Saturday, June 18


Saturday, June 18
This page features the films that were presented on the final evening of the Johnstown Film Festival 2011. Films were also presented on Friday, Thursday, and Wednesday
Fixing A Hole 3rd Place Winner (24:00) -- by Donald Klinefelter of Moon Township. A man hopes to find meaning in his life by pursuing his dream of becoming a stage performer through fixing up a dilapidated theater with the encouragement of an apparition. Filmmaker Donald Klinefelter completed this film with the help of a Filmmaker in Residence Program offered by New Perspective Productions.
The Father's Gift (6:00) -- by Reid Carrescia of Penn Argyl, PA. Upon delivering a birthday gift to his estranged, widowed father, a young man is finally told that his true father remains unknown. Leaving in disgust, the son then watches an old home movie, realizes the positive influence his "dad" has been throughout his life, and seeks to make amends. Filmmaker Reid Carrescia is a film student at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Vecinos Meconnaissable (6:25) -- by Brady Doepker of Toledo, Ohio. A man wanders through is automated life fulfilling all that society asks of him. Each week after work he travels to the cinema and sees a new, yet generic and predictable movie. One week, a movie comes along that destroys his asylum of monotony. Filmmaker Brady Doepker will graduate this spring with a film and video degree from the University of Toledo.
Iowa Is Closed Today 2nd Place Winner; Viewers' Choice Winner (23:24) -- by Ryan Quinn of Pittsburgh. Stuck in purgatory, literary pirate Andy Adams recounts the last year of his life and his relationship with a beautiful taxidermy thief, April Mae. In doing so, he may find he may have lost more than his life and that he just may have a chance to get it all back. Filmmaker Ryan Quinn is a 2010 film graduate of Penn State University. INTERMISSION
The Alchemist's Cookbook (29:00) by Lindsay Berkebile of Brooklyn, NY (originally from Somerset) -- Alex owns his own bakery and bakes with his best friend Natalie. Together, they are unsuccessful, as only a few idosyncratic customers frequent the bakery. The bakery is threatening to close until Alex discovers a secret ingredient that may change his bakery and his friendship forever. In this world combining both animation and live action storytelling, discover the magic of the unsanitized tale of "The Alchemist's Cookbook." Filmmaker Lindsay Berkebile is a frequent participant in the festival -- past entries include "Life by the Sevens" (2010) and "Harold Please" (2009). She is currently working in New York City as a mixed media director and animator for such clients as Crayola and Ronzoni Pasta, and full-time aat an animation production company, The Ebeling Group.
Requiem for Kosova 1st Place Winner (20:00) -- by Dhimitri Ismailaj of the Bronx, NY. Fatmira is a 7-year-old girl living in post-war Kosova, and believes in fairytales - so she convinces herself she can reunite with her deceased mother as a "Zana" (a mountain fairy in Albanian folklore).
The Landing (1:58) -- by Patrick Torres of Pittsburgh. This animated film is the short story of an adventurer whose spaceship arrives on a dark, rocky planet. Upon arrival, he floats over the terrain, searching for life. Finding none, he knows what he must do: summon the energy to bring the planet back to life. A native of Alberquerque, Patrick Torres attended Carnegie Mellon University and is currently pursuing a career as an independent filmmaker and animator.
Headlines from the Apocalypse (7:20) -- by Kev Stock of Ebensburg; a Kid Renaissance production. An aging reporter, Charles Wyndhurst, reflects on his life and accomplishments as he reports on the biggest, and final, story of his career. Over the past seven years, Stock has written and directed over 25 short films. In 2010, "Arrividerci, Signore Fuccini" took first place; 2009, "The Wishing Bone" took second place. Stock also won Viewers' Choice Awards in 2007 and 2008 for "The Donut Gun" and "Paper Tiger: Dishonor the Dojo," respectively; "Paper Tiger" also won third place. Stock recently graduated with a master's in filmmaking from the Ohio University School of Film; "Headlines from the Apocalypse" is his thesis project.