A Bakersfield independent filmmaker is bringing the story of Kern County’s oil industry to the big screen tonight, with the premiere of his documentary drawing hundreds of people to a historic local venue.
“Kern Oil” premieres tonight at the historic Fox Theater, with hundreds of people expected to walk the red carpet. Writer and director Rickey Bird grew up in the oil fields, and the film is deeply personal — his father died by suicide in 2022 after struggling with financial hardship and depression, he said, which was tied to a lack of work in the industry.
The documentary features nearly 50 interviews, ranging from roughnecks in the field to company executives and politicians. Bird said the film captures the role of local oil production in the economy and the impact it has had on so many people…