Steve Gilliland, assistant professor of film at West Virginia State University Communications Dept., West Virginia’Äôs only film school, was chosen to be the 2007 West Virginia Filmmaker of the Year, sponsored by the WV Film Office.
Mr. Gilliland received his MA in film from the University of Arkansas and has been teaching at WVSU for more than a decade. In cooperation with Daniel Boyd he has guided hundreds of film students in his classes on film appreciation, film production, and animation. He has been one of the leaders of the Paradise Film Institute and has worked on a dozen films with Mr. Boyd and other WV filmmakers.
Boyd wrote, ’ÄúHe was the first filmmaker I met there (U. of Arkansas) and I wanted to be like him. He shot my first documentary,’Äù Homeless Brother" and we've been together since. We worked together in Russia and Tanzania. He was production designer on all 3 of my features. I owe much of the 'look' of those films to him. He has been my closest collaborator, cellmate (our offices side by side), even best man at my wedding (as I was at his). We should also note that he put other's careers ahead of his own by working for/with so many others, leaving little time for himself. I owe much of mine to him.’Äù
Steve is best known for his animation work on the "Mr. Slim Goodbody PBS" television sires. Mr. Slim Goodbody is still alive and well. Currently (as of January 2007) his programs air on more than 120 PBS stations. Goodbody was portrayed by John Burstein and he has received many awards for this role over the years. A search on YouTube will find an episode of Body Control as submitted by Mr. Slim Goodbody himself. Visit www.slimgoodbody.com for more info.