A number of residents from Jackson County took part in the crowd scenes shot at the Karpeles Museum for Sons & Daughters of Thunder.
A special screening of Sons & Daughters of Thunder, a new film by Mid-America Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, will be showcased at the Preston Town Hall on Sunday, January 19th at 2 p.m. The event is free to the public and sponsored by The Friends of the Preston Public Library, The City of Preston and the Jackson County Historical Society. A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the PG-13 film. Several Jackson County residents appear in the film as extras.
“Sons & Daughters of Thunder is a fascinating, inspiring slice of influential U.S. history told with characteristic grace, intelligence and emotional power…” wrote Jonathan Turner, film reviewer from the Dispatch-Argus.
Discussing the abolition of slavery in 1834 was considered radical, even in the North. Organized by firebrand abolitionist Theodore Weld (Thomas Alan Taylor), the nation’s first public debates at Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio led to near riot conditions in the city. The shocking oratory sparked intense controversy and awakened a young Harriet Beecher (Jessica Taylor) to the horrors of slavery. Harriet was captivated by Weld’s charismatic leadership at a time when Calvin Stowe was trying to win her heart. When school trustees slapped a gag order on the "Lane Rebels" most of the students left in a collective free speech protest. Inspired by Weld and the debates, Harriet later distilled her Cincinnati experiences into the world-wide best-selling novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. This forgotten true story from award-winning filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle was a prelude to America’s Civil War.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and tells the unforgettable true story of the beginning of the end of slavery in America. The film was shot by award-winning director of photography Kevin Railsback and features an original score by William Campbell, the composer behind the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Lifeboat”. Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer of the film.
“It is fitting to screen Sons & Daughters of Thunder in Jackson County, since we had so many wonderful locals take part in filming an important scene featuring an historic speech given by Frederick Douglass in 1852,” said producer Tammy Rundle. “Many came in period dress, or were dressed by our costumer designer, had their hair done and make-up applied to sit in the crowd. It was great fun and they were superb!”
The Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD can be ordered through Amazon.com and at LaneRebelsMovie.com.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder was partially funded by a grant from the Quad City Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, with support from Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and the Bix Biederbecke Inn. The Moline Foundation and the Shell Rock Community Historical Society served as the fiscal sponsors on the film project. The film is co-produced by Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films and Kent Hawley. Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer of the film.
Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films are the producers of multiple award-winning historical documentaries and the Mid-America Emmy® nominated documentaries Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City, Country School: One Room – One Nation and Letters Home to Hero Street.
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