A presentation by a Los Angeles-based film director and a roundtable discussion with faculty members from the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies highlight a free public session coordinated by the Student Film Organization at Penn State.
The session, titled “The Director’s Chair with Anna Martemucci,” begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in 101 Thomas Building. It will feature Martemucci discussing her experiences as a writer and director, as well as her experience as a subject of Starz’s recent filmmaking show “The Chair.” A panel discussion and question-and-answer session will follow her presentation.
“I’ll probably talk about the creative process, as well as a lot about writing and a lot about the film business,” said Martemucci, who lives in Los Angeles. “I’ll talk a lot about collaboration, the pros and cons of collaboration, my experiences with it and what I’ve learned over the last 10 or so years of pursuing a career in movies and storytelling. I’ll share my insights for anybody interested.”
Martemucci, a Penn Stater from 2000 to 2002 and a State College resident from ages 8 to 20, is the director of “Hollidaysburg,” a film that she produced as a contestant on the “The Chair.” That show followed two first-time feature film directors who were given the opportunity to direct separate films from the same original screenplay on a budget.
“Hollidaysburg” is a film about five college freshmen returning to their small town for Thanksgiving break. It’s a coming-of-age film, where the friends notice how much some things change and how much others do not.
“I knew I wanted to tell a story that was in central Pennsylvania and was small town central Pennsylvania,” said Martemucci. “That aspect that you know everybody in your high school, that townie aspect, is what I really wanted to capture. ‘Hollidaysburg’ just lent itself perfectly to all of my needs.”
Martemucci is a writer, actress and filmmaker. In 2013, she co-wrote, produced and played the role of Lenka Jones in “Breakup at a Wedding.” She is the co-founder of PERIODS. Films, a short film comedy series. Martemucci also has experience as a model for Elite Model Management.
“I think my favorite part is the ability to kind of make my life the life that I want,” said Martemucci. “It has challenges but it is absolutely the life I have always dreamt of. I’m just pinching myself right now that I’ve gotten to a place where I just walk to my office and it’s this cute little cabin in Los Angeles where there are like 10 other writers and we all write together. It’s great. “