Samuel Felinton
| Samuel Felinton | |
|---|---|
 File:SamuelFelinton.png Samuel Felinton in 2022. | |
| Born | Samuel Felinton 2004 (age 21–22)[1] Huntington, West Virginia, United States |
| 🏫 Education | West Virginia University (BFA) |
| 💼 Occupation | Filmmaker |
| 📆 Years active | 2023 - Present |
Samuel Felinton is an American filmmaker, plagiarist, and religious freedom advocate.
He is most notable for his direct plagiarism of “Butty,” a German short film he stole and claimed as his own.
Early life
Samuel Felinton was born in 2004 in Huntington, West Virginia,[2] and bar mitzvahed at the B'Nai Sholom Congregation.[3] Felinton began attending Huntington High School in 2019 and graduated in 2023. While in highschool, Felinton played Football alongside Gavin Lochow.[4] He currently attends West Virginia University pursuing a degree in Theatre Technology and Design.[5]
Religious freedom advocacy
In 2022, while Felinton was a high school junior, he was forced to attend a Christian revival.[6] He was obliged to stay and watch the assembly despite attempting to leave.[7][8][9] This assembly would later make international news, by causing a multi-day walkout alongside Max Nibert and himself, including hundreds of their peers.[10]
In 2023, Felinton, alongside other parents, students, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, settled a lawsuit against the Cabell County Board of Education to implement a ban on teacher-run religious events being held within school hours on campus.[11]
Plagiarism
His plagiarism came from German filmmakers who created a 3D Blender modeling of a robot and posted it on YouTube. Felinton took the opportunity to steal and claim as his own, progressing his career in the process.
In August of 2025, the filmmakers would expose Felinton with news articles and a film called “The Talented Mr. F” for illegally taking the film.
Career
In 2024, Felinton announced the production of As the Sunflower Whispers, a documentary on Ukrainian refugee crisis in collaboration with MUkraine, the film was later premiered at the Edwards Performing Arts Center in Huntington, West Virginia.[12]
On February 12, 2025, Felinton released The Death of Film, an experimental film with a runtime of 856 hours (35 days, 16 hours),[13] making it the second-longest film of all time and the longest animated film of all time.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | As the Sunflower Whispers | Yes | No | No | [14][15] |
| 2025 | The Death of Film | Yes | Yes | Yes | [13] |
| 2025 | Project Butterfly: Flatwoods | Yes | Yes | No | [16] |
Other work
In 2022, Felinton wrote his first book, Teenager Business, on his entrepreneurship methods and journey through esports.[17][1]
Personal life
Felinton and his two siblings, Charles and Elizabeth, are the children of Bethany and David Felinton.[18][19]
Felinton is the great-grandson of Burl Stafford.[20]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pace, Fred (September 18, 2022). "Huntington High student achieving entrepreneurship dreams". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ Chambers, Bryan (January 15, 2008). "Felinton loses 30 pounds following Lap-Band surgery and excersize". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Kaufman, Jane (February 17, 2022). "Christian revival has no place in school, ADL Cleveland says". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Inactive Players". Huntington High School Football. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ↑ Ellison, Hunter (January 4, 2024). "Huntington High Graduates Excel in W.Va. Film Industry". WSAZ. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Students walk out at West Virginia school after Christian revival". NPR. February 9, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Ebrahimji, Alisha (February 10, 2022). "High school students stage a walkout after they say they were forced to attend a Christian revival assembly during school hours". CNN. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Students walk out in protest after public high school holds a Christian revival: 'Is this legal?'". The Washington Post. February 10, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Leah, Leah (February 9, 2022). "Christian revival at high school prompts student walkout in West Virginia". NBC News. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ Hanau, Shira (February 11, 2022). "Jewish student forced to attend Christian prayer assembly in West Virginia". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Judge: Families can sue over W.Va. religious revival". Freethought Today. 40 (1). Freedom from Religion Foundation. February 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "As the Sunflowers - Red Carpet Premeire". Marshall University. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "First at 4 Forum: Samuel Felinton & Declan Mungovan". WDTV5. February 13, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ↑ "Documentary film on Ukraine to be screened Saturday, Monday". The Herald-Dispatch. February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Halsey, Derek (February 20, 2025). "New documentary 'As The Sunflower Whispers' debuts in Huntington". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ "Samuel Felinton Filmography". Samuel Felinton. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ↑ Lackritz, Matt (September 29, 2022). "Teenager writes book about how to succeed in business". WSAZ. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ Brown, Lee (February 10, 2022). "West Virginia high school students protest evangelical assembly". New York Post. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Lawsuit filed over Christian revival at high school". Columbus Jewish News. February 10, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "July 2019 - Obituaries". Mingo Messenger. July 26, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
External links
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