Maryland Public Television has a new documentary about legendary bluegrass musician Del McCoury and the origin of DelFest airing on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m.
“Sweet Appalachia: The Story of DelFest” is a 60-minute documentary exploring how McCoury and his family created the festival and its transformative impact on Cumberland, Maryland. The film was directed and produced by Frostburg State University professor Annie Danzi.
Cameras follow Grammy Award-winner and festival founder McCoury and his family as they set up and break down the festival, offering backstage access to his fellow bluegrass musicians, festival producers, and the McCoury family. The film includes exclusive, intimate interviews with McCoury family members Del, Rob, and Ronnie, as well as contemporary artists such as Billy Strings and Sierra Hull. Viewers learn how DelFest found its home in Cumberland and how the McCourys have embraced the area and the people who live there.
Cumberland was once a booming textile and transportation hub, but it has often felt like an afterthought or even forgotten in its far western reaches of the state. This was exacerbated as it faced economic hardships common to post-industrial mountain towns. DelFest help change that.
Now, the city is actively working to redefine itself with bluegrass music at the center of its revitalization plan. “Sweet Appalachia” illustrates how DelFest – held annually at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland – infuses the entire region with a renewed sense of hope and identity.
Danzi is an associate professor in Frostburg’s Department of Digital Media and Visual Arts. She recruited students from the university to help in every aspect of the production, which took six years. The project gave undergraduate students hands-on opportunities to gain real-world experience and learn the craft of filmmaking through involvement on a professional feature-length production. The students now have a film picked up by Maryland Public Television to add to their résumé.
Maryland Public Television will air “Sweet Appalachia: The Story of DelFest”on MPT and the MPT livestream on Sunday, Aug. 2. The film will also be available to stream on demand beginning Monday, Aug. 3 on the free PBS app and MPT’s online video player. A preview is available to view on MPT’s YouTube channel.
