TCCHS graduate living a dream and making films that matter
By Kyle Valentini
August 9, 2011
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Summary: Tuscarawas Central Catholic graduate and former New Philadelphia resident Kara Martinelli is inspiring young people to work hard in order to accomplish their dreams. As producer of a new film about the Tuskegee Airmen, Martinelli is living her dreams and making films that matter.
Kara Martinelli, formerly of New Philadelphia and a 1998 graduate of Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School is making her mark on the world as a producer of films at Hemlock Films at Cleveland.
Martinelli attended college at Bowling Green State University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
After spending five years in New York City working at Madhouse where she produced a series of promos for Food Network and USA Network and commercials for Touchstone Energy and Fisher Price, Martinelli has returned to Ohio.
Hemlock Films, founded in 1999, is a full service production company specializing in industrials, commercials, aviation filmmaking, web and DVD content and mainstream feature films.
As producer, I was in charge of logistics of travel, schedule, and budget along with creative input, generally overseeing every aspect of the movie making process, said Martinelli.
Hemlock has produced a new film Rise Above by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Adam White for the CAF Red Tail Squadron, a volunteer-driven 501c3 organization that operates as a part of the Commemorative Air Force. Their mission is to bring the story of the Tuskegee Airmen to every classroom in America.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American fighter pilots who trained and fought during World War II. This is the third film by White about the Tuskegee Airmen.
It was an honor to get to tell their story and to be able to spend time with Col. McGee (Col. Charles McGee) who stars in our movie. Not only is he a Tuskegee Airmen, but he has just been inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame as the person with the most combat flying hours, said Martinelli.
The movie highlights who the Tuskegee Airmen are and how they overcame so many obstacles to be allowed to train and fight as the first black U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. The film also features the story of the more than 14,000 other black men and women who trained hard to support the pilots. The courage and determination they all exhibited in the 1940s as they rose above adversity to meet their goals still has the power to inspire Americans today. In addition, the movie will give viewers a thrilling feel for what its like to fly a P-51C Mustang.
Rise Above is a part of a traveling exhibit it is and is like no other film. It is housed in a 53′ long customized trailer with sides that slide out to create a 30-seat climate-controlled movie theater with an 8 x 48 170-degree screen to give viewers the feeling of being in the backseat of a red-tailed P-51 Mustang. The theater includes a beyond HD projection system and 5.1 surround sound.
The travelling exhibit also includes a restored P-51 Mustang.
It's much more rewarding to make something that is about history and the people who overcame racism and adversity. And now their story is inspiring young people that if they work hard, they can accomplish anything. Hopefully, we'll be able to do more projects like this in the future, said Martinelli.
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The Rise Above educational trailer began to travel the country with its debut on July 25 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The travelling exhibit will visit schools, youth groups, air shows, and places where viewers would enjoy the inspirational and educational experience.
The mobile theater will be on the road for 40 weeks out of the year, Rise Above was inspired by Hemlock Films Emmy winning PBS film Red Tail Reborn, which also highlights the Tuskegee Airmen and the Red Tail Squadron.
We are currently working on getting a sponsor to bring the exhibit to the Cleveland Air Show which is just a few short weeks away, said director, Adam White. We're hoping they will be able to make it since we shot a portion of the film near Cleveland, said Martinelli.
For information on sponsoring the travelling exhibit for your event, school, church or youth group call 1-812-240-2560 or email marvona@redtail.org.
