East County middle-schoolers debut short films

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Eleven-year-old Emmy Morris isn’t new to the acting scene, but she did have an acting first, of sorts, this summer.

Instead of working with adult actors on films submitted to the Sarasota Film Festival, she worked alongside children her own age, writing and producing a short film during the Sarasota Film Society’s inaugural Filmmaker’s Summer Camp for middle-school-aged children.

Campers met twice a week during the six-week camp, which culminates Saturday, Aug. 18, with a private showing of the short films they created at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas.

“It was fun getting to write it and do it with people my age,” Morris said, grinning.

She and fellow campers Diego Bracho, Harrison Angsten and Riley Huennerkopf worked on a fantasy-themed narrative film, in which a “snotty” princess falls through a mirror and into another land to learn valuable life lessons.

“We’ve worked really hard on this,” Huennerkopf said. “Seeing it all come together is really exciting.”
“We had lots of fun making it,” Bracho added. “It’s funny, really funny.”

Campers Hana Braverman, Kevin Rizzo, Ryan Medenis and Hannah Robinson worked together to create a documentary titled, “People: Are you Good or Bad?”

“We thought it would be unusual and good,” said Robinson, who was particularly interested in learning how to use technology to put films together.

For the film, children questioned people about what it means to be a “good” or “bad” person in man-on-the-street-style interviews, which they combined with other material.

“It’s been harder than I expected,” Medenis said. “It takes a lot of time (to produce a film).”

When they weren’t working on their films, camp participants also enjoyed watching and critiquing films, listening to guest speakers and other activities.

Local filmmaker Gus Molassis and girlfriend, actress Katherine Tanner, hosted camp classes.

Sarasota Film Society Managing Director Nick Caras said the Film Society offered the program as a way to foster an interest in film in youth.

It hopes to expand the program, offering a camp this winter, in addition to another filmmaker’s camp next summer.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].