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Pine City native Zach Hammill to screen films on August 14
-Los Angeles-based director and screenwriter makes homecoming
-Pine City Auditorium transformed into movie house for one night only
-Evening of film sponsored by Pine Center for the Arts

On August 14, the Pine City Auditorium will be transformed into a historic movie house for one night only.  The curtain will come up on a series of short films by award-winning writer/director Zach Hammill, a Los Angeles based filmmaker who is a native of Pine City.

“The Films of Zach Hammill” will feature variety of movies during the two-hour event, including “The Language of Freedom,” a documentary about members of Fort Snelling’s 451st Army Band.  Hammill will also show short films, including the comedy “Five Bucks ‘Til Friday,” and “Mickey vs. the Snowman,” a film about a 1940s bare -knuckles boxing match which was produced by Marty Doogin Arts.

Hammill, a self-professed “movie buff,” developed a love for writing and acting during his teenage years, when he was an integral part of the Pine City High School theatre and speech programs, as well as the Heritage Players Community Theater.  In fact, after graduating from the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York, Hammill returned to Pine City for a summer to direct “Cheaper by the Dozen” for Heritage Players.  Hammill then moved to the Twin Cities where he acted several films and wrote the screenplay “balance,” which won the IFP McKnight Artist Fellowship for Screenwriting in 2006.

Hammill now resides in Los Angeles where he focuses exclusively on directing and screenwriting.  While Hammill loves to act, he felt unfulfilled when cast in a series of films that, according to Hammill, “just weren’t very good. So I decided I was going to start making movies, andI figured out how.”

According to Heritage Players Treasurer Sandi Frerich, Zach has always followed his dream: “Ever since I worked with Zach on the musical Brigadoon more than 15 years ago, it has always been his goal to make a career in the world of theatre and film.  It’s an amazing testimony to our current students that he is doing so.”    As such, Zach will also be working with students at Pine City High School’s 2nd Annual Speech and Theatre Camp August 10-12.

The evening of film is being presented by Pine Center for the Arts (PCA), a group that has sponsored a wide variety of special events and educational programming in and around Pine City in the past two years.  The group is supported by donations, memberships, and grant monies.  Hammill’s movies are from the time he was working in the Twin Cities.  According to the filmmaker, working in Los Angeles has been a great opportunity for growth, and “if this screening goes well and people enjoy it, I can’t wait to show them the projects I’m working on right now.”  Hammill is working with Pine City music and theatre instructor Bradley Mariska to transform the 1930s era Pine City Auditorium into a movie house, complete with popcorn, candy, and soda.  Best of all, the evening of film will cost less than packing up the family and heading to a movie theatre out of town.  Tickets for the August 14 event are only $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for K-12 students.  The evening will also feature a question-and-answer period with the filmmaker.  Audiences will be able to submit questions directly to Hammill and find out firsthand what it’s like to live and work in the film industry in California.  The talkback will be facilitated by Nathan Johnson, City Planner of Pine City and an author who just published the book “Images of America: Pine City.”  Johnson and Hammill are high school friends who performed in speech and theatre together here in Pine City.

This special event is one-night only, Saturday, August 14 at 7:00 pm.  Tickets will be available at the door.  Doors open at 6:15 pm.

  

 

ABOUT PINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS (PCA)

Mission

The mission of Pine Center for the Arts is to provide “The Arts for Everyone”
     – A fun place of learning for all ages
     – A place for the community to gather in artistic endeavors
     – A place for artisans to teach the next generation of artists

PCA aims to provide quality lessons, workshops and classes, events that create a positive experience for the community, monthly exhibitions which highlight our local artists. We hope to stir up the art in everyone. History

Pine Center for the Arts (PCA) was formed as a non-profit organization in 2008 and established its current location in downtown Pine City, Minnesota in 2009.  PCA’s performing arts series emphasizes concerts and events relating to music, theatre, dance, visual arts, and literature.  In September 2009, PCA launched its first season of educational programs, including classes and lessons led by more than a dozen professional artists and teachers. Literature classes, music lessons, art exploration activities, and many more courses form the core of PCA’s educational mission.

In 2010, PCA received a grant from the State of Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to hire a Creative Director and Administrative Assistant.  These individuals, in collaboration with the Board of Directors and individual artists, will guide PCA in shaping a first-rate regional arts center for all residents of Central Minnesota.

The Center believes in “The Arts for Everyone,” and features diverse programming designed for students, adults, and seniors.  In its short history, PCA has twice hosted performances by national a cappella ensemble Ball in the House, a week-long educational residency by international musician Todd Green, and has featured over a dozen local and regional artists in our visual arts gallery.

To learn more about PCA, visit their website at www.pinecenter.org or call 320.629.4924.

 

 

• 6:15 – doors open
• 7:00 The Vandal (~9 minutes)
• 7:10 Holy Water! (~3 minutes)
• 7:15 Five Bucks’ Til Friday (~28 minutes)
• 7:45 INTERMISSION (~10 minutes) (audience members submit written questions)
• 7:55 The Language of Freedom (~40 minutes)
• 8:35 Talk-back (~10 minutes)
• 8:45 Mickey vs. The Snowman (parental discretion advised; contains violence and
  strong language) (~37 minutes)
• 9:25 Screening concludes