'Live The Stream' Freeport grad does documentary on fly fishing legend Joe Humphreys
After film festivals from California to Colorado, Indiana to Massachusetts, a documentary made by a Freeport High School graduate and her husband will be screened a bit closer to home.
“Live The Stream” by Meigan and Lucas Bell about a legendary fisherman will be screened at 7 p.m. May 30 at the Oaks Theater, 310 Allegheny River Blvd. in Oakmont.
And the fly fishing legend himself, Joe Humphreys, as well as the cast and crew of the film are scheduled to attend.
“Live The Stream” was the couple's first feature documentary, Meigan Bell said.
The Bells own and operate Nomadic Studio, a brand agency and production company. “We create content for clients like Amazon, House of Marley, Nat Geo, Discovery … I also freelance as a producer for reality television for networks like A&E, Nat Geo, Cooking Channel, History and more,” she said.
Their first feature documentary won Best Documentary and the Audience Award at the 2018 Reading Film Fest, among other awards, since debuting at the 2018 Breck Film Festival in Breckenridge, Colo., where it captured Best Adventure Film as well as an Audience Award.
The film also was an official selection for the Heartland International Film Festival and the Chagrin Documentary Film Fest in 2018 and the Maryland International Film Festival and the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in 2019.
“We began production on 'Live The Stream' in May 2015, thinking we would film for six months with Joe,” Bell said. “Joe was 86 at that time and we quickly learned that, in order to capture all of the remarkable events, teachings, volunteer activities, gatherings and conservation efforts that make Joe Joe, we had to follow him for much longer than that. He's 90 now and still doing everything you see him doing in LTS.”
She said Humphreys had been interviewed as part of other productions and made several instructional videos, “but this is the first documentary strictly about Joe's life.”
The film's germination actually came more than a decade ago.
“My husband, Lucas, was a film major at PSU. He was also part of Penn State's angling program,” Bell said. “He decided to do a student doc on the program and interviewed Joe Humphreys as part of that doc. Fast forward 10 years and Lucas runs back into Joe at the Lancaster Fly Fishing Show. Joe not only remembers him but says they should do another film,” she recalled.“This was right when we were actively seeking a documentary subject at our studio, Nomadic, so it was the right timing and the perfect fit,” she said.While the film focuses on Humphreys, many other people were involved too. “There are so many wonderful people involved in LTS because it covers Joe's personal and professional life,” Bell said.Family members featured include his daughters Dolores and Hanna and Humphreys' friend Denny Shannon. Organizations include Trout Unlimited, The Wildlife Leadership Academy, and Project Healing Waters.For more than three years, the Bells were involved in most aspects of the process: Both are directors of the film and took part in filming, editing, music licensing/supervision, design, branding and marketing, Bell noted. She is also the writer of the film, and Lucas is the primary cinematographer, she said.Other people involved in the film include the producer, Alex Gasowski, who grew up in Hanover, Pa., and they had help from two other camera operators, one of them, Colleen Laffey, hails from Pittsburgh.Bell said she also sought out her friend, Erik White, to compose the score. “But that's it — super small crew for a documentary feature,” Bell said.During filming, she said, of course they learned “amazing fly fishing techniques,” but there was something else noted Bell, who got her first waders about 10 years ago when she started dating her husband, who grew up in Cheswick and went to Springdale High School.“I was introduced to night fishing because of Joe, and I also got to watch the legend study a river or stream and then constantly adjust to varying conditions,” she said.The goal of the documentary about Humphreys' life, she said, was “to make a film about him that showed the heart and soul behind what he does.”
“We wanted it to advocate the importance of the outdoors and conservation, and we also wanted it to have a positive and inspiring message that would be relatable to any viewer — even if you're not necessarily into fly fishing,” Bell said. “I'm confident that we accomplished all of our goals with 'Live The Stream.'”And just incidentally, the “Live” in the title is pronounced with a short “i” sound. The title is “a summary of the film but also a call to action to others to follow in Joe's footsteps,” Bell said. “Joe lives his dream every day, finds his fountain of youth in streams, and works tirelessly to protect them for future generations.”Nomadic Studio is currently working on branding videos and television spots for national clients as well as the full-time job of distribution and marketing for “Live The Stream,” said Bell. Sponsors are still being sought prior to the fall release of “Live The Stream.”Although the 1998 Freeport High School grad lives in Washington, D.C., now, her parents, Wayne and Linda Stack, still live in Buffalo Township.And many family members will be attending the screening.“Lots of requests for screenings are coming in, and we're trying to accommodate those before the fall release,” Bell said.The 93-minute documentary will be released on digital platforms come fall.Doors on May 30 open at 6 p.m., and a question and answer session with Humphreys and the cast will follow the screening.Tickets are $25 and available at www.showclix.com/event/live-the-stream-the-story-of-joe-humphreys.A silent auction and “Live the Stream” items will be available at the screening. A portion of the ticket sales and the auction will benefit Casting for Recovery Western PA, which supports healing retreats for Western Pennsylvania women of any age in any stage of breast cancer.More information is at www.livethestreamfilm.com.
