April 15 at 6pm-10pm, Golden Bough Playhouse, Carmel, CA.
Lobby opens at 6pm. Movie starts at 7pm. There will be a brief Q & A with the filmmakers after the film.
Youth from local high schools from Salinas to Carmel have produced a full-length feature film, WAR OF THE LIMELIGHT: Cyber-bullying between two rival high schools escalates until they have to band together to save an innocent student. The film will have its first public screening on April 15.
Sometimes, works of art can change the direction of a life. Sometimes, a country. As filmmakers, we never know if our efforts will have the impact we want, but we are driven to try tell stories that matter. This is what we teach our students.
WAR OF THE LIMELIGHT began as an exploration of rivalries between two high schools and what it means to fall in love across cultures.
But as the film evolved, falling in love across cultures began to include our relationship with those arriving in the United States as immigrants, as well as the past that we keep hidden in order to fit in.
Ironically, our film takes place in the not too distant future in which fear of prosecution of being an immigrant is running wild. Cities are conflicted with their federal responsibilities. Now a reality, this movie’s relevance is greater than ever. The time is now for our movie to be seen.
Students of the HARA Motion Picture Conservatory (501c3) immersed themselves in hands-on filmmaking from April through July, mentored by film industry professionals. The original film stars 19 talented youth and all of them also served on all film crew departments. The unique program supports teens’ technical and creative capacity, boosting positive work-ethic and self-esteem. Support from S.T.A.R. Foundation, the Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, and Arts Council for Monterey County made it possible to provide equal access for a diversity of students representing all cultures and voices in Monterey County. The final outcome of each students filmmaking experience provides them with official IMDB creditsas cast and crew (the industry standard for filmmaking credentials). This is an invaluable portfolio asset to apply for college, internships or jobs; giving students a jump-start in pursing careers in any collaborative industry. HARA has produced a portfolio of films with Monterey County youth since 2010.
Their incredible dedication and hard work is to be joyfully celebrated!
April 15 will be our first public screening of this film. We are calling it a “staged-premiere” because we will actually be filming the opening and closing of the film THAT night in front of a live audience. All attendees should be OK with being IN the film because we will be capturing audience reactions.
WAR OF THE LIMELIGHT, was written by Michael and Brittney Buffo in conjunction with students from Carmel High School, Pacific Grove High School, Millennium Charter High School, Everett Alvarez High School, Harbor High School, and Simi Valley High School. Much of the details of a few of the main characters came from Carmel community leader, Gabriela Forte after her return from working with Syrian refugees in Greece. Together we found a movie about what it means to live in a multicultural universe, and ultimately, what love has to do with it.
Dedicated to the next generation of this community, this film has themes of#globalconsiousness#highsc
Save the date: April 15 at 6pm-10pm, Golden Bough Playhouse, Carmel, CA
Lobby opens at 6pm. Movie starts at 7pm. There will be a brief Q & A with the filmmakers after the film.
This event is a fundraiser for the HARA Motion Picture Conservatory, a 501c3 non-profit. Consider purchasing your tickets with PayPal upon checkout if you have an account. If not, credit card works too but we see less of it 😉
Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for students ages 12-18. (+eventbrite fees)
Free admission for Cast & Crew.
Two Comp tickets for each member of our“Producer’s Circle”
Have any questions? Didn’t see yourself in that Producer’s Circle link and unsure if you have a comp ticket? Please contact Brittney@haramotionpictures.
Watch the teaser:https://vimeo.com/
Find us on Facebook:HARA Motion Picture ConservatoryWar of the Limelight
Read more about this film, our classes, and us:
or watch our awesome mini-doc about how we make films with young people:
