UPDATE: Film about small Ritchie County town premieres in Parkersburg Friday

UPDATE: 05/09/19

A film about a small town in Ritchie County premieres on Friday.

“What About Auburn?” is set to be shown at the Smoot Theatre in downtown Parkersburg at 7 p.m.

The film chronicles the thriving past and decline of a town called Auburn, located in the southeastern corner of Ritchie County.

The filmmaker wanted to show what’s happening in Auburn is happening in small towns all over the country.

“What we really want to accomplish by showing the film is to start a conversation about these small towns and what’s happening to them and what their prospects are,” Richard Anderson, the filmmaker, said.

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s pretty much everywhere in America where there were thousands of these small towns and they’re all hurting,” said Rowland Hill, who helped produce the film.

“I think it speaks to anybody that maybe grew up in the time I did, in small town West Virginia especially but small towns everywhere,” said Todd Burge, who created music for the film.

You can still buy tickets online at smoottheatre.com or you can call the Smoot’s box office at 304-422-7529.

Before the premiere, there will be an invite only reception. After the film is shown, there will be a Q&A session to discuss the film.

ORIGINAL STORY: 03/06/19

A Maryland filmmaker is gearing up to premiere his film in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

"What About Auburn" is set to premiere at the Smoot Theater in Parkersburg on May 10.

It explores the decline of Auburn, a small town in the southeastern corner of Ritchie County.

Filmmaker Richard Anderson said, "It's kind of a story about two booms, one that grew the town and one that has now put the nail in the coffin on the town."

The film shows Auburn's thriving past and how it's now facing tough times.

"The oil and gas went away gradually, the hotels went away, the stores went away, other businesses went away, they had four churches at one time now they only have one church so things were taken away and each thing they lost diminished the town," Anderson said.

Anderson, who is based in Baltimore, Maryland, made several trips over the past year to film and interview residents, politicians, and those who know that area best. Rowland Hill, a Ritchie County resident who helped with the film, said what's happening in Auburn is happening all over the country.

"That town is symbolic of hundreds if not thousands of other towns in America that once were thriving and now have fallen into disrepair," Hill said.

"The question is if these towns go away if their economies dry up and people move out what impact does this have on the democratic form of government and society that we have long enjoyed here so it's an open question," Anderson said.

You can find a link to the trailer for "What About Auburn" in the Related Links section of the article.