Two scripts written by aspiring filmmakers currently in high school and working with the Ghetto Film School were read live by professional actors such as Julianna Margulies and Lorraine Bracco.
At a cocktail hour preceding the live read of two short film scripts, I watched a screenwriter as she interacted with actors like Ansel Elgort and H. Jon Benjamin. A director talked to press about the process of collaborating with filmmakers and what goes into making a movie. A team of filmmakers discussed how they would be going about filming in Rome. All of this would be expected at a reception like this, all except for the fact that each of these writers and directors are all between the ages of 16 and 18.
Gathering at Bloomberg Philanthropies on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, these high school students, in association with the Ghetto Film School, presented their scripts to actors and filmmakers and more prior to their filming this summer. Filmmakers Robert Carlock and Sheila Nevins gave notes to the students about their writing, and the soon-t0-be writers and directors heard their scripts performed live for the first time by professional actors including Elgort, Benjamin, Julianna Margulies, Lorraine Bracco, Jamie Hector and more.
L-R: Yedoye Travis, Lorraine Bracco, Sheila Nevins, Michael Raymond-James, Jamie Hector, Alex Moffat, Ravi Vietro, & H. Jon Benjamin
PC: Craig Warga
The first script read was named “The Invisible Man,” a drama set in an art gallery and set to be filmed in The Frick this summer. Written by Anez Olliver-Yamin and set to be directed by Ravi Vietro, the script was inspired by artwork at the Frick, which has a partnership with the Ghetto Film School. The writer and director interacted with guards at the museum in order to better understand the character in their film. On hearing well-known actors read her script out loud, Ms. Olliver-Yamin said “It’s really surreal for sure… It’s going to be a great experience.”
The second script, “The Manuscript,” was written by Edward Therese and is set to be directed by Jourdain Pita. The film will be shot in Italy this summer in conjunction with National Geographic. The story follows an aspiring writer who gets involved in possible mob activity in the slums of Rome. Mr. Pita said of how the Ghetto Film School has helped him in becoming a filmmaker that “…there are programs that you can pay thousands of dollars for, but they won’t take you to Rome.”
L-R: Robert Carlock, Ansel Elgort, Julianna Margulies, Jamie Hector, Anez Olliver-Yamin & Ravi Vietro
PC: Craig Warga
With such established actors like Elgort and Margulies lending their voices to the scripts, it was amazing to hear life brought to the words of these students.
The Ghetto Film School is a program based out of the South Bronx and founded by Joe Hall. It provides opportunities to aspiring filmmakers in high school, a program that also them to build a network and to work with the group to find and establish themselves into bigger and better filmmakers over time. Working with Bloomberg Philanthropies for the past two years, the scripts being written by the students are able to be performed by famous actors in a very intimate setting.
Keep the names of these students in mind, and stay tuned for the short films “The Manuscript” and “The Invisible Man” coming soon. The names Anez Olliver-Yamin, Ravi Vietro, Edward Therese, and Jourdain Pita will mean something to film lovers in years to come. Get in on the ground floor while you still can.
The writers, directors, and readers of the scripts from the Ghetto Film School
PC: Craig Warga
