While walking near the WVU campus, I suddenly wondered: Has this city ever appeared in a movie?

Since moving from Korea and living in the U.S., I've developed a habit of thoroughly studying my surroundings, and as I delved into Morgantown, I discovered some surprisingly interesting facts. While it's true that it hasn't often been used as a filming location, the stories connected to this city in film are anything but trivial.

In fact, it's even more fascinating that it is directly linked to well-known works. Morgantown quietly, yet distinctly, leaves its mark on film history.

The first name that comes to mind is screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. Kasdan grew up in Morgantown and spent his childhood and teenage years in this city where WVU is located. Looking at his list of works is truly impressive. He wrote the screenplays for two of the Star Wars series: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

That's already remarkable, but in 1983, he also directed and wrote The Big Chill. The fact that one of the roots of these globally beloved works is Morgantown is quite significant. A boy from a small college town made a mark in the history of world cinema.

A direct connection to WVU in film is the 1992 movie The Bodyguard. The character played by Kevin Costner is set as a WVU graduate, and there is a scene where he appears wearing a WVU hoodie. The screenplay for this film was also written by Kasdan. It's as if a writer who grew up in Morgantown embedded his college logo into a blockbuster film he wrote. Thinking about how audiences around the world might have wondered where that university was while seeing the WVU hoodie brings a smile.

Morgantown is also home to the local independent film studio Allegheny Image Factory. While it's not large, it consistently produces works that highlight West Virginia's background and local stories. Recently, they created a project set against the backdrop of East-West Stadium in nearby Fairmont.

Looking at the entire state of West Virginia, some scenes from The Silence of the Lambs and J.J. Abrams' Super 8 were also filmed here. With the West Virginia Film Office supporting local shoots, there is potential for more projects to emerge in the future. The unique natural scenery and historically rich architecture provide plenty of attractive filming material.

At WVU, the Mountaineer Short Film Festival is held every year. The fact that a short film festival takes place in a college town signals that a culture of creation, rather than just consumption of films, has taken root in this city. Young people dreaming of filmmaking get opportunities through this festival and bring local stories to the screen. As these festivals accumulate, I believe that one day another Kasdan from Morgantown may emerge.

To be honest, Morgantown has never been a major filming location for Hollywood blockbusters. However, the impact of the people it has produced on film history is deeper and broader than one might think. Without Lawrence Kasdan's screenplays, half of what we know as Star Wars would not exist. Morgantown is a city that, while not prominently displayed, quietly holds a significant presence behind the scenes.