 in Springfield.
Tickets for the movie and reception are being sold in advance. They will not be available at the door.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 912-988-0052. The cost for children ages 3-12 is $10. For ages 13 and up, the price is $20
The deadline to obtain tickets is Sunday.