Jenna's feature film, Big Stone Gap was written and directed by Adriana Trigiani (also the author of the N.Y Times bestselling novel, Big Stone Gap, the book the film was based on), also stars Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jane Krakowski. It was shot on location in and around the actual town where the story takes place, a small mining town called Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
Jenna attended the premiere at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia on Nov. 6th. It showed at the Paramount Theater to a sold-out crowd of 1,100 as the first film of the 2014 festival.
Cast members gather on stage at the premiere of Big Stone Gap at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia to open the Virginia Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sanjay Suchak/University of Virginia)
Jenna, alongside fellow cast members Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, and Jasmine Guy, participating in a press conference before the premiere and at a question-and-answer session afterward, all shared how welcomed they’d felt when filming in Wise County.
As reported by Allie Robinson of the Gibson Bristol Herald Courier (TriCities.com), Jenna said that going to Big Stone Gap to film the movie and leaving the chaos of Los Angeles was a welcome break for her. "Coming to Big Stone Gap was unbelievably therapeutic for me because it reminded me of how good people really are,” she said. “It was a giant time for me to be uplifted by the people of Big Stone Gap.”
Jenna filming Big Stone Gap on location in Virginia.
While filming, Jenna took many photos of her fun adventures filming on location, goofing around with fellow cast and crew members, and visiting interesting places and encountering many smiling faces around town. She chronicled her experience on social media and even had her two boys along for the ride art of the time, even spending Halloween on location there.
Needless to say, being a part of making this film was a truly an unforgettable experience for Jenna. She loved meeting, taking photos with, and getting to know the wonderful people in all the areas they filmed, and will treasure her time there always.