Academy Award-nominated, Yellow Springs-based filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar debut their latest short film Sunday, April 17th at 5:15pm at The Neon, as part of the Dayton Jewish Film Festival.
Featuring interviews and footage of the composer Ricky Ian Gordon, librettist William M. Hoffman, and stage director Ron Daniels, Making Morning Star presents a behind-the-scenes look at the joys and challenges of developing a new opera. Much of the footage was shot in Cincinnati during a 10-day workshop hosted by Cincinnati Opera and CCM, part of the Opera Fusion: New Works collaboration. The 36-minute documentary tells the story of the creation a new opera, Morning Star, that tells the story of immigrants living in New York’s Lower East Side in the early 20th century who find their dreams tarnished by hardships – the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, World War I, and the Great Depression.
Stick around after the screening for a panel discussion of the film with local Academy Award nominated filmmakers Julia Reichert & Steven Bognar along with artists from the Cincinnati Opera. $9 per ticket, $8 for students (student tickets available at the door only).