GREENVILLE — Documentary filmmaker and producer Bryn Silverman traveled from Oregon to Greenville this week to celebrate two sold-out screenings of North Star at the Wayne Theatre, a film that has strengthened her connection to the hometown of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
The two-night event paired the 1935 classic Annie Oakley with the recently released documentary North Star, celebrating Oakley’s life and legacy while highlighting the dedicated local historians whose research continues to preserve her story.
Silverman said the project began unexpectedly while she was working on another film in Kentucky.
“I was working on a project in Kentucky, and then I just started thinking about Annie Oakley one day and realized she was from just three hours away, north in Greenville,” Silverman said. “So my partner and I, Naveen Chaubal, drove up, and we just kind of fell in love with it.”
That first visit led to introductions with researchers at Garst Museum and the beginning of a relationship that has continued throughout the production of North Star.
“That’s when we met the researchers at Garst Museum, and we just kept coming back because it was just so fascinating to be here,” she said. “Annie’s story was so fascinating, and now we’ve been back and forth.”
Silverman said the welcoming community has made each return trip memorable.
“Greenville feels like a second home,” she said. “Everyone has just kind of taken us in with open arms, and every time we come here we have an amazing time.”
For the documentary, Silverman enlisted award-winning Hollywood actress Dale Dickey to provide the voice of Annie Oakley by reading the famed shooter’s own words throughout the film. Dickey attended the Greenville screenings and participated in discussions with audiences following the presentations.
A native of Oregon, Silverman graduated from South Salem High School before attending the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema-Television Production in 2011 after studying in USC’s production program, where she met filmmaker and future collaborator Naveen Chaubal. She also completed studies at the University of Galway in Ireland.
Since graduating, Silverman has built a nationally recognized career as a documentary filmmaker, producer, and editor. Her work has appeared in productions associated with Netflix and at major film festivals, including Sundance and Tribeca. In 2024, she was recognized by Filmmaker Magazine as one of its “25 New Faces of Independent Film.”
North Star premiered earlier this year at the Cleveland International Film Festival and continues to earn selections at film festivals across the country. The documentary features extensive research by Garst Museum historians Nancy Stump, Brenda Arnett and Karen Besecker, whose decades of work documenting Annie Oakley’s life helped shape the film.
The Greenville screenings were presented through a partnership between the Wayne Theatre and the Fort GreeneVille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution as part of Ohio’s America 250 celebration and the statewide “Ohio Goes to the Movies” initiative.
The sold-out screenings demonstrated the continued interest in Annie Oakley’s remarkable life while bringing together filmmakers, historians, and community members committed to preserving the legacy of one of Darke County’s most celebrated native daughters.
