What A Sight! Local Filmmakers’ Movie Night
By Katie Larkin
On Sunday evening, September 29, Rockaway residents gathered at the indoor Annex Cinema at 415 Beach 72nd Street for the last day of the Rockaway Film Festival’s Local Filmmakers’ Showcase. This night of the festival was certainly one to remember as it was the premiere of an original film made by local artists with tons of scenes featuring popular Rockaway hotspots like the Tiki Bar located on 67-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd. in Arverne. Filmmakers really put in the work to bring their original story to life on the big screen.
The film, “Shredded,” follows the story of Riley and Logan, two people who suffered from life-altering events and are learning to overcome their pain and struggles. They find peace and hope as they navigate the Rockaway landscape and learn to trust and adjust to the new surroundings, as well as the people that are closest to them. “Shredded” is a personal story with moments based on real life events of a man, Logan (Director Adam Michael), facing the stigma of male breast cancer and a woman, Riley (Makayla McIntosh), surviving a traumatic bicycle accident. The film contained many moments of heartbreak, but also light and comedic elements throughout, signifying the light that can emerge in moments of extreme darkness.
Following the film was a question-and-answer session with members of the audience, stars of the movie, and Courtney Muller, co-founder of the Rockaway Film Festival. “We’re so thankful to the Film Festival. Rockaway has been such a special and healing place for me,” said McIntosh, writer and main actress of the film. “The community here is like a small town in a big city and it’s beautiful. There’s a lot of places on the screen that only happened because of the people that either owned these businesses or lived here.”
Accompanying McIntosh was the first assistant director of the film, Suzanne McDonald, who spoke of the very tight-knit relationship between her and McIntosh. Given the film was so personal for McIntosh, there were moments when McDonald was eager to help bring McIntosh back to the light and out of the darkness. “Suzanne’s amazing,” beamed McIntosh. “She’s an incredible human. If you’re filming something sensitive or emotional, Suzanne is trained in how to handle that when it comes up on set.”
“I think it also helps that I was working on my own film about my own personal mental health story,” added McDonald. “I understood what she was going through not only as a person, but also as an actor, writer and producer.” She expressed how she was able to take a moment from filming and talk with those who are struggling.
McIntosh was also asked about why she chose surfing as the form of solace found in the film. “There’s this element of the ocean that is so unpredictable. I learned through surfing that you can’t control the waves, but you can control how you approach them,” she said. McIntosh reiterated how the ocean represents healing to her because whether or not you surf the waves, you still manage to learn something. “It’s actually why I signed onto the project,” McDonald added. “It’s this essence that’s hard to understand unless you live in a coastal area.”
McIntosh left attendees with a reminder in regard to the character Logan’s story. “Men’s breast cancer is so stigmatized,” she said — a resonating message with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The film was designed to bring awareness and understanding to the pain many of go through and it’s also a reminder of how important it is to be understanding and kind. We never know the life someone has lived through at first glance and it’s important to remember that as you go about your day.
On Sunday, “Shredded” was followed by a screening of local Robert Sarnoff’s film, “THE BLOCK.” On Saturday, guests were treated to a series of film shorts, as well as full-length features, “The Wrong Movie” by Karen Cytter and “A Chaplain in Disguise” by Iulios Kouroupis.
The Local Filmmakers’ Showcase was the last feature of the 2024 Rockaway Film Festival season. To learn about upcoming shows, visit: www.rockawayfilmfestival.org or feel free to follow them on their socials for some amazing content. Instagram: @rockawayfilmfest and Facebook: rockawayfilmfest.