Pictured left: Still shot from “The Waiting Game.” Pictured right: Five characters in “On a Technicality” made a bet. Much like a pinky swear, they each picked up a pickle to seal the deal. expressing herself through film.” “The Waiting Game” is perhaps the most telling example of Alvarez’s still growing talents, he adds. “I don’t think there is any question that Maria is destined for greatness,” Houchins says. “She has the drive, vision and ability to be a star.” Alvarez herself doesn’t know about that, but she is excited about her plans to attend film school this fall in either Los Angeles or New York City. From there, she hopes to land an internship with a film company or work summers interning with the Cleveland Film Festival. She also recently finished a three-minute short, called “Between You and Me,” about volunteerism and giving back to the community through service. Otherwise, she’s kicking around an idea for a documentary on a factory that produces wigs for young cancer patients. The film, “From My Head to Hers,” has a page on the crowdfunding website, Indiegogo (www.indiegogo. com/projects/from-my-head-to-hers-a-documentary). Whatever’s next, Alvarez strives to make films that will make its viewers want to go out and transform the world. “I don’t need to win an Oscar, but I want to make sure people can relate to my stories and create change,” she says. about the fragility of human existence. The film, directed by Andrew Gorell, is loosely based on five Cleveland-area men who the film’s writer, Jeffrey Grover, has known for more than two decades. These men are best friends and loosely inspired the story. They meet weekly for breakfast, and during one of these meals, the friends conjure up a preposterous bet, a circumstance that leads the group to learn about the nature of life and their own vulnerabilities. Grover is also the film’s co-producer and plays a principle character in the short. Most of the movie was shot after hours at Jack’s Deli in University Heights over three days in October and December of last year. It wasn’t uncommon for a handful of the 30-member cast and crew to be on set until 5:30 a.m. on shooting days. Though they filmed at night, the team used lighting and other effects to make the scenes look and feel like morning. “The owners, Alvie Markowitz and Gary Lebowitz, gave me the keys and said to lock up when we were done,” says Hacker. “We would do the wider shots of the restaurant first so the extras wouldn’t be there all night.” “On a Technicality” is Hacker’s second work of fiction. His first film, “Both Sides of the Family,” is an hour-long drama on the complexities surrounding interfaith marriage. He also produced a documentary on the Holocaust for Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Fiction presents its own particular challenges, the greatest of which is creating an all-important suspension of disbelief, says Hacker. “Lighting, lens choice and composition must all work in tandem with the actors’ performances to allow the audience to get lost in the story,” he says. “I approach my documentary work in a similar fashion by creating environments conducive for storytelling.” Now that “On a Technicality” is finished, Hacker and Grover have shown it in rough-cut form to a select group of industry professionals in the run-up to CIFF. Feedback so far has been satisfying as a piled-high corned-beef sandwich from a favorite deli, he maintains. “One actor told us it took him back to the glory days of delicatessens and the tales he remembers his grandfather spinning,” says Hacker. Script-writer Grover wanted to craft a story that emphasized the role friends play as people get older. “Friends will be there in the best of times and when things aren’t working out so well,” he says. “I hope that idea gets people to appreciate the people in their lives.” Hacker, who has lived with his wife, Ellen, at The Village for 16 years, attributes his authentic style to Polish-born cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (“Schindler’s List,”“Saving Private Ryan”), who is able to create stunning imagery while remaining within the confines of the narrative. Hacker himself was about 10 when his mother, Faye, put an 8mm camera in his hands. His fledgling career began with short comedy scenes, which his mom helped him edit. “I can still remember the smell of film cement and the small editing block she used,” he says. “That was the beginning. I don’t know how many cameras I’ve held since.” The Beachwood movie maker will be holding a few more cameras in 2015, that’s for certain. Among his upcoming projects is a 10th-anniversary film for Maltz Museum. He will also be collaborating with clinical psychologist and TV news contributor, Lori Stevic-Rust, on commercials and television programming. Whatever the future holds for Beachwood’s pair of movie-directing aces, Sloop of the Cleveland film festival is happy to add their contributions to the 18 other movies created by area filmmakers. “Playing films like ‘The Waiting Game’ and ‘On a Technicality’ allows us to showcase some of that emerging talent,” Sloop says. Editor’s Note: When purchasing tickets to attend the Cleveland International Film Festival, be sure to use coupon code BCHWDB to receive $2 off each ticket. The man who sets the scene Steven Hacker has been in the film-production game a bit longer than his younger counterpart. Hacker worked at ABC New York in the ‘70s as an audio editor, enmeshed in stories about Watergate and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. He came back to Cleveland twice, once to work as a producer for WJW TV 8 and for the final time to make TV commercials for clients, including Sea World and Kay Jewelers. All that time behind the camera translated nicely to the world of fiction film making, says Hacker, cinematographer and co-producer of “On a Technicality,” a drama March 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 9