Department of Parks
Perryville Film Premiere at Norton Center on April 14

The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association (PBPA), a non-profit organization charged with preserving and interpreting Kentucky’s largest Civil War battleground, announces the world premiere of Wide Awake Films’ The Battle of Perryville: The Invasion of Kentucky. The film will be shown on April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College in Danville.

            This event is co-sponsored by the Perryville Enhancement Project, the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Wide Awake Films.  The event is free and open to the public and invited guests.

            Robert Lee Hodge, partner at Wide Awake Films and lead producer of the film said, “It’s a great opportunity to work on a documentary about the Battle of Perryville. We have a huge inventory of highly authentic footage we have shot over the last several months and are excited to share that with folks who are interested in American culture. From live-fire artillery to ground explosions to the storyline, this film is a cross between a Ken Burns documentary and a classic Civil War motion picture. 

            The video will be sold in the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site gift shop and nationwide, especially at national battlefield parks.  Much of the filming took place during the national Civil War reenactment in October that drew 37,000 visitors to Perryville Battlefield.

            “I am very excited about this premiere,” said Chris Kolakowski, Executive Director of the PBPA.  “Wide Awake is a fantastic company with a track record of making award-winning films about the Civil War.  The Battle of Perryville will help put Perryville on the map like never before.”

            Adam Johnson, Executive Director of the Danville-Boyle County CVB, said, “This movie will be another great opportunity for people to see all that Perryville Battlefield has to offer its visitors and tourists.  With two successful national re-enactments and now a world-class movie, I expect interest in the battlefield to continue its upward climb.”

            Shane Seley, founder and partner at Wide Awake Films, said, “The preservation success at Perryville really made this a special project for us, and we hope we captured that magic in the documentary. It’s truly a special place in American history.”

            The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association is a membership organization charged with preservation and interpretation of the Perryville Battlefield and town.  It oversees the Perryville Enhancement Project in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Boyle County, and the City of Perryville.  Since 1991 the Project has preserved and interpreted over 400 acres of critical battlefield land along with several original structures in the City of Perryville.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov