"I immediately went home and loaded up my screener copy of Southbounders and prepared to be wowed. Thankfully, my expectations were met; Wagner’s film is a peaceful, romantic little drama about a girl who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail, and it offers what one expects must be the same transcendent feeling of communing with nature that hikers experience while taking the route themselves.

Wagner described the difficult but rewarding experience of walking the Trail, which he traveled himself prior to working on the movie, and offered more than a few hints about the intensely personal statement he attempted to make by telling this story. What’s great about the film is that it reflects the true essence of independent cinema, which is to generate a distinctive, creative vision and bring that to life.

While so many of his competitors, even some of those included in the ranks of the festival’s entries, function as a fulcrum for filmmakers to get their foot in the door of the industry, it’s reassuring to see that writers and directors do still exist that believe in creativity over commercialism. And all pretense aside, it’s not just a film that makes you feel good, but makes you feel better."

Todd Gilchrist - FILM STEW

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