June 8, 2020 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org 2020 American Presidents Film & Literary Fest canceled, planning underway for 2021 festival FREMONT – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about having large gatherings and resources required to plan in-person and virtual events, the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival is canceled for 2020. The event was scheduled for this fall. The festival board and committees will instead focus on planning the 2021 festival, which will take place Sept. 25- Oct. 3, 2021, at various locations in Fremont, Ohio. The literary portion of the festival will be Sept. 25-26, 2021, and the film portion will be Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, 2021. The American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Board of Directors would like to thank those who [...]

Films being accepted for 2020 American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT - The American Presidents Film & Literary Festival is accepting films for its third annual festival, which will take place Saturday, Sept. 26 – Sunday, Oct. 4. Films include short films, feature films and documentaries. They should touch in some way, whether directly or loosely, on the themes of people, places, politics and power. “While we are intrigued by films which provide unique insights on those who have occupied the office or how those individuals impacted America, we want to provide a space for those who are innovators in storytelling and filmmaking,” said Dustin McLochlin, film committee chairman. “As our film and literary festival has expanded the past few years, we are excited by the quality of films that are at times informative but always entertaining and [...]

Oct. 6, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT – Original films about President John F. Kennedy’s last speech and little-known Civil War regiments made up of injured soldiers were named the winners of the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Awards. The winners in each category were: Best Feature Film: “JFK: The Last Speech” Best Short Film: “The Invalid Corps” People’s Choice: “JFK: The Last Speech” Best Production: “The Invalid Corps” The winners were announced on Saturday, Oct. 5, during the Champagne Film & Literary Awards Ceremony at the Live Edge Center in downtown Fremont. “JFK: The Last Speech” explores the dramatic relationship between seminal Americans, President John F. Kennedy and the poet Robert Frost, which reached its tragic climax in a surprising encounter with [...]

Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT – Free screenings of a mini-series that follows two women who served eight presidents will be shown Friday, Oct. 4, and Saturday, Oct. 5, at Birchard Library during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “Backstairs at the White House” will be shown in four parts: Part 1 – 9:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, Oct. 4 Part 2 – 1 – 2:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 Part 3 – 4:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 Part 4 – 3:45 – 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 This 1979 made-for-television mini-series, starring Leslie Uggams, Olivia Cole, Louis Gossett Jr. and Cloris Leachman, is based on the lives of Lillian Rogers Parks and her mother, Maggie Parks. The pair served as White House maids [...]

Sept. 19, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   FREMONT, Ohio – Walk the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums by lantern light and “meet” two first ladies and two daughters of presidents on Friday, Oct. 4, during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage and in conjunction with the Haye Presidential’s “Women of Spiegel Grove” exhibit, this year, the presenters are featuring women with a connection to the presidency. The costumed presenters will portray First Lady Lucy Hayes; First Lady Michelle Obama; Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry and First Lady Bess Truman; and Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses and First Lady Julia Grant. They will share stories from these women’s lives. Tickets are [...]

Sept. 19, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT, Ohio – It’s President Rutherford B. Hayes’ birthday, and First Lady Lucy Hayes has hidden his present. Rutherford has 30 minutes to find it, and he needs your help. Lucy left clues inspired by the presidential history Rutherford knows and loves, along with a few surprises. With the president busy in meetings all day, it is up to your team to uncover the clues and find this hidden, precious gift. This is the premise of the escape room experience offered on Friday, Oct. 4, which is President Hayes’ birthday,  at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. The escape room lasts 30 minutes. Participants can choose from the following available [...]

FREMONT, Ohio – Learn to cook food fit for a president during a cooking class with a former White House chef in the historic Hayes Home on Saturday, Oct. 5, during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. Former White House Chef John Moeller, who prepared cuisine for three presidents, will share his secrets for creating dishes for presidential dining from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Participants can choose one of the two sessions. During the class in the Hayes Home kitchen, participants will make a soup, entree and dessert relating to food that has been served in the White House. Moeller will share some of his stories of working for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Participants then will enjoy that food in the Hayes Home dining room at the same [...]

FREMONT, Ohio – A documentary about the role of President Donald Trump and his supporters and opponents in the U.S. political divide will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “Trumphobia,” directed by Carolina Sosa, is one of the feature films that will be featured at the festival Friday, Oct. 4 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. Sosa also is planning to attend the film and literary festival. A schedule of showtimes and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. “Trumphobia” examines how Trump’s fervent supporters and scared opponents were affected by Trump’s rhetoric and the media’s interpretation, increasing a dangerous political division. This documentary examines the political division in the United States and how Trump increased that division with the help of the mainstream media. On one side, he gave strength [...]

FREMONT, Ohio – A woman down on her luck and in a dead-end job joins with her group of unusual friends,  steals President James Buchanan’s body and tries to ransom it for a nice windfall. But no one really cares about Buchanan or is very interested in getting him back, leaving her with a dead body and a big problem. This is the premise of “Raising Buchanan,” a fictional feature film that will be shown during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival, which is Thursday, Oct. 3 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. The festival includes a variety of films from multiple genres. A collection of short films range from a “people’s view” of Robert Kennedy’s funeral train to a quirky look at President Richard Nixon interacting with Vietnam war protestors. One of the most [...]

Sept. 3, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Feature film about woman stealing President Buchanan’s body to shown at film, literary fest FREMONT, Ohio – A film about a woman who steals President James Buchanan’s body and tries to ransom it  will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “Raising Buchanan,” directed by Bruce Dellis, is a one of the feature films that will be featured at the festival Friday, Oct. 4 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. A schedule of show times and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org.             “Raising Buchanan” is the story of 40-yearold Ruth Kiesling, a donut shop employee with anger issues who lives in suburban Phoenix. She has no mother, a dead brother [...]

Aug. 19, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Short film on Robert Kennedy’s funeral train to be shown at film, literary festival FREMONT, Ohio – A film about the Robert F. Kennedy funeral train that traveled in 1968 from New York to Washington, D.C.,  will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “The Robert F. Kennedy Train – The People’s View,” directed by Rein Jelle Terpstra, is a one of the short films that will be featured at the festival Friday, Oct. 4 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. A schedule of show times and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. “The Robert F. Kennedy Train” is based on memories, snapshots, home movies and sound, recorded by bystanders [...]

Aug. 20, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Tickets on sale for 2019 American Presidents Film & Literary Festival, schedule announced FREMONT, Ohio – Tickets are on sale for the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival, taking place Thursday, Oct. 3 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. The second annual film and literary festival features a red carpet event with keynote speaker, original films, a cooking class with a former White House chef, lantern tours of Spiegel Grove with costumed living history presenters, an escape room geared toward teens, programs by authors and historians and more. Tickets are available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. Prices vary for each event, and an all-access pass - which includes films, the Red Carpet Event and more – and a two-day [...]

Aug. 12, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Short film on Lyndon Johnson’s ‘October Surprise’ to be shown at film, literary festival FREMONT, Ohio – A film about a sex scandal that rocked President Lyndon Johnson’s re-election bid in 1964 will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “The Original October Surprise,” directed by Scott Calonico, is a one of the short films that will be featured at the festival Friday, Oct. 4 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. A schedule of show times and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. “The Original October Surprise” examines the first “October Surprise,” a sex scandal involving Johnson’s closest aide and how it affected Johnson’s re-election campaign. An October Surprise is a [...]

July 31, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   A short film on Nixon’s interaction with war protestors to be shown at film festival FREMONT, Ohio – A film about President Richard Nixon’s strange interaction with war protesters on a 1970 night will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “Nixon’s Coming,” directed by Scott Calonico, is one of the short films that will be featured at the festival Friday, Oct. 4 – Sunday, Oct. 6, at various locations in Fremont. A schedule of showtimes and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. “Nixon’s Coming” examines a bizarre moment in Nixon’s presidency that took place on May 8, 1970. Days after the Ohio National Guard killed four college students at Kent State [...]

July 22, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Short film on American Civil War accepted to American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT, Ohio – A film about injured Union troops called to repel a Confederate attack on Washington, D.C., during the Civil War is one of the films that will be shown this fall at the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. “The Invalid Corps,” directed by Day Al-Mohamed, is one of the short films that will be featured at the festival Oct. 4-6 at various locations in Fremont. A schedule of showtimes and tickets will be available at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org. “The Invalid Corps” examines Confederate Gen. Jubal Early’s surprise raid that took him to the very gates of Washington, D.C., on July 1863 and the [...]

April 18, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Children’s book illustrator to give school, public program for kids during film, literary fest FREMONT, Ohio – A veteran children’s book illustrator will work with kids in Fremont City Schools and give a public program during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival in early October.             Jeff Ebbeler has illustrated more than 40 children’s books and has been creating art for kids for nearly a decade.             He will share with the students his process for bringing words to life through pictures he creates.             His drawings are featured in the book “Ellie Mae on Presidents’ Day.” The book shares the story of quirky and fun second-grader Ellie Mae, who loves learning about U.S. presidents and wants [...]

