Rochester Kid Turned Film Producer Launches Free Festival in Boston

If you are a young person on the SouthCoast who dreams of working in TV or film, this Saturday could be your chance to meet the people who make it happen. John Whoriskey Jr., Executive Producer at Sweater Weather Films, has organized a one-day film festival at Boston’s City Hall Plaza, and he says anyone can come.

What Is This Film Festival All About?

Earlier this year, John (a Rochester native) and his partners Ray Fischetti (Weymouth) and Vince Henry (Middleboro) launched Sweater Weather Films, a creative agency. While doing work for the Boston Mayor’s Office, they learned the arts and culture department had a grant for an event on City Hall Plaza. They pitched a film festival and won it.

Whoriskey said it is not a traditional film festival. It is more of a cultural and industry festival that brings together as many Massachusetts film and TV professionals as possible, with no gatekeepers.

Why Should Young People on the SouthCoast Go?

"You do not have to be a seasoned veteran," Whoriskey said. "Students and aspiring creatives can show up, meet people and get ideas."

There may even be job opportunities. "The industry has been slow this year, but I'm hoping next year is a big one," Whoriskey said. "This is a chance to make early contacts and try to get on set."

What Is There to See and Do?

The festival includes a vertical short film competition for filmmakers using anything from a $50,000 camera package all the way down to an iPhone. In fact, Whoriskey told us he would not be surprised if some of the best entries were shot on phones. The last two episodes of the Apple TV show Widow’s Bay will play on a 60-foot inflatable screen in front of City Hall, and there will be a beer garden, too.

When Is It and What Does It Cost?

The festival runs Saturday, October 17, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at City Hall Plaza in Boston. It is free for all ages. The Head of the Charles is the same weekend, so expect heavy traffic and plan ahead.