Documentary looks at life in small Ohio town

by Stephanie Haney October 6, 2025

In 2016, the mass murder of eight members of the Rhoden family in Pike County caught national attention. It also got the attention of Northeast Ohio documentarian Laura Paglin, who made her way to the city of Piketon in 2017 to try to capture the story of what happened in those killings.

She spent two years getting to know the members of that community. While the murder has since been solved, Laura uncovered a bigger picture of the challenges facing what she calls a forgotten corner of Ohio.

Now, she's premiering the end result of the exploration, her new film, This is Pike County, at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.

CDFF Screenings:

Wed, Oct 8th, 5:45 PM @ Federated Church

Fri, Oct 10th, 10:00 AM @ Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Guests:

- Laura Paglin, Documentarian, This Is Pike County

- Thomas Lennon, Producer, This Is Pike County

- Lilly Lawson, High School Student, Pike County

Red Rock Film Festival Continues This Weekend In Cedar City

Cedar City, UT 9/26/25

Cedar City is once again center stage in the world of independent cinema as the Red Rock Film Festival returned on Wednesday September 24th and runs through Saturday, September 27th. Now in its 19th year, the festival will be held at Frontier Homestead State Park, bringing filmmakers and movie lovers together for four days of screenings, panels, and special events.

Matt Marxteyn of the Red Rock Festival joined us on the Big Picture Morning Show and gave a bit of history of the festival. “It started in St. George. We would have an opening night in St. George, and the we began actually in Springdale. We began as a film series…in 2004.In 2007 we made it a film festival, and it’s been going ever since,” Marxteyn said. He said the festival features international films along with academy award winning features.

Known for its mission to promote films that portray the human experience with creativity and sensitivity, the festival attracts a diverse range of work. Attendees can expect to see everything from international documentaries and narrative features to animated shorts and experimental projects. A special focus is placed on emerging talent, with categories for student and young filmmakers.

Laura Paglin has had work shown on HBO and PBS. Her entry in the Red Rock Film Festival is This is Pike County, which Paglin says is, “a documentary about a close knit rural community that among many of the problems plagued by rural communities is also suffering from the grief of an unsolved mass family murder.”

Alfonso Maiorana created the film Goddess of Slide which is featured in this year’s festival. It is the story of Ellen Mcllwaine, a Canadian musician who fought to play the slide guitar. She ended up playing with some of the biggest names including a six night performance with Jimi Hendrix. Maiorana told us how long he has been working on the project saying, “I started filming with her in 2020, during the pandemic, and in 2021, and I finished in 2024.”

World premiere of “This is Pike County” at Red Rock Film Festival to screen

Academy Award–winning producer Thomas Lennon teams with Ohio filmmaker Laura Paglin for the world premiere of their new documentary THIS IS PIKE COUNTY at the Red Rock Film Festival in Cedar City.

Screenings are set for Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 8:15 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. at the Frontier Homestead Theater.

Initially drawn by the notorious Pike County, Ohio, family murders, Paglin spent several years filming the quieter but equally gripping story of a rural community confronting economic decline, environmental pressures, and generational change.

The result is, in the words of New York Times–bestselling author Arlie Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land), “haunting, quietly searing, hard to forget.”

Director Laura Paglin will attend both screenings for an audience Q&A.

Chagrin Documentary Film Festival To Screen 74 Films

by Jeff Niesel September 18, 2025

A terrific annual event that takes place each fall in downtown Chagrin Falls, this year’s Chagrin Documentary Film Festival will feature 74 documentaries selected from more than 500 submissions from 32 countries. The programming includes 10 world premieres and 23 U.S, Midwest, or Ohio debuts, cementing CDFF’s reputation as a premier destination for documentary discovery.

“The caliber of submissions continues to exceed our expectations year after year. Our program director, along with our selection committee has assembled an extraordinary collection that represents the very best in documentary filmmaking,” says Morgan Crawford.

CDFF opens on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Chagrin Falls Intermediate School Theater with the premiere of John Candy: I Like Me from Amazon MGM Studios. The evening begins with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m.

Another highlight, local director Laura Paglin’s This Is Pike County, centers on a rural part of southern Ohio facing “generational pressures.” It screens at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Federated Church and then again at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.

Red Rock Film Festival Brings Premieres and Local Talent to Cedar City

The Red Rock Film Festival returns to Cedar City September 24–27, filling Frontier Homestead State Park with premieres, documentaries, shorts, and animation from around the world. With flexible passes and affordable ticket options, cinephiles can dive into multiple genres and discover new voices in filmmaking.

Premieres and Documentaries

Headlining the festival is the world premiere of This is Pike County (USA), a powerful documentary about a rural community rocked by an unsolved murder. Additional documentaries include Blue Zeus (USA), an investigation into corruption in the wild horse program; Goddess of Slide (Canada), the story of pioneering slide guitarist Ellen McIlwaine; and The Chaplain & The Doctor (USA), about the connection between a chaplain and trauma physician in Oakland.

When and Where

The Red Rock Film Festival runs September 24–27 from 1 to 11 PM daily at Frontier Homestead State Park, 635 N. Main St., Cedar City. Tickets are available at the door, with free gifts and offers for advance purchases at redrockfilmfestival.eventive.org.

With premieres, local talent, and global perspectives, the festival continues its tradition of bringing diverse voices and creative storytelling to Southern Utah audiences.

RED ROCK FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS

The 19th Annual Red Rock Film Festival returns September 24–27 …

The World Premiere of "This is Pike County" (USA, dir. Laura Paglin) offers a vivid portrait of rural America, capturing the lives of residents in one of the nation’s most challenged regions as they navigate economic decline, resilience, and hope.