Filmmaking Workshops and Q&As
Don’t miss these inspiring, educational and FREE filmmaking workshops and Q&As during the 2023 West Chester Film Festival.
Sound Bites: A Filmmakers Breakfast Workshop on the Importance of Sound and Music in Short Films
Saturday, April 29 at 9:30 am
Hotel Warner
120 North High Street, West Chester, PA
FREE, Registration through our Ticket Page is Required
Sponsored by West Chester Film Festival & Something’s Awry Productions
Presented by Director Kris Theorin from Something’s Awry and Composers Dan Rufulo & Adam Kromelow from Young Lion Audio
Moderated by Executive Producer Amy Theorin
Food provided by Mayday Coffee Shop
Calling all filmmakers and filmlovers! Something’s Awry Productions is sponsoring ‘Sound Bites: A Filmmakers Breakfast and Workshop’ at this year’s West Chester Film Festival! Come join us for food and drinks from Mayday Coffee and other WC favorites! Director and filmmaker Kris Theorin, along with NYC composers Dan Rufulo and Adam Kromelow talk about how music and sound design are critical to enhancing your short films. All filmmakers, local and visiting, are welcome. Breakfast begins at 9:30 and the seminar runs from 10:00 – 11:00am just in time for the first block of films for the day.
So come connect with filmmakers and film aficionados, share your experiences, and learn some valuable knowledge that will take your films to the next level. Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity – we hope to see you there!
The Mushroom Man Q&A
Saturday, April 29 at 4:15 pm
Chester County History Center
225 N High St, West Chester, PA 19380
Immediately following the 2:00 film screening at Uptown! that will wrap up with The Mushroom Man, cross the street with us to the History Center for a brief Q and A with the Producers of The Mushroom Man, Raymond Rettew’s grand-niece Deborah Divine and nephew, Doug Gahm. We are thrilled to have Doug and Deb join us, and they are happy to take your questions about this production that has been a labor of love for them and their families, and about Raymond Rettew and his work here in West Chester that changed the world.
About Our Presenters
Sound Bites Presenters
Kris Theorin, Animation Director at Something’s Awry’s
As our lead Animation Director, Kris is the man behind Something’s Awry’s kinetic animation and unique visual styles. Working as an all-in-one animator, director, editor, sound designer, and VFX guru, Kris has created spots for Disney, Warner Bros, LEGO, NBC/Universal, and many others. After starting his career in stop-motion, Kris has transitioned into 3D Animation and his work can now be seen in movie theaters, TVs, and film festivals worldwide.
Dan Rufolo of Young Lion Audio
As a composer, Dan’s music exhibits a diverse repertoire and a vibrant, transmittable energy. Brought up in the jazz tradition as a pianist, he has released over 5 albums of all original compositions. His music has been described as “Spry, yet reflective” by Time Out New York, and Jazz Corner has said his music is “thought provoking,” “invigorating,”and “you’ll find yourself holding your breath not to miss a note.” In 2015 Dan founded Young Lion Audio, a boutique music house dedicated to film and commercial music. Dan’s music has been featured on HBO and he has composed for many notable corporations including Prudential, Viacom, PepsiCo, United Way, and Mozilla. Notable recent film scores include Stag (dir: Alex Spieth) The Hat Man (dir: Rob Alicea) and The Arrival (dir: Allyssa Rallo Bennett). A prolific artist, Dan is currently producing several albums and working on an animated pilot, his next feature, and several shorts. Click below for a link to YLA.
Adam Kromelow of Young Lion Audio
Originally from the north suburbs of Chicago, Adam grew up listening to all kinds of music, and fostered a love for playing piano at an early age. When he was eighteen-years-old, he moved to New York City to study at the Manhattan School of Music from which he graduated in 2011. While there he was extremely fortunate to be mentored by modern jazz piano icons Jason Moran and Vijay Iyer.
In 2012, Adam’s progressive rock/jazz trio KROM turned heads with their debut album Youngblood on ZOHO Records. This album, which was produced by GRAMMY-winning pianist Arturo O’Farrill, reached number fourteen on the College Music Journal radio charts and was widely acclaimed by critics. It was picked as one of the Top Ten CDs of the year by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and hailed as “one of the most captivating discs by a jazz trio in years” by the Toledo Blade.
Adam spent 2015-2019 touring with pop singer Phoebe Ryan as her keyboardist and music director. With Phoebe, Adam performed around the United States and Asia as an opening act for artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Charlie Puth, and Tove Lo, and they performed at festivals such as the Billboard Hot 100 Festival, Bonnaroo, and Firefly. Adam has also played keyboards for Lil Nas X, AJ Mitchell, and Ariana And The Rose. In addition, Adam is a co-founder of the Genesis Piano Project. This duo is dedicated to performing the music of the progressive rock band Genesis on two grand pianos, and they have done several tours selling out theaters and concert halls across North America and Europe.
Now, Adam’s main focus is composing music for TV and film. He co-runs the audio production company Young Lion Audio with its founder Dan Rufolo, and their work has been seen and heard by millions of people all over the world. They have scored dozens of films, ads and documentaries, and their music has been placed in TV shows such as NBC’s The Voice, TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress, and Amazon’s The Expanse. They have also scored commercials for Prudential, PepsiCo, Viacom, Peak Games, and more.
The Mushroom Man Q&A Presenters
Douglas Gahm, Director and Producer, The Mushroom Man
Doug has worked as a producer and director of commercial television for over 40 years. His career started as
program director of a public access channel for Canada’s largest cable company and evolved into working as a producer-director on a variety of award-winning shows for the Global Television Network, many of which aired nationally in the US. For the past 20 years, Doug has been a co-founder and partner of EAGLE COM INC., one of the largest producers of Direct Response Television in North America, working with clients as diverse as the ASPCA, UNICEF, and WWF.
Deborah Divine, Writer and Producer, The Mushroom Man
Deb Divine has been immersed in the entertainment business for over 35 years. Currently the COO of post series Schitt’s Creek , she now seeks to bring the historical, unsung story of her great uncle, G. Raymond Rettew, to light.