WY PBS will screen two films about Prohibition era at UW Sept. 23

Two films about the Prohibition era will be screened Friday, Sept. 23, at the University of Wyoming.

Wyoming PBS and UW will host the screening and discussion of noted filmmaker Ken Burns' latest documentary "Prohibition," followed by a locally-produced film "Prohibition in Wyoming" produced by Debbie Hammons. Both will be shown from noon-1 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public. Food also will be served.

Following a short clip of both films, panelists will discuss with audience members issues raised in the video. Panelists are Phil Roberts and Isa Helfgott, associate professors in the UW Department of History, and Hammons, a former state legislator and UW trustee. ASUW President Megan Degenfelder is the panel's moderator.

Set in the era of bathtub gin, bootleggers and speakeasies, "Prohibition," a new three-part, six-hour documentary series by Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the true story of the rise, rule and fall of the U.S. Constitution's 18th Amendment. It was called the "Noble Experiment," but was in fact one of America's most notorious civic failures, a lesson in the challenge of legislating human behavior, according to the filmmakers.

Wyoming, the last state in the Rocky Mountain region to adopt Prohibition, struggled to stop the sale of illegal liquor. It created a new statewide law enforcement agency, but two of its directors were fired for graft and bootlegging.

Adding to the state's problems, many Wyoming county officials did not enforce Prohibition laws. Federal agents arrived to intervene, but were met with deep suspicion. "Prohibition in Wyoming" features local interviews and insightful historians, who share stories about this unique time in Wyoming history.

Both documentaries will be broadcast next month on Wyoming PBS.

Photo: Two documentaries about the Prohibition era will be screened from noon-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. One of the films is set in Wyoming (Wyoming PBS)

Wyoming photographer Tom Mangelsen featured on "Discover the Wild" on PBS March 6

From FilmWyoming.com:

Master photographer Tom Mangelsen of Jackson Hole will share some of his wildlife photography secrets and his passion for wild places and wild things in a special Wyoming edition of "Discover the Wild" this Sunday, March 6, at 6:30 PM on Wyoming PBS as part of the festivities during pledge week.

The "Discover the Wild" series, a program featuring 10 shows with 25 titles filmed in Wyoming, presents an array of wildlife and related topics and was produced by Evergreen Productions of Casper. This Sunday night's broadcast will showcase three of Mangelsen's wildlife photography features produced for the series on light, knowing animal behavior, exposures and composition. Viewers will also be treated to segments on Yellowstone wildlife in winter, Jackson Hole elk, Park County and Sublette County Wyoming wildlife, grizzly bears and the Teton Science School. They will also have an opportunity to bid on a stunning 20 x 30 Mangelsen print, "Fire on the River."

"To have Tom on board for the live PBS broadcast of these segments from 'Discover the Wild' is a real honor for us," says producer, Neil Rodgers. "He's one of the top wildlife photographers in the world. And, like so many other folks who live here, he shares our unbridled enthusiasm for wild animals and the wild landscapes they inhabit."

A conversation with the national Poetry Out Loud winner

Amber Rose Johnson was the 2010 national Poetry Out Loud champion. She is well-spoken and has a terrific handle on the complexities poetry. See her interview on PBS at
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/04/conversation-winner-of-the-2010-poetry-outloud-national-recitation-contest.html

Kens Burns series on National Parks

Bear River State Park has partnered with the Uinta County Library to preview the video series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."

The six-video series, directed by Ken Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan, will be previewed on Tuesday September 22, at the Bear River Travel Information Center.

The series will be shown hourly beginning at 9 a.m. Anyone interested in previewing this series is welcome to attend.

The series will be aired on PBS beginning on September 27 and running through October 2. Go to www.pbs.org/nationalparks/ for clips and more info.

For more information, call Bear River State Park at 307-789-6547.

"The Secret Life of Curators" on PBS

Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources videographer Dean Petersen sends this news:

Tomorrow night (April 16) at 7 p.m., another half-hour episode of our in-house program, "Wyoming Folks," will air on Wyoming PBS.

"Wyoming Folks: The Secret Life of Curators" examines a few of the strange and lesser known items in our State Museum's collection -- from mummified fingers to wreaths made from human hair. Please watch! Many thanks to all of the museum folks who made this possible.

To find the PBS channel in your area, go to: http://www.wyoptv.org/channels/