Halloskene event in Greensburg to include debut of short film showcasing the city
Oct. 14—Skene 19 Films' second annual Halloskene celebration is set for 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Greensburg's St. Clair Park, with festivities including live music, food and craft vendors.
Those who stay until 8 p.m. will see the debut screening of a short film that Skene 19 Films CEO Marcus Morelli has directed, shot and edited to showcase the people and places of Greensburg.
Bands Stick 'n Beats and Josh Jams will perform. There also will be a Halloween costume contest, with a chance to win prizes.
A 50-50 raffle will generate funds to benefit the Westmoreland Food Bank. Limited-edition Halloskene T-shirts will be available to purchase for $20.
Morelli's latest project began early in 2020 as a commission from Greensburg officials to produce a roughly two-minute film for promoting and marketing the city as well as a 30-second version.
After a long pandemic-related pause, work began in earnest this summer on what became a labor of love for Morelli, resulting in an additional extended seven-minute cut of the film he is donating that features hundreds of community members.
"It's a love letter to my city," said Morelli, who lives in Greensburg and grew up nearby. "I'm excited to show it to the public. I hope it will have staying power as a piece of art and people will be able to look back and see what Greensburg was like in the early 2020s."
Morelli estimates he spent more than 800 hours working on the film, between shooting footage within the city limits and editing.
"We did our best to tell the story of Greensburg," he said.
With the help of assistant Derek Hughes, Morelli filmed individual segments with community members, businesspeople, public servants and volunteers — capturing "intimate closeups and little moments in time with people around town," he said.
The film also includes broader images of Greensburg, some filmed using a drone. "You're going to see every angle of the city possible," he said.
Morelli has worked on other promotional pieces, as well as TV commercials and documentaries — featuring such popular figures as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruno Sammartino. His company grew from a hobby that was sparked when, at age 19, he began watching films while recuperating from a leg injury suffered in a traffic crash on Route 119.
Nineteen also is his favorite sports jersey number, helping to account for the numerical part of his company's name. Skene, he said, is a female family member's Scottish maiden name.
The Greensburg film, Morelli said, is "the most challenging project I've worked on, with the scale of the production. It's been very rewarding for me, growing as an artist, and it's been amazing meeting so many people and how receptive people have been.
"I hope people will watch the film and feel proud about their city."
Morelli's film also is meant to convey a positive message about Greensburg to potential developers.
"I can't wait to see it," Councilman Gregory Mertz said. "We feel our city has so much to offer."
The city is paying Skene 19 Films $21,000 for its promotional efforts, and Mayor Robb Bell believes it's money well spent.
"We went with Skene 19 Films because they're one of the best, if not the best, around for this type of production," Bell said. "And they're local.
"Marcus, Derek and their team have worked extremely hard on this production. I'm sure the film is going to be fantastic."
After Saturday's screening, the Greensburg film will be available on online platforms beginning Oct. 19, Morelli said.
Visit skene19films.com for more information about the local company.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
