Most Hollywood produced films about or based in West Virginia are horror films state residents would like to forget. Central Pennsylvania native J.T. Arbogast is tired of seeing the state depicted in such a negative light, so much so that he wrote a screenplay which takes place in Cass and will be filmed on location.

Although Arbogast was raised in Pennsylvania, he is no stranger to West Virginia.

ﾓI have deep roots in the mountains of West Virginia,ﾔ he said. ﾓGrowing up, I spent not only every major holiday, but also may summers visiting my family, walking the railroad tracks in Cass and fishing along the Greenbrier River and Leatherbark Creek with my cousin.ﾔ

Arbogastﾒs grandparents were part of the group that helped turn Cass into a state park.

In his eyes, Arbogast feels that ﾓhomeﾔ isnﾒt necessarily where you were born and raised, itﾒs where you feel a spiritual connection to the community.

ﾓIt [Cass] has been more home to me than any other place weﾒve lived and I knew that I was going to write about it someday,ﾔ he said.

The film, titled ﾓAngelﾒs Perchﾔ is inspired by Arbogastﾒs grandmotherﾒs battle with Alzheimerﾒs Disease.

ﾓIn 2004, when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimerﾒs and I watched her battle and ultimately succumb to it, I knew I had found my inspiration,ﾔ Arbogast said. ﾓThere was something poetic about her struggle to hang on to her memories while living in a place that is itself a preserved memory.ﾔ

Arbogast isnﾒt the only member of the film crew to have ties to West Virginia. The legal team consists of Kim Matras, a California attorney from Charleston, Andre Douglas Pond Cummings, a Professor of Law at West Virginia University and Jena Martin Amerson, an Associate Professor of Law at WVU.

Also, once filming begins, Arbogast is interested in using locals as part of the film, whether they be in front of the camera or part of the crew.

After a grueling two years writing the script, Arbogast and his friends are ready for production, through his production company Scrappy Cat. The company launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $25,000 for the film.

The campaign will stop on April 4 at noon If their goal isnﾒt reached, the film cannot be shot. As of Monday, February 28, the project has 92 backers who have pledged $15,145.

Donations to the campaign may be made at visit angelsperch.com. Click on ﾓGet Involved.ﾔ