April 9, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Author of book about White House staff to be a keynote speaker at film, literary festival FREMONT, Ohio – The author of a book about the stories and influence of African-American White House staff members will be the keynote speaker at the second annual American Presidents Film & Literary Festival this fall. Adrian Miller, author of “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas,” will speak during the Red Carpet Event on Saturday, Oct. 5, at The Strand Concert Theater in downtown Fremont. Miller will share fascinating stories of the White House cooks, stewards, butlers, and other staff and their relationships with the First [...]

March 13, 2019 American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Marketing Committee Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Film Festival writing contest for essays, poetry includes cash prizes FREMONT, Ohio – Think you're a pretty good writer or poet? Accept the writing challenge and enter the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival’s poetry and essay contests! Winning entries in three age categories for the poetry and essay contests receive cash prizes. Entries must be submitted as an email attachment to writingcontest@birchard.org or can be submitted online at americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org/submit-writing/. The deadline for all entries is 11:59 p.m. Sept. 7. The topic of the poetry contest is “A Conversation With Your Favorite President.” Poems can be about a single president, more than one president or the U.S. presidency in general. Entries cannot exceed 32 lines. Entries are limited to two [...]

Feb. 25, 2019 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Films being accepted for American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT – The American Presidents Film & Literary Festival is accepting films for its second annual festival, which takes place Oct. 4-6 in Fremont, Ohio. Films include short films, feature films and documentaries. They should touch in some way, whether directly or loosely on the themes of people, places, politics and power. For example, one of the submissions for the festival this year is a fictional film that discusses an attempt to influence a presidential election, said Dustin McLochlin, Film Selection Committee chairman. “Even though it doesn’t directly deal with a president and a president is not in the film, it shows a connection to individuals influencing power,” [...]

Dec. 6, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Second annual American Presidents Film & Literary Festival to take place Oct. 4-6, 2019 FREMONT – The only film and literary festival in the United States to focus on the American Presidency will take place Oct. 4-6, 2019, in Fremont, Ohio. The festival focuses on issues, themes and popular culture related to the American Presidency. The literary component includes talks by featured authors and essay and poetry contests. It will take place at various locations around Fremont, including The Strand Concert Theater, Fremont City Schools, the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums and Birchard Public Library. The film festival is accepting film submissions on topics related to the American Presidency through the themes of people, places, politics and power. [...]

Oct. 8, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee Chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Winners of film, literary contests in American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT – Congratulations to the winners of the film and literary contests at the inaugural American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. Winners are for the film contest are: Best Short Film: “Writing the Peace,” a documentary that examines the role an actor turned soldier named John Counsell had in drafting the document that ended World War II in Europe. Best Feature-Length Film: “The Reagan Show,” an all-archival documentary about the original performer-president’s role of a lifetime, serving as American president. Best Production: “The Reagan Show” People’s Choice: “Teddy Roosevelt and Fracking,” a short film that contrasts the beauty of western landscapes with the vastness and [...]

FREMONT – The public is invited to attend a ceremony honoring 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at Hayes’ tomb on the grounds of Spiegel Grove. Military representatives sent by President Donald Trump will lay a wreath at the tomb of Hayes in honor of his birthday, which is Thursday, Oct. 4. The ceremony is from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Admission is free. This ceremony is part of a new event, the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is one of the film festival organizers and an event site. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner for the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums [...]

Sept. 29, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT – A children’s author will visit with families and present awards during a free family night and dinner on Thursday, Oct. 4, at Fremont Middle School during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. Connie Trounstine, author of “Fingerprints on the Table,” a children’s book about the White House Treaty Table, will speak and present student film awards from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dinner and activities for families are included with the event sponsored by First National Bank of Bellevue Trounstine, of Cincinnati, was inspired to write “Fingerprints on the Table” after reading a 1998 Associated Press newspaper article. The article detailed an agreement that President Bill Clinton, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, Jordan’s King Hussein and [...]

Sept. 29, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT – The screenwriter for the HBO Miniseries “John Adams” is the keynote speaker during the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival’s Red Carpet Event on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Strand Concert Theater in downtown Fremont. Screenwriter Kirk Ellis will discuss “Who Will Write Our History? – The Importance and Dangers of Memory, Legacy and Posterity in John Adams’ World – and Ours” during the special event from 5 to 7:15 p.m. at the Strand, 220 S. Front St. State Rep. Bill Reineke and Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez will make brief remarks and introduce Ellis. This event also serves as the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums’ Lecture on the Presidency, an annual event that has combined with [...]

Sept. 21, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org Authors, historians offer variety of free events during American Presidents Film & Literary festival FREMONT – From graphic novels to Abraham Lincoln and slavery to political cartoons, authors will give a variety of programs during the inaugural American Presidents Film & Literary Festival from Thursday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Oct. 7. Many of the literary events are free. They are: Discussion by author and historian Eric Foner via Skype at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27 at Birchard Public Library, 423 Croghan St., Fremont. Admission is free. This session kicks off the festival. Foner, professor of history at Columbia University in New York and one of the nation’s most prominent historians, will discuss his book “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln [...]

Sept. 20, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org FREMONT – From a documentary about Teddy Roosevelt and the environment to a feature film about America’s race to the moon in the 1960s, the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival will feature a variety of independent films and documentaries. The new event takes place Sept. 27 – Oct. 7 at various locations in Fremont. Filmmakers submitted films on the themes of people, places politics and power. Portions of commercial films and a PBS documentary relating to the American presidency also will be shown. Films shown during the festival are: “Teddy Roosevelt and Fracking” – A short documental essay, this short  film explores the beauty and fragility of the North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana landscapes. It contrasts the vastness [...]

Sept. 19, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Film Festival Event: ‘Meet’ Historical figures at lantern tours of Spiegel Grove FREMONT – “Meet” First Ladies Abigail Adams and Dolley Madison, Gen. Ulysses Grant and Sen. Robert Kennedy at lantern tours of Spiegel Grove on Friday, Oct. 5, during the inaugural American Presidents Film & Literary Festival. Tours begin at 9 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 10:20 p.m. Each tour is about 45 minutes. Guides carrying lanterns lead the groups around Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. They will stop at various points to see the living history presenter portray the historical figures. Tickets for tours are $6.17 ($5 plus a $1.17 processing fee.) Lantern tour tickets also are [...]

Sept. 18, 2018 Kristina Smith Marketing Committee chairman American Presidents Film & Literary Festival Fremont, OH 43420 800-998-7737, ext. 217 ksmith@rbhayes.org   Tickets on sale for the inaugural American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT – Tickets are on sale for the inaugural American Presidents Film & Literary Festival taking place Thursday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Oct. 7, at various locations in Fremont, Ohio. The festival includes original short, feature and documentary films; literary discussions by historians and authors and lantern tours featuring living history presenters at Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. Kirk Ellis, screenwriter for the HBO miniseries “John Adams,” will give the keynote talk during a dinner on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Strand Concert Theater in downtown Fremont. He will discuss “Who Will Write Our History – The Importance and [...]

Community partners planning first American Presidents Film & Literary Festival for Oct. 4-7 FREMONT – The first ever film and literary festival to focus on the American Presidency will take place Oct. 4-7 in Fremont, home of America’s first presidential library. The American Presidents Film & Literary Festival will focus on issues related to the American Presidency. The literary component will include talks by featured authors and essay and poetry contests. Several community partners, including the Liberty and Learning Foundation, Birchard Public Library, Fremont City Schools and the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, are organizing the festival. It will take place at various locations around Fremont, including The Strand Concert Theater, Fremont City Schools, the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums and Birchard Public Library. Kirk Ellis, screenwriter for the 2008 HBO miniseries “John Adams,” will be the [...]

Create and submit a film to the American Presidents Film & Literary Festival FREMONT – What does the American Presidency mean to you? The issues? History? Something entirely original and different? Create and submit a film about the presidency that fits the theme “People, Places, Politics, Power” to the American Presidents Film and Literary Festival taking place Oct. 4-7, 2018, in Fremont, Ohio. Submissions are open to all filmmakers, including emerging and seasoned. Submissions can be made at the Film Freeway at www.filmfreeway.com/AmericanPresidentsFilmandLiteraryFestival. The regular submission deadline is April 6 with a $20 submission fee. The late submission deadline is June 1 with a $30 submission fee. Those who submit films are not required to attend the film festival. For information, contact Dustin McLochlin at 800-998-7737, ext. 230, or dmclochlin@rbhayes.org. Visit the film festival’s website at www.americanpresidentsfilmfestival.org, and like its Facebook page [...]

Film Festival writing contest for essays, poetry includes cash prizes FREMONT – Calling all writers! The American Presidents Film & Literary Festival is taking entries for its writing contest Cash prizes will be awarded to three age groups in essay and poetry categories. Entries will be published on the film festival’s website and could be included in the festival program. Entries must be submitted as an email attachment to writingcontest@birchard.org. Students in the Fremont City School District may submit entries created for class assignments through their teachers. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. Sept. 1. The topic of the poetry contest is U.S. Presidents and the Presidency. Poems may be about a single president, more than one president or the U.S. presidency in general. Entries cannot exceed 32 lines. Entries are limited to three per person. Age groups and prizes for [...]