The Red Creek Sessions
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis:
Red Creek is the elusive Class V+ whitewater gem flowing from the Dolly Sods Wilderness in the West Virginia highlands. Join Dr. Philip Prince, an expert in Appalachian geology, as he takes an in depth look at the rock structures of this region through the rare descent of Red Creek by a group of local whitewater kayakers on Cheatfest Weekend 2022. The film then explores the entire Cheat River Watershed, showcasing the world class whitewater offered in this area as a result of the unique geology of Northern West Virginia. The Red Creek Sessions is an educational documentary comparing the timeline of humanity with the timeline of geology, highlighting the rare opportunities presented to whitewater kayakers thanks to millions of years of geologic evolution.
The Red Creek Sessions is the winner of the Accomplished Film Award at the 2023 National Paddling Film Festival, the Viewer's Choice Award at the 2023 NPFF, a featured program on West Virginia PBS, and the winner of countless film festival awards throughout the world.
Credits:
Director: Justin Harris
Producer/Writer: Justin Harris
Producer: Christopher “Ness” Collins
Producer: Max Bauer
Key Cast “Dr. Prince”: Philip Prince
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Andrew Gunnoe
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Nick McGettigan
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Christina Kossis
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Art Barket
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Jesse Shimrock
Key Cast “Kayaker”: Kyle Mandler
Director Bio:
Justin Harris is a photographer, content creator, and first time filmmaker living deep in the mountains of West Virginia. He is an avid kayaker and skier and began his career in action sports photography. His exploration into video came during his tenure as the Media Director of a small West Virginia ski resort. Over the last two years Justin has carved a niche in the Mid Atlantic whitewater scene through a river report video series documenting the elusive Class IV-V steep creeks of his home state. This is his first short film, and it showcases a glimpse into one of the most dangerous and logistically challenging steep creeks in West Virginia, as well as highlighting the beauty and unique aspects of the Cheat River Watershed.