
Keith Boynton, left, with Aitor Mendilibar, right, the cinematographer who shot “The Haunted Forest” as well as “The Scottish Play” and “The Winter House.” In the background of is Vinny Castellini, first assistant director.
Submitted
Keith Boynton, left, with Aitor Mendilibar, right, the cinematographer who shot “The Haunted Forest” as well as “The Scottish Play” and “The Winter House.” In the background of is Vinny Castellini, first assistant director.
Keith Boynton is a filmmaker who grew up in Salisbury, Connecticut. He attended Salisbury Central School, Town Hill School, and Hotchkiss. He has made numerous feature films including Seven Lovers, The Scottish Play, The Winter House, and is just wrapping up a new film, The Haunted Forest, which is a horror/slasher movie. Boynton has made numerous music videos for the band Darlingside, and for Alison Krauss. He is a poet, a playwright, and comic book art collector.
JA: This series of stories The Creators focuses on artists, their inspiration, and their creative process. Keith, what was the seed that got you started?
KB: I think the earliest stage of everything is just daydreaming. I’ve been a daydreamer my whole life, probably most kids are. Those daydreams are just daydreams - they don’t come to anything - but occasionally something happens in your imagination that you can’t let go of. Something you want to make real, whether that’s a goal in your life, or a project that you want to pursue, or something you want to create, it just sticks in your mind, and can change your whole life.
JA: Was there a favorite book that you loved growing up?
KB: My favorite book in childhood was The Wreck of the Zephyr by Chris van Allsburg. Some books just fired me up a like Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli, an amazing book that was probably the most exciting thing I’d ever read up to that point. I remember finishing it and just sprinting up and down the driveway. I loved all the William Steig books, especially Dominic. Some art forms lend themselves to the imagination. One of the things I love about cartooning (I’m a huge comic book fan, and I collect comic book artwork) I love the way it can be anything. It is the unfettered exercise of the imagination, whereas making a live action film is a very fettered exercise of the imagination. You are bound by the technology and the reality of what you’re shooting, and the limitations of what you have available, so it’s still a creative act, but it’s not the kind of thing you can just daydream on the paper. You must contend with a lot of reality on the way to making that dream something real.
JA: Why do you love language?
KB: I mean, words are magic. They can create whole worlds. I‘ve always been fascinated by them. There’s nothing more human than the urge to communicate, but words do more than communicate; they conjure. It’s a hell of a thing.
JA: You cannot escape the business side of filmmaking. How do you handle all that, financing, promotion, deal making, streaming, film festivals?
KB: It is a job in itself. The mindset of promoting a film is the opposite of making one. It’s rare to find one person who’s good at both. I want the film to be successful, yet don’t see myself as a marketer. When I am forced into that role it’s an awkward fit. I love the response of an audience. I love watching a movie with an audience, or even better being in front of an audience, that immediate kind of connection. The relationship that you have with anyone in the business of curation of a Film Festival, or a studio executive, lacks immediacy. Yet you must not become an artist who thinks they’re entitled to an audience, or entitled to a platform, or entitled to be regarded as special. Audience members who grant you their time are giving you a gift, which is often unearned.
JA: Do you control the editing process?
KB: I edit my own films, I direct them, and I write them. I’m steering the ship to a certain degree at every stage which is gratifying.
JA: How do you cast your films?
KB: For some films I have used a casting director. For The Haunted Forest, the slasher film that we shot in the fall in Maryland, that is just wrapping up, I was the casting director myself. My first time working without a casting director in probably a decade. It was far more work than I realized. There were 38 speaking roles and I had to piece them together for my people to submit it on the Internet, to attract people who lived in the area. Some were actors, some were not, some from New York, some local. It was an incredible hodgepodge of people some of whom had never acted before, and some phenomenally accomplished actors.
