Michael Kinney's 'Old River' film debut draws more than 150 people, positive comments & sparks action

A few hours after videographer Michael Kinney's film debut of "Old River: A 228-Mile Journey Down One of the Oldest Rivers" at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg, PA, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, Calli Roan, of Williamsport posted photos on social media from both the film and a stop along the banks of the Susquehanna River afterwards.

"Picking up trash around the river and going fishing," she shared. "Thanks for the inspiration and congrats on your movie premiere guys."

The response was exactly what Kinney hoped the 70-minute adventure film chronicling he and his girlfriend, Missy Gray's 24-day paddle along the West Branch, would do -- inspire people to engage with the Susquehanna River in new ways.

"I was afraid the film was going to be too much about Missy and me, but the event became more about river interest which was the original intentions when starting the film," he said after the showing and an hour-long panel discussion. "It felt like the true finish line to the West Branch journey. I was surprised with the turn out and enjoyed everyone's reactions and feedback."

The Sept. 28 event drew more than 150 people to the theater, including Gail Landers, of Williamsport.

"We thoroughly enjoyed the sharing of Michael and Missy’s journey on and in and under the waters of the Susquehanna’s West Branch. We particularly identified places we have been canoeing, the type of equipment used and some of the wildlife we regularly see here on Lycoming Creek, our backyard," she said. "Michael and Missy’s personal commentary and the accompanying music enhanced the striking photography. My knowledge of trout fish and fishing has certainly expanded."

Sue Stackhouse, of Montoursville, agreed.

"It was a wonderful documentary from a very personal perspective and experience from a local photographer and canonist," she said. "The photography and underwater (video work) were fantastic."

Panelists that joined Michael and Missy after the film for discussion of the river included Eric Skrivseth of the Moshannon Creek Watershed Association, Katie Caputo of Roambler.com and Matt Wilson of Susquehanna University. They fielded questions from the moderator (Riverkeeper John Zaktansky) and the audience on details from the trip as well as the general history and ecology of the river, threats (such as abandoned mine drainage) it faces and the value of recreation today.

​"The film did a good job of showing the trip and its challenges while exploring some of the broader West Branch watershed issues briefly," said Skrivseth, whose association has tackled major issues of abandoned mine drainage within the Moshannon Creek watershed over the past several years. 

"Old River is a terrific film. Numerous people we talked with afterward commented about how well-done the film is. The video footage is great, and the commentary enlightening as well as informative," said Ann Fisher, of Selinsgrove. "Thanks so much, Michael for doing all that work for the voyage and the film-making."

Some photos from the debut showing of the film:

Here is a short teaser for the film with some footage:

Here are a few snippets from the panel discussion portion of the Sept. 28 event: