Posted: August 31, 2018 10:57 am
The Johnstown Film Festival is back with an exciting program of films with Johnstown connections.
Click here to visit our film fest minisite!
Kev Stock is a native of the region who has entered and won the film festival many times over its history, and has three short (the shortest is 90 seconds!), quirky, related films in this year’s event, featuring an intriguing character named RobotCop.
“I’ve learned a lot from a decade of the Johnstown Film Festival,” Kev says. “Some of the first comedies we submitted seemed good in theory, but the pacing was way off for when you actually sit a live audience down to watch it. That kind of on-stage experience is truly invaluable.”
A past student winner, Helen Stern, has submitted her short “Must Come Down.” She is currently in her third year of film school at Temple University. (She’s one of a long list of past student winners who have gone on to continue their film career — others include Max Fedore, who won a student Academy Award; Tom Getty; and Dan Frantz, who has made a Super Bowl commercial and a music video for Alabama Shakes).
Other intriguing entries in this year’s event include the documentary “I Dreamed of Johnstown,” which was shot here. It features interviews with local people, and music by local musician George Byich.
“Men Suck” stars the late Laura Busony, who grew up in Geistown and attended Bishop McCort High School.
Local filmmaker Bo Whittle, who placed third in the 2010 festival with “Follow Me Down,” has entered the thriller “The Sleep Temple,” while Michael Spinos, a native of Windber, entered the music video “Lately.”
The festival will be presented in the courtyard of the Heritage Discovery Center on Sat., Sept. 8. Doors are at 7:30, with movies starting around 7:45. Tickets are $10 ($8 for JAHA members) and can be bought in advance at the Heritage Discovery Center, or at the door.
