[NEohioPAL] Local Filmmaker In National Contest

[Nicholas Koesters]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: Nick Koesters          nickkoesters at yahoo.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:    Jay Johnson   shootfilmordie at yahoo.com      440.263.5396


Cleveland writer/director Jay Johnson hopes residents of Cleveland will help him bring a local story to the big screen.

His dark and minimalist short film "The Handyman" portrays a lonely man living in a big old house calmly dealing with the dead bodies of his victims.  It's inspired by the story of serial killer Anthony Sowell. 

"My goal is not to exploit the situation, but explore it.  I want to understand how this man operated for so long right in the middle of the busy inner city neighborhood." 

Jay hopes to expand "The Handyman" into a feature.  He entered it in a contest on a filmmaking website chaired by James Caan called openfilm.com.  The contest called "The 2nd Get it Made Competition" will award a $500,000 production contract to the winner.  The judging is based on viewership of the 115 shorts in the competition during January and a panel of 10 judges.

"All people need to do is watch and vote to support local filmmaking.  Cleveland has a great climate for indie filmmaking."

This would be Akron native Jay Johnson's second feature shot in Northeast Ohio.  His first, "Will For Food," was an official selection of the Cleveland International Film Festival and won Best Feature at the Los Angeles DV Film Festival.  It was also featured in DV Magazine, along with The Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Akron Beacon Journal.  

In a haunting performance, David LeMoyne, a resident of Medina but raised in Cleveland, portrays "The Handyman."  David was also the lead in Jay's first feature.  

Jay's short film "The Handyman" has received a positive response from local filmmakers and other viewers.   After ten shorts are chosen at the end of January, the openfilm.com panel of judges will choose the winner. 

In the past, several Cleveland based stories have been shot in other cities such as Detroit and Milwaukee.  Jay plans to keep his production here.  

"Let Clevelanders tell stories about themselves.  There are many talented people here in Cleveland that are ready to work."

How to vote:
- Go to: openfilm.com.  
- Join (An email address is all that's required)
- Confirm email address. (Don't forget to check your spam folder)
- Go back to: openfilm.com 
- Go to the CONTEST called: "2nd GET IT MADE COMPETITION"
- Look for: "The Handyman."  There are only 115 films in the competition.
(Warning: If this film were rated, it would be "R")
- Watch it, enjoy it, please give it 5 STARS! 
- Voting ends January 31st. 



      
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