Over the course of six years, Pearl Gluck researched and wrote the script of her upcoming short film, "Stars and Bars,” about a former motocross driver who returns to his rural Pennsylvania hometown with his daughter.
Gluck is an associate professor of film and production at Penn State. The film is set in central Pennsylvania and features Penn State alumnus and actor Jonathan Fernandez from the Gossip Girl reboot and Lethal Weapon TV series, Curwensville child actress Mayami Pearl Beniquez, Altoona-based producer Michael DePiro, and many other talents from central Pennsylvania.
Gluck says the film, shot in the Philipsburg and Morrisdale area of Centre County, was inspired by stories she heard from the motocross community.
"A lot of it is based on some of the real people that I met behind the Mountain Top MX and some other folks like Dean Auen, who ends up being in the film, the local racer, and just really incredible people," Gluck said.
Gluck said she was taken in by the central Pennsylvania community throughout the production of the film. She said local organizations and business owners helped her as she made the film.
"The Osceola Mills Historical Society, they were incredibly generous," Gluck said. "And a lot of their holdings, a lot of their collection was actually in the film. We moved it over to the hotel bar restaurant and put it on the walls."
The history of Osceola Mills was also a source of inspiration for Gluck in the production of the film.
"World War II and veterans of World War II are a big piece of the story. It helped me a lot to learn about Osceola Mills' World War II history, the veteran history," Gluck said.
Gluck notes the mix of talent on and off the screen. She said they made sure to include Penn Staters.
"Behind the camera we were committed to bringing in experienced professionals as the keys, the people that run the departments and then have people who have either just graduated from Penn State or are still students come and be, you know, I guess apprentices and interns," Gluck said.
Upon completion, “Stars and Bars” will be entered in film festivals. Gluck's other projects have been part of the Sundance Lab, Cannes, PBS, and won awards like Best Actor, Best Film, Best Debut Feature, and Best Short at festivals worldwide.
