Thank you to all our fellow movie enthusiasts who came out to support the screening for this year's Cleveland Indie Film Incubator Project! 

Last week, six filmmakers gathered with their family, friends, cast, crew and the film lover community of Cleveland to celebrate the near completion of the short films. Their hard work and dedication surely paid off, as nearly 300 people came out to t

Event Recap

The event took place at the historic Capitol Theatre which features exquisite, refurbished vintage interior - transporting you back in time to feel as though you are experiencing watching films when the art form first came about. Don Gregory coordinated the event for CCR and he gave his praises to the people behind the amazing theatre.

"The staff members and management at the Capitol theatre were so helpful in putting on this exciting event, we couldn't have done it without them."

We would be remiss to not mention Matt Hribar’s performance as host for the event, conducting interview interludes with each director and cracking stand up jokes that kept the audience engaged and entertained all throughout the night. 

As the lights began to dim for each film, guests were immediately transformed into the mise-en-scene of each director’s story. The night featured the short films of Payton Burkhammer (“The Back of your Eyelids”), Matthew Hribar (“The Sauce”), Madison Ledyard-King (“Black Boys Don’t Cry”), Amanda Bergeman (“Periods, Puberty and the Paranormal”), Joyce Kastakis (“The Nurse”) and Nate Shively (“Beer Club”).

Each director thanked everyone who was involved with their production and gave notable advice and fun facts about the making of each of their films. Burkhammer learned a lot of lessons while filmmaking - most especially with coordinating the featured role in her film - the cat! The live reaction of the audience when Hribar revealed the addictive sauce from the film was actually just dyed ranch will never be forgotten. Ledyard-King’s piece was perhaps the most emotional of the night, and offered an interesting perspective of how different it was to adapt to filmmaking with professionals versus the films he made growing up with friends. Bergeman was inspired by Jordan Peele to make the films you wish you could see in the theater and that’s exactly what she did - a sci-fi, witty coming of age story with teen girl protagonists learn a valuable story about growing up and friendship. Kostakis brought to the screen a challenging and heartbreaking topic but managed to conclude the piece not with defeat but left us with a story about resilience and love. Shively ended the night on a fun positive note, as he had the whole theater roaring with laughter for the whole duration of the film and surprised us all when he revealed that this was his first film. 

The Cleveland Indie Film Incubator Project proved to be a great way for filmmakers to showcase their hard work and creativity to a supportive audience. Victoria Perl, a staff member of CCR and conjoining sister companies, attended the event as a ticket usher but also as an appreciative film enthusiast.

“It's an opportunity for friends, family, and the local film community to come together and celebrate the achievements of these talented individuals,” she said. “Premiering short films can be particularly exciting, as it allows filmmakers to experiment with different ideas, styles, and storytelling techniques in a more condensed format. It's so interesting to see what people can do in such little time.”

The diverse perspectives of six filmmakers resulted in a varied and interesting showcase of cinematic talent.

Thank You!

Thank you again to all who came out and supported this function! Your laughter, applause, and shared moments enhanced the communal experience of watching all the films. It was a pleasure to see familiar faces and meet new friends who share a passion for filmmaking.

We hope to see you back next year!

Let us know which film struck a chord with you most on our social media!

@clevelandcamerarental