JA: Tell us about The Haunted Forest:
KB: Cousins on my dad’s side, the Markoffs, live in Montgomery County, Maryland. They’ve been operating this haunted forest for about 30 years on their property, creating scary tours in October where you walk through, and people jump out and frighten you. It is like a homemade, horror film Disneyland. I was blown away by the scope of it, the scale of it plus the attention to detail and just the passion that they put into this place. My brother Devin McEwan [slalom canoeist, gold medalist 2015 Pan American Games, medalist 2016 Olympics] had the idea to set a film there. He conceived of the story idea. We developed the screenplay together. Great shout out to my brother without whom this movie would never have been dreamed of, much less brought into being. It’s a story about a young man passionate about horror and Halloween. He gets a job at the Haunted Forest, loves his job, meets a girl, then people at the Forest start dying for real and no one knows why. It is a murder mystery, slasher thriller which is not my wheelhouse as a filmmaker, or even necessarily as an audience member, but I had so much fun making this. The film still has a certain romanticism, maybe more than previous films. The genre is larger than life. There’s darkness and terror, but also the opportunity for heroism and overcoming. I think some of the most cinematic stuff that I’ve ever captured is in this movie. We are close to locking the picture edit, and then after that we sign color, music, visual effects and it’ll be ready to premiere at the actual Haunted Forest this fall. Anyone in the DC area, come watch this movie on site and get scared out of your minds.
JA: Were the special effects challenging for you and for the actors?
KB: I had a steep learning curve. We brought in a special effects expert. Some actors were covered in blood, and it was cold at night, yet the vibe on set was amazingly good, people had so much fun. While most of my films are realistic there’s a certain attraction to melodrama. I want to be fantastical, operatic, yet feel grounded and human and real. If you can pull that off, that’s magic.
JA: How can people watch your films?
KB: Three of my movies, Seven Lovers, The Scottish Play, and The Winter House – are available on Amazon and Apple TV. The best way to keep up with me is facebook.com/TheKeithBoynton, and crazylakepictures.com
JA: Your favorite films and directors?
KB: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sting, Back to the Future, Point Break. Frank Capra, Christopher Nolan, Martin Campbell, Steven Soderbergh.
JA: Relationships feature in your films, and music videos. Does that come from your own well of experience?
KB: I did grow up in an incredibly warm family, incredibly welcoming, supportive, creative, funny, eccentric. I had a pretty idyllic childhood. [Keith’s father Jamie McEwan was an author and medal-winning Olympic slalom canoeist. Keith’s mother Sandra Boynton is an illustrator known for her iconic, delightful creatures and designs] That does stay with you forever. Optimism is one of the gifts the arts can give us when we need something to hang on.
JA: Tell us about your friendship with the band Darlingside.
KB: I’ve known Don Mitchell since he was little. We grew up together. We used to play the Legend of Zelda in his mom’s basement. Later, after hearing their brilliant music, I offered to make some music videos. I have used their music in my films. They are the loveliest people, so sweet, so committed to what they’re doing. They are really four of my favorite human beings in the world.
JA: Your film The Scottish Play, was just shown on Channel 13 as their Valentine’s Day romantic offering. How did you write so many lines of iambic pentameter?
KB: I have always been interested in Shakespeare’s time. I did some Shakespearean acting as a child. The language is extraordinary, alien yet familiar. It does create a different world, a heightened world, a romantic world, something you can indulge in, escape into, so for a long time I wanted to find some way to play in that sandbox of Shakespearean language. I conceived of the idea of having Shakespeare appear as a ghost because then it can be a contemporary story and Shakespeare can be anything that I imagine. He doesn’t have to be tied to his own biography or anyone else’s version of Shakespeare. I can just write him any way I choose. That movie came out of my desire to synthesize the real and the fantastical.
JA: Do you prefer making independent films?
