Huntington Video Students Featured at Fire Island Film Festival
Recognition just keeps rolling in for Huntington High School’s video program. The films of three Huntington students were featured at this month’s Fire Island Golden Wagon Film Festival. The event drew professional actors and industry officials.
The featured Huntington films included public service announcements created by Amanda Plunkett and Matt Fairbanks as well as the innovative Rotoball group project, developed by Jesse Kitzen, Jeff Green, Sebastian Norgaard, Dan Lobasso, Sean Colligan, Luke Reigot, Connor Pufahl, Ms. Plunkett and Mr. Fairbanks. The Huntington group was proud to lay claim to three of only 12 student films accepted and shown at the festival.
The three day event served up many memorable moments for the Huntington contingent. Perhaps the most dramatic came when Mr. Kitzen and video teacher Heather Swan met film and television actor Steve Guttenberg, who was honored at the festival with the 2008 Tony Randall Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the entertainment industry, as well as his numerous and generous community service efforts.
Mr. Guttenburg grew up in Massapequa and became well-known after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including “Cocoon,” “Three Men and a Baby,” “Police Academy” and “Short Circuit.” This year, Mr. Guttenberg was one of 12 contestants to appear on the sixth season of the hit television show, “Dancing with the Stars.”
The actor told the festival crowd that he was grateful for all the schools that provide high school video courses. He credited his own high school video course with getting him started in the film industry. Mr. Guttenberg graduated from Plainedge High School in North Massapequa in 1976.
"It was an honor to have three of our Huntington films selected for this year’s festival,” Ms. Swan said. “The team who organized and ran the festival did a marvelous job. The variety and high-level of the students films were exceptional and inspiring."
Huntington video students are busy making even more films this summer. Mr. Kitzen is enrolled in a summer video program at Five Towns College and Hector Guerrero, a June graduate, is on full scholarship at the New York State Summer School of the Arts film program.
“The Fire Island Film Festival was a great opportunity for many professional film companies to see the work of our students,” said Joan Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts. “Ms. Swan was able to discuss possible internship opportunities for our students with the companies represented at the festival.”
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