As part of its ongoing Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center (formerly The Tull Family Theater) will host the Red Carpet world premiere of Shingles the Movie, a horror/comedy anthology directed by Coraopolis resident Steve Rudzinski, on Thursday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.
The film from Rudzinski’s production company, Silver Spotlight Films, adapts five of the Shingles stories from the Authors & Dragons collaborative. Rudzinski was chosen by the authors to make the film based on his reputation as a horror film director.
The picture was shot in the Coraopolis area with local actors and crew, including Aleen Isley and Ben Dietels, both of Coraopolis, and Scott Lewis of Mount Oliver.
Showcase events, a staple at The Lindsay, are designed to encourage exchanges between local filmmakers and the public, and are free to all.
The two-hour screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. Big Spring Spirits, a community-centric craft distillery based in Bellefonte, Pa., will be on hand with samples of their product. While admission is free, those attending are asked to RSVP online to ensure seating for all.
Every year since Rudzinski released his first film in 2011, he’s created a new movie. His work has garnered numerous awards from the indie horror community, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for directing from Grossfest, a horror convention. His film CarousHELL earned a Best Director and Best Horror Feature nod at the 2017 Calgary Horror Con, and won the Best Feature Film of 2021 at the LA Indie Horror Fest and No. 1 Movie of the Year 2021 from Gross Movie Reviews.
“I’m thrilled that the film is premiering here in the Pittsburgh region where it was filmed,” says Rudzinski, a horror fan since seeing Nightmare on Elm Street at age 3. “My hope is that teens or young adult filmmakers can attend this event and are inspired. It really is possible to make movies yourself and get them into the public eye!”
“I truly just want to make people smile and laugh,” Rudzinski says. “Movies were there for me a lot during dark times of my life, so if any of my movies can help someone forget something they're going through, even if just for a couple of hours, then it's all worth it.”
Shingles stories originate with fictional teenage friends who are stuck in a parking lot waiting for their troop leader. They pass the time telling scary stories that each certifies happened to them.
“I think the authors of the books will love how their vision has been adapted to screen, and fans of the books will enjoy seeing how the films both differ from and embrace the book stories,” Rudzinski predicts. “I think new audiences will love a wacky horror comedy with a bunch of cool practical effects.”