KB: One of the reasons I toil away in the indie world is because I relish the control. My work can be ignored but it can’t be stopped, or changed, influenced by anyone, which is why I direct my own scripts instead of trying to sell the scripts. Screenwriters have no control over what happens to their screenplay. I was a writer first and foremost. [Boynton has an MFA in playwrighting from Columbia]. I had to learn to direct movies because that’s the only way to protect and make sure the story gets out in a way that you feel comfortable with.
JA: You are a romantic at heart, true?
KB: Romance is a recurring theme in my work, although not so much in my life, and maybe those two things are related. It has been a preoccupation of mine since childhood. My very romantic view is a great engine for stories. I do have a small pipeline with my own poetry on Facebook where I can reach a small number of people very quickly. I wish I could scale up a film pipeline, and I knew just how to reach that audience with that same level of immediacy. It would be an extraordinary feeling, so liberating creatively. Sometimes it is so hard to get up the energy and enthusiasm to begin a new project, when so many things that I’m proud of have been orphaned, forgotten, or fallen on deaf ears.
JA: How do you gauge the success of a film?
KB: There are three categories of response: people that I know which can be gratifying, I sometimes hear from professional critics, and then sometimes a random stranger stumbles upon the movie and loves it. Sadly, the scale of money, time, and energy that goes into a film does not always correspond to the to the scale of the impact.
JA: Do you love filmmaking enough to be satisfied despite a lack of response?
KB: I love being on the set. It is only two weeks out of every two to three years, but I love that feeling of working together.
JA: What’s next?
KB: I’m gearing up to another movie in September and that’ll be shot here in Salisbury, maybe at Mt. Riga. It will be about 10 months between shooting one feature film and another. The film is broadly in the category of horror or psychological thriller. More about mood and character and fabulous actors. I’m going to reuse some of my favorites from people who maybe had a smaller part in my other films.
JA: You describe your work on your website: “it’s humor and a touch of optimism. also, we like coffee.”
KB: I think coffee is one of the core principles of life. It’s certainly a major theme in my work. I think every play or movie contains at least one reference to coffee and usually a very loving reference. It’s a touchstone, but also maybe it represents warmth and comfort.
JA: What do you love about filmmaking?
KB: The camaraderie, the moments of magic, the sense of capturing something special and unrepeatable, the sublime irrelevance and absurdity of the whole endeavor, the excuse to drink endless cups of coffee, those occasional moments when you whisper to yourself (or to someone else): We’re making a movie. (And you are.)
With robust voter turnout throughout the region, proposed 2025-26 education budgets passed handily, along with their additional propositions, in the polling held on Tuesday, May 20.
By a margin of 173 to 103, voters approved the 2025-26 budget totaling $28,665,850, an increase of 5.96% over the current year. After expected revenues are factored in, the amount to be raised by local taxes is $19,403,307, a 5.27% increase over the current year.
Also approved by a margin of 185 to 92 was a vehicle purchase proposal totaling $249,190 to cover the cost of acquiring one 65-passenger school bus and two Chrysler Voyager vehicles to serve the students’ transportation needs.
Two School Board candidates seeking re-election were unopposed. Nichole Reyes received 260 votes and Anthony Robustelli, 234.
“Thanks to the community for supporting our children’s programs,” commented School Superintendent Raymond Castellani, immediately after the vote count was announced. “Thank you to the voters,” he added. “It makes the work so gratifying when you have the support of the voters.”
By a margin of 816 to 331, voters approved the proposed school budget for 2025-26. The budget totals $35,649,651, a 3.1% increase of $1,074,576over the current year. Of the total, the amount to be raised by taxes after expected revenues are deducted, is $27,782,136, a 2.61% increase over the current year.
Extensive repairs and renovations to maintain and improve the middle school and high school at a projected cost of $37,381,383, defined as Proposition 2, passed by a margin of 748 to 399.
Proposition 3 to cover upgrades to the elementary schools at a cost of $1,883,099, passed by a vote of 706 to 439.
