A man who produced a landmark film is attending this weekend’s Victory International Film Festival in Evansville. As WNIN’s John Gibson reports, Gregg Hale will take questions after a showing of the Blair Witch Project at Showplace Cinemas East Friday night:
Gregg Hale grew up in Henderson and decided he wanted to be a filmmaker when saw Star Wars on the big screen in Evansville.
More than 20 years later, he co-produced The Blair Witch Project.
Hale says he was “more than surprised” when the low-budget film about three young people who go missing while filming a documentary in a wooded area started winning awards:
"And then when like the movie came out and started just doing this insane buzz and the incredible amount of business that it did, I mean it's beyond surprise. Stupefied, I guess."
25 years later, I asked Hale about the lasting impact of the Blair Witch:
"It'll be remembered as an effective horror film that was made for very little money. But it will also be remembered as a film that had this really crazy marketing campaign."
That campaign included missing person leaflets, online message boards and chat rooms, and a trailer suggesting it was a true found-footage story.
Hale is still a filmmaker and a writer.
His latest book is the fantasy “Journey to Hada.”