Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

SOAR student film to showcase at The Moviehouse

SOAR student film to showcase at The Moviehouse

SOAR, a community-funded organization providing enrichment programs to students of Salisbury Central School, will takeover The Moviehouse Oct. 27.

Provided

At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, The Moviehouse in Millerton will host the SOAR Student Film Showcase, featuring a spine-chilling lineup of Halloween and horror short films crafted by SOAR students. This free event offers a unique opportunity to experience the creativity and talent of young filmmakers from Salisbury Central School. Following the screenings, viewers are invited to stay for a Q&A session with the filmmakers.

SOAR, a community-funded initiative, provides enrichment programs beyond the standard school curriculum, ensuring equal access for all students.

“This is the second year of collaborating with The Moviehouse,” said SOAR’s executive director, Lauren Brown. “From brainstorming the concept to editing the final cut, this workshop gives children an opportunity to work alongside Hollywood directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors to learn what it takes to make a movie.”

“This originally came about in the Spring of 2023 when SOAR reached out to us looking to collaborate in some capacity,” explained The Moviehouse’s General Manager, Jeremy Boviard. With a background in horror films writer, director, and Moviehouse board member Tod “Kip” Williams pitched the idea of doing a class centered on creating horror shorts. Williams led the program last Fall. “I came in to help about halfway through and had a lot of fun getting involved,” said Boviard. “This session I’ve essentially led the class, with involvement from Kip, his wife Gretchen Mol (also a board member), their son Ptolemy, other Moviehouse staff (Tom Cloutier and Kevin Pakrad), and local filmmaker Keith Boynton.” Many students returned for the second year of the class and have been able to build on their previous experience. “Working with each student to craft their stories and support their vision throughout the filmmaking process has been a lesson for all involved in adaptability and using the resources available to the best of your ability,” Boviard said.

No tickets are required—just come, enjoy, and be ready for a frightful afternoon. Please note the horror theme when considering younger children. Don’t miss this chance to support local youth in their creative pursuits.

Latest News

State denies Shepherd's Run solar farm

New York State's Office of Renewable Energy Siting denied an application from Chicago-based Hecate Energy LLC that would have resulted in a 42-megawatt solar farm across 700 acres in Craryville, a hamlet in the Town of Copake.

Photo by Nathan Miller

COPAKE — New York State denied Hecate Energy LLC’s application for a more than 700-acre solar project, pointing to two factors: floodplain and community protection issues, and identification of and protection of wetland resources in this rural hamlet.

Jason Zehr, interim executive director of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, issued the decision on Wednesday, Oct. 14, five days before the clock was to run out for the state to approve or deny the Chicago-based company’s application.

Keep ReadingShow less

Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less
A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.