“With these results we will be able to ensure the safe and health upkeep of our facilities as we plan for the future of our district,” said Superintendent Caroline Hernandez-Pidala, commenting on the vote. She went on to thank the voters for having come out to vote.
Hernandez Pidala also thanked the students and constituents who helped share information within the community about their schools’ needs and the importance of voting.
Unopposed candidates for re-election for three-year terms as members of the school board were Dena Ghobashy and Jennifer Carnecchia. Voters also approved the election of Perry Hartswick, seeking to continue his service as Board President.
By a margin of 294 to 102, voters turned out to approve the proposed school budget totaling $38,712,336, a 2.71% increase of $1,022,592. The amount to be raised by taxes is $27,885,802, an increase of 3.2% over the current year.
A proposition that will create a Capital Reserve Fund to aid with future expenditures passed by a vote of 309 to 87, and another proposition to purchase two new 71-passenger school buses and an eight-passenger Chevy Suburban passed by a vote of 284 to 110.
Total cost for the two buses and the van is estimated at $396,369. The proposition also added $118,911 in anticipated tariff costs. The proposition costs are to be supported by the Bus Purchase Reserve Fund that had been approved by voters in 2022.
Re-elected to serve three-year terms on the school board were Fred “Chip” Couse with 333 votes and Amie Fredericks with 330 votes. There were 16 write-in votes.
“We greatly appreciate the support of our community and are looking forward to a successful 2025-26 school year,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Timm, commenting on the positive vote result.
Amber Concannon
MILLBROOK — Strong leadership skills and confidence in communication are evident contributors to Amber Concannon having earned her designation as Valedictorian of the Millbrook High School Class of 2025.
“I have truly loved my time at Millbrook,” Amber said of her Millbrook schooling that began when she was enrolled in kindergarten.
Amber reflected on her accomplishment during an interview on Monday, April 7. She was born in Ireland and lived abroad for her very early years before her family moved to the area. Her grandfather was from India. Her several relatives are scattered throughout the U.S., she said.
High school years have included a balance of time devoted to leadership, sports, and academics.
For three years, Amber has ably assisted the staff at the Youth Summer Program.
“I love it there; I think it’s really fun,” Amber said of the YSP experience.
“Emphasize balance in your life during your high school years,” was her advice to students about to begin their high school years.
“Academics are so important,” she said, “but make time for other things, to learn about yourself. Joining school clubs is important to get to know other students and to hone leadership skills. Each club’s advisor, whether teacher or administrator, really cares about the club’s success,” she said.
“Attending a small high school has made forming relationships with my teachers, pursuing out-of-class assistance, and being an active part of the school community second nature,” Amber said.
Amber has been a member of the Jazz Band playing clarinet and singing, Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Drama Club, and Interact Club, as well as being a part of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, she reported spending the past four years working at the Merritt Bookstore in addition to her volunteer work for the Dutchess County Parks Summer Program.
Still considering her choice of college, Amber said that she hopes to spend time studying and working abroad and plans to attend Marist University.
Millbrook High School Principal Eric Seipp shared his impressions of Amber’s high school years.
“I am incredibly proud to celebrate Amber Concannon as our Valedictorian,” Seipp said.
“Amber’s passion for learning, dedication to excellence, and deep involvement in our school community have made her an outstanding role model for her peers,” Seipp said.
“Having fully embraced every opportunity to grow and contribute, Amber’s curiosity and ambition will no doubt take her far as she pursues her studies and explores the world beyond Millbrook,” Seipp said.
“I am forever grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that Millbrook has provided me with and for the encouragement and guidance I have received from the amazing teachers and staff,” Amber said.
“I also want to thank my friends and my loving family here, in Ireland, and in India for their endless support,” Amber said.
Lisa CameronPhoto Provided
MILLBROOK — Excelling at every turn in her educational path, Lisa Cameron has well-earned the honor of Salutatorian for the Class of 2025 at Millbrook High School.
