Written by Baylie Hoffman (they/she)
It’s spooky season at Struthers Library Theatre! We are proud to host the new and upcoming film, Cheat, from the independent production company, Four Eighteen Films, founded by Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis. They are committed to conceptualizing and developing low-cost, high quality, independently produced films. Four Eighteen stems from the birthday they both share, April 18th.
Since joining the SLT staff, I have been gratefully tossed around in all different directions outside of my comfort zone, this being one of my favorites. I was told Kevin needed an extra in a scene, with only a few lines to say. I headed to Pitt-Bradford campus, anxiously repeating my lines for the duration of the 45-minute drive. Kevin, Nick, and the rest of the cast and crew were more than welcoming and encouraging. I got to hang out on set for the entirety of the afternoon, going over the scenes again and again. There’s no greater imposter syndrome for an introvert than seeing your name roll through on the credits of a film.
Cheat had its world premiere in August 2023 for the FrightFest UK, which started in 2000 and has grown immensely ever since. When I asked Kevin what kind of exposure this festival was able to bring for their film, he stated “FrightFest UK is a globally recognized genre festival and has quite a backlog of notable genre filmmakers who got their start there and went on to become successful. To have the Cheat World Premiere there was quite an exciting opportunity and experience. Nick and I are so grateful to the team of FrightFest for granting us that.”
Just like their previous film, Long Dark Trail, Kevin filmed Cheat in our backyard of northwestern Pennsylvania. Aside from originally being from Warren, I asked Kevin what his biggest inspiration was for filming around here. He stated, “the cinematic value and beauty that it offers, from the rural farmlands to the dense forests, to the historic architecture of downtown Warren.” Kevin takes pride in utilizing our beautifully underrated landscape and “giving an opportunity for creative locals to get involved in the filmmaking process. Keep a made in PA mantra going.”
Four Eighteen Films at Struthers Library Theatre.
Keeping it made in PA even included filming multiple scenes at our very own theatre. Kevin and Nick needed extras for certain scenes, utilizing our very own staff, as we called upon our friends and family to join in on the fun. Not only my parents and my sister, but my 96-year-old grandma got to sit in for the scenes. And yes, she will be signing autographs for anyone interested. My final interview question for Kevin was if he always had intentions of filming at the theatre and going so far to include staff and residents. He responded by saying “I did! I have been wanting to utilize and film scenes in SLT for a while now and I finally got the chance! There’s something to be said about watching a scene take place in the actual theatre you are sitting in – and quite an unsettling scene at that.” This will, without a doubt, add an extra scare for the audience! “And yes of course, as most people know about Nick and me, we love pulling acting performances out of local people that they may have not felt they had in them.” Kevin continued “Sometimes you get the most natural feel visually in the end and it’s a win/win.”
Join us October 28th at 7:30PM, with Kevin introducing the film, props from the film, and a special performance by Sara Arlene with Eric Morelli of her original song for the Cheat soundtrack! Learn More Here: CHEAT FILM
