East County students' film debuts Dec. 3

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Nolan Middle School student Nick Barion dreams of becoming a movie star, walking the red carpet, greeting fans and signing autographs.

Although he won’t be mobbed by the paparazzi, the 12-year-old will get a taste of that star-power feeling this weekend, when the short film, “The Good Kids,” debuts at the Lakewood Ranch Cinemas. Nick and other East County youth who acted in the film during a two-week filmmaking camp this summer will walk the red carpet to see the premiere at 9 a.m. Dec. 3.

“It’ll be awesome,” Nick said. “I’ll be on the big screen.”

Fellow student Anthony Bavaro, who also wants to be a professional actor, agreed.

“It might get us recruited for more films,” he said.

The viewing for the nine-minute film is free and open to the public.

“The Good Kids,” which was written and produced by elementary, middle and high school students during the Inspired Minds’ Film Kids Camp, provides a student perspective on bullying. The camera follows bullies into a school for a first-hand look at the problem.

In creating the film, students of Film Kids participated in all aspects of the process, including screenwriting, acting, directing and production.

“This truly is a film made by kids for kids,” said Healther Manley, Inspired Kids partner and Film Kids co-director. “In addition to creating an extremely entertaining film, this talented group of students succeeded in uncovering some frequently overlooked aspects of bullying. What they share through this film will be valuable to other students, teachers, parents and anyone else concerned about this issue.

“As a teacher, I saw what I thought was bullying, but (they) see things we don’t see as adults,” she said. “They really brought a lot to that.”

Students said they learned a lot about the filmmaking process during camp, but the experience also gave them a new perspective on bullying. Creating the film, student actors said, made them realize how often bullying occurs — sometimes even by friends and family members — and how students themselves need to step up to protect themselves and their friends.

“It was such a good lesson,” 13-year-old Kahlee York said. “Bullying is such a big problem.”

Nolan sixth-grader Samantha Harris agreed.

“Adults always say bullying is really bad, but they don’t see the inside look,” she said. “Bullying can be mental, too, and it can hurt somebody. ... It makes kids not want to come to school.”

Manley, who has produced several other films, said the idea for the film camp developed after one of her Inspired Minds’ reading students, who was in one of her previous films, asked about acting in another of Manley’s movies. Manley had witnessed bullying in the schools and chose it as a topic for the script for a summer camp.

Her friend, Steven Lesser, of New Jersey, flew in to help with the camp and also edited the entire film.
Manley also said Jeanne Corcoran, of the Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office, spoke at the summer camp and helped connect her with the Sarasota Film Society to make the showing possible.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Student cast and crew
Willis Elementary
Kevin Indelicato

Braden River
Middle School
Levi Waxler

Nolan Middle School
Samantha Rials
Blake Brannan
Anthony Bavaro
Kahlee York
Nick Barion
Samantha Harris
Mazie Kelley
Kyle Jewell
Cameron Indelicato

The Out-of-Door Academy
Benjamin Edelman

Lakewood Ranch High School
Vincent Cuop (co-director)
Hannah Grant (volunteer)
Nicole Grant (volunteer)
Savanna Wright (volunteer)

Other student participants
Sydney Wright, Logan Sork, Victoria Poplawski, Owen Leonard, Christopher Horner, Nasya Kastelik, Justine Ulrey and Alexis Ulrey

Inspired Minds’ Film Kids Program staff & adult volunteers:
Helaine Grant, Heather Manley, Kristen York, James Byrne, Steve Lesser and Anthony Paull 

‘The Good Kids’
WHEN: 9 a.m. Dec. 3
WHERE: Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, 10715 Rodeo Drive, Lakewood Ranch
COST: Free