Double Threat: Joey Gatto will do music and movies at MorristownGreen.com Film and Music Fest

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Not many high school kids have their own agent.

But then, there aren’t many kids like Joey Gatto.

His upcoming senior year at Morristown High will mark four straight years as president of his class–and he doesn’t even like politics.

Other classmates, he concedes, have more acting talent. Heck, he’s never appeared in an MHS stage production. Yet he’s the one getting calls to audition for Coke commercials and movies like Place Beyond the Pines (starring Bradley Cooper).

“I just have a good personality, according to my agent,” said Joey, who will ooze charisma on both sides of the camera at the Fourth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film & Music Festival on Aug. 27. Sept. 17.

JOEY GATTO FOR PRESIDENT: Senior Class President, in perpetuity. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
JOEY GATTO FOR PRESIDENT: Senior Class President, in perpetuity. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

In the sunshine (we hope!) Joey will show off the beat-boxing skill that wowed an agent and 1,200 other spectators at Morristown’s Got Talent! last March.

After dark, his rap video, Reduce Reuse Recycle, will compete for Best Picture in the Film portion of the Festival.

Joey composed the beat, recruited his girlfriend Shannon Kikuchi and pals Taran Young and Don Watson for lead roles, and directed the shooting.

The idea came three days before our entry deadline. That led to an all-nighter in the MHS editing room.

Which happens to be Joey’s favorite place on earth.

“I checked it out and fell in love,” he said of WJSV, which a friend touted when he was a freshman. “I’ve lived there ever since.”

He can do serious–like his video for Braunschweiger Jewelers–and he can do silly, like his Man Hole Cover Hat spoof for MorristownGreen.com.

But special effects are his passion. While acting gigs might be cool, Joey said he would prefer banging together NFL highlights, the ones you see right before the commercial break.

“My dream job is like, the guy who directs the Transformers films,” Joey said, referring to Michael Bay. “I want to be him.”

One thing is certain: We’re not letting Joey anywhere near a microphone during the Best Picture voting on Saturday night.

This is a fellow, after all, who persuaded a reluctant rapper to rap about recycling. And who won a cliffhanger race for sophomore class president by marching into the pivotal classroom with a time-tested formula.

“I made them laugh,” Joey said.

MORE ABOUT THE MORRISTOWNGREEN.COM FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL

This year’s festival is part of a free, daylong Green off the Green expo held – where else? – on the Morristown Green, on Saturday, Aug. 27.  at Pioneer Park at Headquarters Plaza. MorristownGreen.com is partnering with Sustainable Morristown and sponsors BASF and Covanta Energy to showcase local entrepreneurs and musical performances all afternoon, followed by the Fourth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Fest in the evening. Spectators will vote for Best Picture, and prizes will be awarded. We expect a large crowd from Greater Morristown will be joined by visitors to the Gran Fondo NJ, a new bicycling event.

 

Taran Young and Shannon Kikuchi in scene from 'Reduce Reuse Recycle,' directed by Joey Gatto. The rap video wil compete on Aug. 27 in the Fourth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film & Music Festival.
Taran Young and Shannon Kikuchi in scene from 'Reduce Reuse Recycle,' directed by Joey Gatto. The rap video wil compete on Aug. 27 in the Fourth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film & Music Festival.

 

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