They’re young, intelligent, creative, driven and not willing to give up easily. They’re a crew of filmmakers, actors, musicians, artists, and technical workers. They’re nearly all from Hudson County and are looking to make it big in the movies – together.
They are led by local filmmaker Sam Platizky, whose production company Narrow Bridge Films, is the catalyst for their cinematic pursuits.
There’s no shortage of Hudson County residents in the cast and crew: Loarina Gonzalez of West New York; Dan Granda and Mitchell Vargas of North Bergen; Amy DeGise, Adria Firestone, Joey Mosca, Ramy Shedid, and John Trigonis of Jersey City; and Middlesex County member Megan Bussiere, of Edison.
The Bayonne members include Platizky, Max Arias Jr., William Dautrick Jr., Sean Feuer, Dan Gregory, Jenna Kildosher, Tony Pineiro, and Isaac Platizky, Sam’s brother.
“We are pretty much all Hudson County natives and friends making movies together,” Platizky said.
“We are pretty much all Hudson County natives and friends making movies together.” – Sam Platizky
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“I feel extraordinarily lucky and privileged to be able to work with such incredibly talented and amazing artists,” Sam Platizky said.
Platizky received his English and theater degree from New Jersey City University in Jersey City.
In 2010, Platizky and Narrow Bridge made their first feature film, “Blaming George Romero,” a “zombie apocalypse” movie that went on to the Bergenfield and Golden Door festivals. Its second film was “Red Scare,” billed as a “zombie comedy set during World War II.”
The vast majority of its projects have been filmed in county streets and parks.
Narrow Bridge was honored with the Gold Kahuna Award at the 2012 Honolulu Film Awards for its production of “Red Scare.” The film also won the Silver Ace Award at the 2012 Las Vegas Film Festival and an honorable mention at the Mock Film Festival in Los Angeles.
This summer Narrow Bridge will shoot “Summer Cabin,” in New Hampshire. But production members are really psyched for what will happen in 2016.
The next big thing
“I have worked on several films and a web series. I am proud of each and every one of them, but for my next project I am trying to go even bigger and better,” Platizky said.
He hopes it will catapult the group into a new level of moviemaking. “Yellow Scare,” a “big” comedy set during World War II with several musical numbers, is scheduled to begin shooting in the spring.
How you can help
Recently, Platizky started a fundraising campaign for the production on Indiegogo. To help, visit http://igg.me/at/yellowscare.
“There are a wide range of perks, from copies of the movie, to exclusive merchandise, to experiences on set that people can get for contributing,” Platizky said. “And at the end of the day, when the movie is on the big screen, anyone who donates can honestly say that they helped make this happen. And that is pretty cool.”
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.