Want to be involved in the production of a short film? ‘The Molok’ is coming to Centre Hall

If you have ever wanted to be involved with the production of a movie, you’ll soon have the chance when “The Molok” arrives in Centre Hall.

The short film is based on a 13-foot puppet of the same name created by Penn State graduate Annalisa Barron.

The Molok character is “a being from another realm that feeds off of human memories; the ones we attach to our most meaningful possessions,” and the film centers around 10-year-old Micah, who when running away, encounters the Molok in a believed to be abandoned building, according to a press release.

The film centers around community, and this theme goes beyond the words on the script.

“We set out to make a film about this creature, the Molok. What we ended up seeing is that the purpose of the film was really effective at building artistic communities and that is one of the big themes in the film and that is the direction we’ve taken this project,” director Sam Wilson said.

A workshop in Centre Hall was chosen as the set location of “The Molok” with the help of author, artist, musician, and Penn State Altoona professor Steven Sherrill. While Wilson called Sherrill “the godfather of The Molok,” Sherrill said he only sees himself as “a conduit.”

With the help of Sherrill, the film crew hosted a “Myths and Monsters” event in September where the puppet made its first appearance in Centre Hall, and Sherrill believes the project is unleashing an artistic ethos in Centre County.

“I think it’s a town and a place that can be dominated by more traditional cultural things like sports,” Sherrill said. “There is an entire and rich fringe of people doing other things and I think we’ve tapped into that (with the puppet).”

With that fringed tapped into, Wilson and the rest of “The Molok” cast and crew are trying to make the film production a community effort.

“Anyone who has watched the credits on a film can see how many people go into making it, so really there’s no limit to the number of things that would help us,” Wilson said.

The entire film is funded by donations, but these donations go beyond setting up a crowdfunding page online.

Wilson and the crew of “The Molok” are trying to find all the different ways the communities of Centre Hall and Centre County can help in production.

There’s the need for housing for the cast and crew, and an antique store owner and a catering business owner have already stepped up to help with props and food, Wilson said.

“There’s things in films that everybody always needs,” Wilson said. “But the thing we’re really interested in, is instead of just asking people for cash donations, is asking people what they would be interested in doing and finding a way to get that into the project and help both of us out.”

Much of the filming will take place during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts weekend, July 12-14, where people can see the Molok in action. Guests are encouraged to bring objects that they’d like to be included in future iterations of the Molok installation, Wilson wrote in an email. For more information, visit https://www.themolok.com/.

This story was originally published June 21, 2019 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Want to be involved in the production of a short film? ‘The Molok’ is coming to Centre Hall."