The Ewing High Film Club has spent the last four months writing a screenplay for their independent film “Pestered”. As they near the next phase of pre-production, a call for interested actors and crew members has been sent out.
Club President Emma Alleyne had this to say, “Next is gonna be probably auditions… Our[script] is a lot more visual than talking… so we probably have like a week or two [left of pre-production].”
The black comedy follows a vain and critical Jo, who lives with their more responsible sibling Bobbie. Jo is left home alone, and is plagued by a half man half vermin creature that lurks behind the washing machine. A story of monster and man, characters are haunted by the psychological dread of the unseen. There are three main roles, the lead ‘final girl’, the nonchalant sibling, and the titular rat-inspired antagonist, as well as a supporting cashier role.
When asked what kind of people the “Pestered” team was looking for, Alleyne responded with, “People that not only enjoy acting, but people that wouldn’t be afraid to be like ‘hey, what if we do this?’ -or if the director doesn’t want to go in that direction, they’re okay with it… someone who cares more about giving their best performance.”
Within the Film Club there are other projects moving simultaneously that are in earlier stages of production. There are two screenplays being worked on by club members, one is a serious mafia type film and the other is a more lighthearted romantic comedy.
The students have been working hard to get the project moving, in the hopes of finishing shooting by the March 2 deadline for the Count Basie Center Breakthrough Film Festival. Submissions are all from student filmmakers, and the festival itself is held this year on April 25 at the Basie Center Cinemas in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Per the center, “… the Breakthrough Filmmaker Fest provides programming to support young talent, space and platforms for screenings and visibility, and educational opportunities throughout the year.”
Teachers Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Dale provide guidance and support for students who want to explore their cinematic interests, and all are welcome to join any projects or just simply sit in and watch a movie.
