MSU instructor’s documentary joins national America 250 collection

A documentary by Kentucky filmmaker and Morehead State University Senior Instructor Steven Middleton (Class of 2004, 2008) has been selected for a national public television programming collection marking America’s 250th anniversary.

“From the Cowboy’s Boot Heel: The Musical Journey of Rob McNurlin” is part of the National Educational Telecommunications Association’s (NETA) “Public Media Making History at 250” collection. The film is included in its “Power of Place” collection, which makes programs about the people and places that have shaped the American experience available to PBS member stations for America 250 programming.

Produced and directed by Middleton, the documentary follows Ashland, Kentucky, native Rob McNurlin through his musical career, Appalachian roots and decades-long connection to the Paramount Arts Center.

“Documentary filmmaking gives us a way to preserve stories that might otherwise disappear,” Middleton said. “Every place has a story worth telling, and those stories are ultimately found in the people who call that place home.”

The film has received recognition at festivals in the United States and internationally and continues to air on PBS member stations. Its selection gives a Kentucky and Appalachian story to a national public media platform. Broadcast rights for the documentary currently extend through October 2028.

To learn more about his work, contact Middleton at s.middleton@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-9583.

For more information, contact the Department of Communication, Media, Art & Design at cmad@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2766.