November 1
Getting a sneak preview this month as the first screening at Civic Theatre's newly renovated space, Billboard is the fruit of a multi-branched project that has been ongoing in various forms, innovating the way that stories are told.
The film follows Casey Lindeweiler's struggle to revive the area's last independent radio station, WTYT 960, passed down to him by his father. “It looks at what goes on in someone's mind when they're desperate to save something,” says filmmaker Zeke Zelker. A zany contest seems like the right gamble to take, and contestants vie to last the longest camped out on a billboard catwalk.
While the film, inspired by true events, has its focus on Lindeweiler's tangle with legacy and the worth of what he's trying to keep alive, a 35-episode web series tells the tandem story of the four souls determined enough to commit themselves to the contest, leaving their lives behind for a chance at “nine-sixty thousand” dollars.
Altogether, Zelker's “cine.experience” has been seven years in the making, including a live theater component, an online radio station engaging more than 1,000 bands from around the world to submit music for rotation and in-character events staged ostensibly by WTYT 960 itself. “This is how my mind works, thanks to being raised in an amusement park,” says Zelker, whose great-great-grandfather started Allentown's Dorney Park. The submitted videos sent in by real-life contestants explaining why they should be chosen as billboard sitters have found spots within the film, blurring the lines between audience and creator. Some may not have even realized they were acting!
The Billboard Sitters webisodes are available online, and if you miss the Billboard sneak preview on November 1, look for it in other theaters. Treat yourself to a cine.experience!