Lisa began her Millbrook schooling when she enrolled in Kindergarten.
“Throughout my time in Millbrook, I have found pride in pushing and holding myself accountable for my education. While learning in the classroom, I also am a participant in extracurriculars,” Lisa said during an interview on Monday, April 7.
“I strive for excellence,” she said, as she considered advice to students about to begin their high school years. “I want to succeed personally.”
“Get involved early,” Lisa advised, “in sports, clubs and extracurricular activities. Open yourself to the opportunity to know new people.”
“When you are struggling with understanding some point taught in class, don’t be scared to ask for help. Your teacher is there as a resource. That’s the first step in learning mastery…realizing what you don’t know,” Lisa said of her own experience.
“The teachers are supportive; that’s why they became teachers,” she said.
During her senior year, she has served as the president of the Millbrook Chapter of the National Honor Society. She has also served in leadership positions along the way, including as Class President and Class Treasurer, as well as President of the Prom Committee.
Outside of high school, Lisa is employed as a server at Hangars’ Café in Union Vale and she regularly volunteers at Freedom Plains Cemetery where her father serves as the superintendent.
“I grew up in that cemetery,” Lisa said, proud of her work to care for it and those who are remembered there. Among her varied tasks, she particularly relishes placing flags at the graves of veterans, a tribute to her grandfather who had served.
After graduation, Lisa plans to continue her studies at Penn State University, majoring in civil engineering with a specialization in environmental engineering.
“I am honored to recognize Lisa Cameron as our Salutatorian. Lisa’s unwavering dedication to academic excellence, leadership, and community service embodies the very best of what it means to be a Millbrook student,” said Millbrook Principal Eric Seipp.
“Her commitment to challenging herself in the classroom, leading her peers within thr National Honor Society and student government, and serving the community showcases her remarkable character and determination. Lisa’s future is bright, and I have no doubt she will continue to make a meaningful impact wherever she goes,” Seipp added.
“I will forever be grateful for my time at Millbrook, as this district brought me not only knowledge but also introduced me to individuals, experiences, and opportunities that have all guided me to my future path beyond Millbrook,” Lisa said.
A traditional Memorial Day observance to honor the fallen was held Fountain Square on Monday, May 26. The ceremony included an Honor Guard from the Wassaic Fire Company standing by the Veterans’ Memorial Wall.
AMENIA — The community gathered at Fountain Square under sunny skies on Monday, May 26, for a Memorial Day ceremony to honor the fallen who bravely served their country. Remembrances, tributes, prayers and music combined to create the fitting annual tribute.
An Honor Guard from VFW Post #5444 of Dover Plains presented the colors at the start of the ceremony that began promptly at 11 a.m. with a welcome from VFW Commander Nick Woodard to the more than 100 who had gathered.
“Aware of the dangers but responding to the call of duty,” Woodard spoke of those who bravely served and ultimately sacrificed their lives. On behalf of those gathered, he extended deepest respects and “the highest tribute we can offer.”
VFW Post Chaplain Rick Butler offered a prayer asking for help in supporting families of those who gave their lives for their country.
“How far back are the losses,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, reflecting on the losses over centuries of battle. He spoke of the ongoing historical society project to erect signs at each local historic cemetery where Revolutionary War veterans are buried.
The ceremony included donation of a defibrillator by former local Fire Chief Bob Boyles to VFW Post #5444, Auxiliary President Charlene Mayville.
Closing prayer was offered by Fr. Andrew O’Connor of Immaculate Conception Church who read Psalm 127.
In closing the ceremony, Commander Woodard thanked all who contributed to the ceremony, including the local fire departments, the Honor Guard of the Wassaic Fire Company, the Community Enhancement Committee for Fountain Square floral planting, Vicki Doyle, Leo Blackman and the Honor Guard and Auxiliary of Post #5444.
