Chillicothe, community support highlighted in local film
CHILLICOTHE — Chillicothe has been a landmark location throughout history since 1796. In 2023, the city has gained notoriety for its growth in the arts community.
In the past few years, the film industry in Chillicothe has bloomed with various independent production companies offering multiple formats of film work for the community.
Among one of the local businesses, Ohio Creations has made it their mission to produce films that positively represent Chillicothe and its tight-knit community. Owner, Daniel Griesheimer, has teamed up with the Paper City Mentorship Program to provide a unique opportunity for some of the mentees within the program.
“It’s been a wonderful experience to get the chance to work with some of the local teens within the program that are interested in making movies. I am so honored to be able to provide a unique behind the scenes look that lets them dip their toes into the waters of professional filmmaking,” said Griesheimer.
Griesheimer and various talent local to the area spent the month of February in preparation for the tenth annual Cincinnati-based film festival, Winterfilm. