Category Archives: entertainment

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. The Adventures of Penny Patterson, the title of the comedy, sci-fi short film, flashes over a high school hallway lined with lockers at the start of the woman directed film, at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo. (© 2018 Ann Parry, Ann-Parry.com)

“The Adventures of Penny Patterson” at LIIFE 2018

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
July 25, 2018

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. After final film screenings at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo, filmmakers and actors - including Shara Ashley Zeigler, Stephanie Donnelly, and Ajna Jai - go on stage for Q&A at the Bellmore Movies. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. After final film screenings at LIIFE 2018, filmmakers and actors – including, at center L-R: Shara Ashley Zeigler, Ajna Jai, and Stephanie Donnelly – go on stage for Q&A at Bellmore Movies. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Last summer, a friend told me about The Adventures of Penny Patterson, a short film that tells the origin story of a superhero from an intriguing point of view: his girlfriend. 

The premise of the NYU senior thesis film that Stephanie Donnelly wrote and directed, and the eye-catching poster-in-progress by illustrator Liam Donnelly, stuck with me, so I looked forward to catching the comedy sci-fi this summer when LIIFE 2018, the 21st Annual Long Island International Film Expo, accepted the short film.

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. AJNA JAI, actor playing title character of The Adventures of Penny Patterson, strikes a Penny pose before the film screens at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo at the Bellmore Movies. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. AJNA JAI, actor playing title character of The Adventures of Penny Patterson, strikes a Penny pose before the film screens at LIIFE 2018. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Last Wednesday night, July 18th, when spotting Stephanie Donnelly sitting with family and friends in Bellmore Movies’ vast theater shortly before the screenings began, I asked if Penny Patterson was her alter ego. Stephanie smiled, then said, “Maybe subconsciously.”

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. In The Adventures of Penny Patterson, the title character, played by actor AJNA JAI, calls Steve, her boyfriend and lab partner, who isn't helping with their science fair project. The comedy, sci-fi, screened at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo. (© Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. In The Adventures of Penny Patterson, the title character, played by actor AJNA JAI, calls Steve, her boyfriend and lab partner, who isn’t helping with their science fair project. The comedy, sci-fi, screened at LIIFE 2018. (© Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Penny’s a high school student who needs to win the science fair to earn a college scholarship, but Steve, her boyfriend and lab partner, suddenly stops doing his share of the work.

Steve also doesn’t share with Penny how he turned into a superhero overnight and is trying to keep her and their town safe.

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. During screening at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo, the end credits for The Adventures of Penny Patterson use illustrations by artist Liam Donnelly, the short film's Executive Producer. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. During screening at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo, the end credits for The Adventures of Penny Patterson use illustrations by artist Liam Donnelly, the short film’s Executive Producer. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Though pushed in more ways than one, Penny turns out to be no pushover.

Q&A

After the final screening, many filmmakers and actors – including Shara Ashley Zeigler, producer and writer of the funny, touching film Joe; Bethany Nicole Taylor, lead actress in Joe; Stephanie Donnelly; and Ajna Jai, who plays the title character in The Adventures of Penny Patterson – participated in a Q&A. 

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. L-R, STEPHANIE DONNELLY, director and writer of short film The Adventures of Penny Patterson; AJNA JAI, actor playing Penny Patterson; BETHANY NICOLE TAYLOR, lead actress in short film Joe; and SHARA ASHLEY ZEIGER, producer and writer of film Joe, get together after final screenings at LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. L-R, Sephanie Donnelly, director and writer of short film The Adventures of Penny Patterson; AJNA JAI, actor playing Penny Patterson; Bethany Nicole Taylor, lead actress in short film Joe; and Shara Ashley Zeigler, producer and writer of film Joe, get together after final screenings at LIIFE 2018. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

The Adventures of….

It was a late Wednesday night at LIIFE, and the next day Stephanie Donnelly flew to California for the San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, CCI-IFF 2018, where The Adventures of Penny Patterson screened that Saturday morning. 

