Eric Ruhalter’s ‘Good for the Earth’ wins Best Picture at the Third Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival
Posted by George! on August 21, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Eric Ruhalter’s wicked comedy, Good for the Earth, was the overwhelming fan favorite at Friday’s Third Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival.
TWIN TALENTS: Brothers Jevon and Jaylon Jorge of Boys Nyte rock the Third Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival. Photo by Victoria Birmingham
The five-minute short, starring Eric’s friends and former neighbors in a send-up of overzealous environmentalists, was voted Best Picture on a gorgeous August evening that drew more than 300 people to the lawn of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown.
Boys Nyte, a quintet of 12-year-olds, got things off to a rocking start. The crowd demanded an encore from Jaylon and Jevon Jorge, Ryan Skoletsky, Ricky Webber and Domenico Randazzo, and they obliged with gusto.
Slide show by Victoria Birmingham:
When darkness fell, MG volunteer Nathaniel Rossoff fired up the projector for an hour of short videos. Filmmakers were asked to include music by local artists in their entries; among the artists who attended last night were Christine DeLeon; E.J. Enright; Derek Gazal and Mark J. Goldberg of The Community, and Matt McCormack of Universal Rebel. Jordan Black, Travis Fielding and Johannes Berger of The Members also appeared, along with their mentor, jazz guitarist Grover Kemble.
A group from the Franklin Corners section of town moved its weekly gathering to St. Peter’s for the festival, spreading a picnic in the shade on the Great Lawn.
“Every Friday night, the neighbors get together,” explained the week’s co-host, Linda Stamato. “So we decided to transfer it here to support the festival.”
Eric Ruhalter, who lives in Morristown and works for AMC, left with a towering trophy, courtesy of Rios’ Engraving of Morristown, and tickets to the fall season of the New York Film Critics series in Morristown. Music by The Members, another precocious kids band, was featured in Good for the Earth.
Episcopal seminarian Diana Wilcox took second place–good for a tripod from Sandrian Camera and tickets to the Community Theatre–for A New Day, a documentary on the Morristown Church of the Redeemer’s youth mission trip to Louisiana. The film showcased music by singer-songwriter Christine DeLeon.
Third place went to Kevin Ruth, an aspiring filmmaker from Morris Plains, for his music video, Way Too Young. The piece, which looks at fleeting youth through the twin prisms of comic books and rap, included music by the Morristown band Universal Rebel. Kevin won tickets to see An Evening with Kevin Smith at the Community Theatre.
Asked the inspiration for his award-winning film, Eric Ruhalter admitted, “I don’t know.”
His talent as a director?
“He’s a motivator,” declared Phil Fielding, a.k.a. “The Smoker.”
“He helped me a lot,” he said. “I’m a smoker now!”
Max Huber, who portrayed the earth-saver’s long-suffering husband, arrived with his arm in a sling. Ruhalter wasn’t responsible, he said. At least not directly.
“I fell in the shower after that (shower) scene,” he said. “It’s okay now.”
Eric revealed his cameo role as the trash fairy. He reassured the audience: “No little bugs were harmed in the making of this movie — or children.”
The film’s children, meanwhile, said they didn’t get paid, either. “We wish we did!” said one.
MORE PHOTOS, VIDEOS TO COME…
MG Correspondent Sharon Sheridan contributed to this report.
WINNERS CIRCLE: Eric Ruhalter holds Best Picture trophy at the Third Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival. He's with the cast of 'Good for the Earth,' his short satire on overzealous environmentalists. Margaret Noonan, Max Huber and Philip Fielding are on the far right. Photo by Victoria Birmingham.
