Green Bank, West Virginia is home to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which houses the world’s most sensitive radio telescope. SMALL TOWN UNIVERSE explores not only the science behind the center, but also what it brings to Green Bank. Requiring a radio-silent environment to conduct its research, the center supports a community removed from the omnipresent impact of digital devices, in addition to industry and employment opportunities not commonly found in rural communities. But as the observatory faces potential closure, there poses a threat to the community’s way of life: the local economy supported by the jobs it creates, the well-being of the individuals who have sought Green Bank as a necessary health refuge for the lack of radio waves, and the incalculable scientific benefits it provides to the field of astronomy.

Director Biography - Katie Dellamaggiore

Katie is an accomplished Emmy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker and commercial director based in New York City. Her feature directorial debut, Brooklyn Castle, received widespread acclaim, winning the SXSW Audience Award, being named a New York Times Critic's Pick, and receiving national broadcast by PBS's acclaimed POV series. At Courageous Studios, Warner Bros Discovery's branded content studio, Katie leads the direction of bold and culturally relevant premium storytelling for a diverse range of advertisers including Delta, Sleep Number, Subaru, Hulu, Lego, The Salvation Army, Abbott, and Micron. Her recent work for Amica, which won the Digiday Best Brand Series award, highlights her ability to adapt to different brand voices and storytelling styles. Katie's latest feature film, Small Town Universe, has garnered significant recognition, winning the Global Health Competition Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival and receiving support from prestigious institutions such as the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, the National Endowment for the Arts, Tribeca Film Institute, Catapult Film Fund, The Rogovy Foundation, The Gotham Film & Media Institute, and the West Virginia Humanities Council.