After a two-year hiatus, Antonio Harper – one of our original HMSS Film Instructors and a Heights High School alum – has returned!
Antonio is a bright young filmmaker who left Cleveland Heights in 2022 with his partner Abby to pursue his dream in Los Angeles, California. But he always stayed in touch: as a virtual drop-in at Heights Middle School Shorts, as our film editor where – from the other side of the country – he edited HMSS films while teaching campers about the art of montage, and more.
But this year it’s different. Antonio will be ‘on location’ in the Heights, every day for the two weeks of in-person camp from June 3-14: filming, producing, editing, and adding original music created by students in our new program, HMSS Film Scores, to the films of Heights Middle School Shorts. He’ll also join us for this year’s screening, which will be held on Sunday, June 16 at the Cedar Lee Theatre.
We’re thrilled that Antonio will be back in the Heights with HMSS this year. He’s a real rising star of the film industry: dedicated and hard-working, he spent time as Production Coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and on a variety of films shot in Cleveland before heading West, including Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick. On Demange’s set, Antonio was hired to shadow the director but was quickly promoted to Production Assistant, then again to Casting Coordinator, all within mere weeks.
Antonio is one-half of a writing-directing duo with his partner Abby Burton; they’ve made a number of successful short films, including Bush (shot in 16 mm), Panic in Valley City, and Altruist, all of which were selected for screening at numerous festivals around the country, including the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. Through their company West 10G Productions they have several new projects slated this year for both television and film under their directing flagship Abbio Film.