Join filmmakers from the School of Performing Arts’ cinema program for a screening of “Hillbilly,” co-directed by Ashley York and Sally Rubin. The free screening will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 23 (runtime is 105 minutes), followed by a livestreamed Q&A with the filmmakers at 7:30 p.m. 

In “Hillbilly,” directors Ashley York and Sally Rubin show the evolution of the uneducated, promiscuous “hillbilly” stereotype in media and culture, linking it with corporate exploitation of Appalachia’s natural resources.


The film examines the experience of rural voters and seeks to expand the understanding of the region by featuring diverse communities in Appalachia, including Appalshop’s Appalachian Media Institute where young adults find community and refuge, and the Affrilachian Poets, a grassroots group of poets of color living in the Appalachian region.

“Hillbilly” seeks to challenge viewers’ perception of Appalachia, opening up dialogue between urban and rural America, and offering people in the region a cinematic portrayal that can make them proud.