Village Trustees hear call to adopt law to limit local cooperation with ICE
Barbara Graham of Millerton speaks to Village trustees, Mayor Jenn Najdek and Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik during a May 21 special meeting.
MILLERTON — The Village of Millerton board of trustees held a special meeting on Wednesday, May 21 that drew an unusually large crowd. Nearly 20 residents and supporters showed up to urge officials to adopt a local law aimed at protecting immigrants, including undocumented community members.
The law, as proposed by meeting attendees, would limit cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
While no resolution was reached, Mayor Jenn Najdek agreed to schedule a follow-up special meeting where the public can speak with Village legal counsel and explore the proposal in a more practical, informed setting. The yet-to-be scheduled meeting is expected to take place sometime in June, according to Najdek.
The meeting addressed ongoing ICE activity in the Hudson Valley and throughout the country, primarily reports of arrests made without judicial warrants and alleged misidentifications. Millerton’s police department, which operates on a limited, part-time basis, is not typically involved in immigration enforcement, but residents said clear local guidelines are necessary before an event or arrest occurs.
“Our village has a moral imperative to do everything in its power to protect the rights and dignity of immigrants who live and work in our community,” said Barbara Graham, a Millerton resident of 14 years.
Graham spearheaded an email to Mayor Najdek and the Village board that to get on the Board’s agenda. Co-signed by six Millerton residents and 11 supporters, the letter urged the board to “affirm its commitment to justice, constitutional rights, and community trust.”
Wearing a homemade lapel pin that read, “Well-being for all beings,” Graham read aloud from the group’s letter. Najdek then opened the floor for public comment.
“I don’t think anybody here is asking the Village to tell the police how to do their job,” said Bill Kish of the Town of North East. “What we’re asking is that the Village provide clear guidance in the form of local law…that unless a judicial warrant is provided, the police will not use any of their resources to help.”
Eliot Ramos, a Village resident, added, “Newcomer or lifelong local, adopting a law that bars our police from collaborating with ICE is an act of partnership and moral leadership that honors due process.”
Trustees and community members alike noted the limited effect a law of this nature might have at the local level. Still, the response from meeting attendees was unanimous. Andres Vialpando, who said he was born and raised in Millerton, noted a law would carry weight even as a symbolic gesture.
“I’d be proud to say that my village is standing up for what I would call good and healthy laws,” Vialpando said. “I support this initiative, even if it seems like, at some level, it could be unnecessary.”
Though the discussion was scheduled for 15 minutes, it continued for nearly an hour. Following public comment, Najdek, the four Village trustees and Police Chief Joseph Olenik addressed the concerns.
They noted the cost of legal consultation — estimated at $5,000 according to Najdek — could strain an already tight budget. Officials also noted the potential repercussions of adopting such a law, including the loss of federal funding for infrastructure projects like sidewalks and sewer upgrades.
“We’re doing our work, applying for grants, applying for funding, getting projects completed,” said Najdek. “My concern is that we’re putting a spotlight on us that could impact funding over the next five years. It’s a real concern for a village of our size.”
Throughout the meeting, questions arose about the legal interplay between local, state and federal jurisdictions. Residents pressed for specifics about what would happen if ICE entered the village. Chief Olenik offered a limited response.
“At this point in time, I would be assisting them,” he said. “I wouldn’t be making the arrests, but I would be assisting them with whatever they would need us to do as Village PD.”
He added that he would not hinder an investigation or withhold information from the State Police, the Sheriff’s Office or ICE.
Weighing the risks and rewards of pursuing such a law, Najdek responded emotionally: “I want to do my job. I want to keep my head down. I want to do the right thing for the Village the best I can.”
Other items addressed during the special meeting included the approval of $99,498.99 in vouchers from April and May; the delivery and acceptance of department reports; approval of previous meeting minutes; and a discussion of Express Bill Pay, a new software system that will allow residents to pay utility bills online by credit card or e-check.