Adventures of Penny Patterson, and STEPHANIE DONNELLY, director and writer of the short film, pose before the movie screens during LIIFE 2018, the Long Island International Film Expo. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. July 18, 2018. Ajna Jai, actor playing title character of The Adventures of Penny Patterson, and Stephanie Donnelly, director and writer of the short film, pose before movie screens during LIIFE 2018. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com

Penny Patterson at LIIFE 2018:  PHOTO GALLERY

CONTACT ME

SYLVIO is Simply DiVine at Hofstra

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
October 31, 2017

Q:  Where does a 180-pound gorilla sit?

A:  If he’s the gentle gorilla who’s the title character of SYLVIO – the fantasy film based on “Simply Sylvio” Vine videos – he wants to sit on the floor behind a table he uses as a stage to act out scenes of “Quiet Times with Herbert Herpels” with his hand puppet Herbert.

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. Film event of screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, and Q and A with ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, and mdoeraotr RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is hosted by Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. SYLIO screening and Q&A with (R-L) ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, & moderator RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is presented by Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

When Vine, the hosting service for short-form videos, was online, “Simply Silvio” had over 500,000 followers. But when I heard Hofstra’s Herbert School of Communication was having a screening of SYLVIO, followed by a Q&A with ALBERT BIRNEY and KENTUCKER AUDLEY – the film’s co-directors & more – it was the first time I’d heard of the character.

Based on the movie poster, I could tell Sylvio was a gorilla who wore clothes and red sunglasses, and that’s about it, so I was curious.

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. At screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, Sylvia the gorilla has Harold the puppet act out scenes of

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. At Hofstra screening of SYLVIO film, Sylvio the gorilla uses hand puppet Harold to act out scenes of “Quiet Times with Harold Herpels.”  (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

SYLVIO

Sylvio, who doesn’t speak, works at a debt collection agency and must make an outside call to collect a debt from a man who hosts a talk show in his basement.

When Sylvio arrives, he’s mistaken for a juggler and sent onstage, where he ends up dropping things that break, loudly.

The talk show audience loves this, and Sylvio ends up chained to a wild on-air persona the opposite of who he wants to be, so he has tough decisions ahead of him….

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. Film event of screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, and Q and A with ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, and moderator RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is hosted by Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017.  Sylvio reluctantly becomes the “What’s the Ape Gonna Break?” TV personality, in SYLVIO, screened at Hofstra. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Q&A

After the SYLVIA screening, Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley and Prof. RUSSELL HARBAUGH held a Q&A.

VIDEO: Panel discusses the central concept of the movie,  what’s most important to Sylvio the gorilla, and more in this excerpt:

[videopress r839HpHg]

Birney is the creator of the “Simply Sylvio” Vine character, and he and Audley are the film’s directors, and, with Meghan Doherty, its screenwriters.

The gorilla who doesn’t talk and the talk show host make a solid team.

Wordlessly, Birney expressively plays Sylvio Bernardi, who at least gets to grunt a few times. I’m not surprised I didn’t figure out on my own who played Sylvio, but I didn’t even realize Audley co-starred as Al Reynolds, the financially strapped talk show host, until he talked about it.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. After SYLVIO film screening and a Q&A, KENTUCKER AUDLEY and ALBERT BIRNEY chat with Prof. WILLIAM JENNINGS, of Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. After SYLVIO film screening and Q&A, (L-R) KENTUCKER AUDLEY & ALBERT BIRNEY chat with Prof. WILLIAM JENNINGS at Hofstra University. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

PEACE & QUIET

Sitting in the audience at Hofstra’s Breslin Hall that night, I was so moved by Sylvio and his quest to lead a simple, peaceful life that I have a feeling he’ll quietly be with me for a good while.

My SYLVIO at Hofstra event photos:  GALLERY

CONTACT ME