Upper Dublin Students Competing In Greenfield Youth Film Festival

Upper Dublin student filmmakers will have the pleasure of seeing their work on the big screen this evening, as the Keswick Theatre in Glenside will host the annual Greenfield Youth Film Festival.

The Greenfield Foundation, which is based out of Philadelphia, created the festival as a part of its initiative to enhance the overall quality of life by making contributions to non-profit organizations involved in the arts, education and other related fields. Students involved in the festival are not only given an audience for their work, but they also gain access to industry professionals.

For Upper Dublin ninth-grader Justin Asaraf, this will be his first foray into the world of film festivals.

"I submitted a mockumentary called 'New Sheriff in Town'," said Asaraf, who has been working with video for the past four years. "It's a type of a joke movie, with the security guard of Upper Dublin High School."

Asaraf said that his screenplay was written by his cousin, Jesse, and his friend, Kevin. He added that not only did the security guard approve of the film, but that the security guard took it a step further, making a Borat-inspired announcement in the cafeteria.

"It has very subtle humor," said Asaraf. "There's not too much slapstick comedy, but its more sublime. I guess you could say it's a mature comedy."

Asaraf added that he didn't expect to win, but he was looking forward to the experience. He plans on making a film that's heavy on special effects for next year's entry, and his ultimate goal is to secure work as an actor, director and producer for music and film in Hollywood.

Another Upper Dublin ninth-grader, James Tralie, has not only entered previous film contests -- he's actually won one of them.

"I really love expressing myself through film," said Tralie, who has previously won first-place in the open category of the WHYY film festival. "I can put my emotions into it and show everything that I love and do to everyone"

Tralie's submission for the Greenfield Youth Film Festival centers on his grandfather's experiences in World War II, where he served as a naval cannoneer.

"My grandfather wrote this journal during World War II, about his experiences fighting," said Tralie. "I've been hearing a lot of stories about it from my family, so I wanted to put it into a movie that we could all share, look back on and kind of have his memory live on forever."

Like Asaraf, Tralie could also see himself pursuing a career in film, though he doesn't want to pigeon-hole himself into a career at 14-years-old.

"I have no idea where I'm going to take my talents, but I want to keep fostering them and see where it takes me," said Tralie, who added that he was grateful for the opportunity to showcase his work. "I want to say thanks to the Greenfield Foundation for giving me this opportunity to screen my movie in front of everyone."

For more information on the Greenfield Youth Film Festival, visit http://crcollier.com/greenfieldyouthfilmfestival.com/.