Q&A

Where did your love of film stem from? When would you say it began? 

As a kid, I have fond memories of making home movies on our family camcorder. Both silly ones of my sister and I putting on performances, as well as the classic “home videos". Some people hate watching that stuff because the camera work is sometimes erratic and out of focus, but when you look past those things, you can put yourself in the shoes of whoever was recording in that moment, and gain some additional insight. Why are they pointing it that direction? Why are they zooming in? How long do they stay there before hitting the big red button?

What made you want to pursue filmmaking? 

In middle school I wanted to be an architect. At the time, we were having an addition put on our house, and I really enjoyed the long discussions at the dinner table designing the space, drawing the plan, imagining what it would look like and how we would use it. In High School I took a drafting class, and quickly realized given the amount of math involved, this path wasn’t for me. Before the next school year, my parents encouraged me to try the communications elective -- where we’d make videos, produce the weekly news, etc. That was 16 years ago, and I’ve lost track of how many videos I’ve made since then. I just know, they’re getting better!

What’s your favorite movie if you have one? Why that one?

My “go-to” answer for this has been, and always will be Rocky. But the truth is, there are too many to mention. I love many films for different reasons. I think film school, at Temple University, exposed me to a wide variety of styles and voices. As my ability to understand the cinematic language grew, so did my interest and appreciation in work that I otherwise would have never considered. Rocky is nostalgic in the way it brings me great comfort and joy. But, at the risk of sounding pretentious, films like Fellini’s 8 1/2 or Cassavetes' A Woman Under The Influence both challenge me as a viewer and inspire me endlessly. Scorcese’s entire library ranks high for me, Raging Bull reserved at the top, and The Wolf of Wall Street a close second… but only because I’m in it as a featured background actor. I got to witness my idols at work. Hear them communicate, see how they conducted themselves on set. I liked the movie, but the experience was far better.

Tell us about Riverbank Creative! How did that come about?

When I moved home from Los Angeles, I started my own video production company Riverbank Creative. I sort of hopped from referral to referral, making videos for different businesses. Now I’ve made my way into higher education, healthcare, and continue to follow that path where it leads. Every new client ends up offering me a glimpse into their world, which can be immensely rewarding. On the banks of a river, we observe its journey in awe. Peering int its water, we can see ourselves reflected. In my work for others, it’s their journey, their passion I try to capture with an authenticity that resonates and inspires others.

When did you first enter the film-fest in Doylestown and what was that film about? 

I submitted my first short film to the Bucks Fever FilmFest in 2011. Dead End was about a hitchhiking murderer who gets picked up by another killer. You can take a wild guess how that ends. That movie did not get accepted that year, which only motivated me to try again. So in 2013, I submitted my College senior project Cirino, about the owner of a struggling restaurant who must reconnect with his passion in order to save it. Lucky me, that short was not only accepted, but won the Fan Favorite award that year! I was thrilled, and so was my family. Then, after a few years in Los Angeles studying the Sanford Meisner Acting Technique, I made a film about waking up from the Hollywood dream called When The Tide Turns. I moved back home, entered it in my local film festival, and left with the Best Picture award! 

What was the process/inspiration behind your most recent film, Mountains We Climb?

I was hired to make a promotional video for Bike Works in Doylestown, by co-owner Brian Boger. After that, we began developing a project centered around their elite cycling team. The focus of which shifted rapidly when their teammate, and my friend, Chris Baccash received a cancer diagnosis. I continued to follow his recovery journey, through the pandemic, and ultimately to one of the hardest mountain bike races in the world—the Leadville 100 MTB. That documentary is titled Mountains We Climb.

Since it’s completion, we have been lucky enough to share Chris’ story at 5 film festivals, and a handful of paid private screenings that followed with a Q&A with Chris, where he expands on the events of the film, discusses the power of relationships, community, and Positive Psychology; an area of study in which he has a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. We hope to continue taking the film on the road in that way. I continue to seek look for other true stories to tell true. But currently, I’m editing a short film I wrote & directed called Over The Hill. It’s about an old truck. Without giving anything away, it deals with grief, mortality, the meaning we assign to our prized possessions. It’s a clear jump in the quality of my work to date. I’m excited to submit it to festivals next year, and hopefully raise enough funds to break even on its production. Beyond that, I plan to follow the successful model of my documentary by pairing the film with a live discussion on grief & loss that offers the audience a multi-layered experience.

What makes a good film in your opinion?

I may be in the minority here, but for me, a good film first and foremost has a rich theme, idea or message at its core; motivating choices within every aspect of the production. At the same time, it doesn’t underestimate the viewer’s intelligence, rather challenges me to make discoveries for myself — even if it requires a second viewing. No matter how I initially feel about it, if I’m compelled to see it again, I know they did something right. To me, the purpose of cinema is to tell stories that expand our world view. When the light hits the screen, it feels like you’ve opened a window into a new place and time, and most importantly, through the eye of a storyteller. In a community like ours, the arts aim to bring us closer together for a thoughtfully crafted experience that makes us think, feel, and live possibly a little differently than we did just a couple hours before.

Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers?

There’s no need to ever give up, so long as you can afford to take your time. Protect the quality of your work with both patience, and a satisfying job that can support your passion. Either find a way to bring those two worlds together, business & pleasure, or draw a line in the sand and keep them separate. Just don’t forget that the choice is up to you.