Young filmmaker makes his debut: 16-year-old director and writer to screen his film at Greenfield Garden Cinemas

The Greenfield Garden Cinemas is rolling out a red-carpet premiere of its own on April 16, as it welcomes the public to a free screening of a locally-produced short film with a question-and-answer session to follow.

The twist with this filmmaker, though, is that if he wanted to see an R-rated movie, he wouldn’t even be able to go on his own, as Director and Writer Connor Mabius is just a junior at Frontier Regional School.

On April 16 at 6:30 p.m., folks are invited to see “Averted,” a 20-minute short film produced by Mabius, 16, who undertook the project in summer 2024 with the help of actors from around the Northeast and assistance from Frontier Community Access Television’s Youth Outreach Director Kevin Murphy and General Manager Jonathan Boschen, who provided additional equipment, space and expertise for the low-budget film.

“I love it so much, it’s the joy of my life, to be totally honest,” Mabius said of filmmaking. The premiere, he added, is a bit of a mixed bag for him because he’ll be showing off his work to friends and family, as well as the public. “I’m afraid and I’m proud.”

The film is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and follows CIA agent Harold Berkley, who is attempting to deliver intel to his higher-ups, but is soon betrayed. Describing the film, Mabius said “it’s a mystery, it’s a drama, it’s a historical piece,” that ties into many themes of that tumultuous period that are still relevant today.

“As much as it is a fictional telling, I also wanted there to be some non-fictional aspects to it,” Mabius said. “I wanted there to be a story that we could look back on and understand the consequences and the regrets of U.S. aggression and misunderstanding of the Red Scare with the Soviet Union and other communist countries. The film is not necessarily anti-U.S., anti-intelligence agencies, it’s more of, I think, a warning.”

Murphy, who is also a digital literacy and computer science teacher at Frontier, said the cast and crew were impressed with Mabius’ “efficiency and professionalism,” as well as his clear, concise direction.

“He’s a super creative and motivated student, a visionary and storyteller. All the best ingredients for being a successful producer/director. He is persistent, which got the job done and the film to screen. Something seemingly rare with students of his age.” Murphy said. “I’m proud of him for finding his genuine passion and getting after it. I’m glad I’ve been able to support him and see him find success. Those are the moments teachers wish for.”

Mabius served as the writer and director of the film and was assisted by Assistant Director Ben Roberts and Production Assistants Emily Laus and Leo Franceschi. Murphy gave an additional shoutout to Roberts, a Frontier graduate who was able to “implement his special effects talents to make sure the scene fit the story.”

Beyond the actual writing and directing he did, Mabius also recruited cast members from Backstage – think LinkedIn for actors, where directors can share pitches and actors can submit audition tapes. Among those that answered the call were Boston-based actor John Basile, who plays the leading role of CIA agent Harold Berkley, and Hartford-based actress Cynthia Lupo, who plays Serpico Jag, an investigator looking into the disappearance of a Russian author.

Mabius also procured two vintage cars for props by visiting the Young Men’s Club of Hadley’s weekly cruise night, where he worked with two Pioneer Valley residents to bring a 1960 Chevrolet Impala and a 1957 Ford Edsel in for filming.

Greenfield Garden Cinemas co-owner Isaac Mass said the event is an opportunity to showcase talent from around the region and folks can expect a robust discussion during the question-and-answer session with Mabius.

“We love local artists and encourage the entire community to celebrate this wonderful short,” Mass said. “You may end up spending more time talking about the short than you do watching it.”

“Averted” will premiere at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas on Wednesday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. A short description of the film can be found on the theater’s webpage at this link: bit.ly/42BzAuS. A Facebook event page can be found here: bit.ly/42lBZsq.

Chris Larabee can be reached at [email protected].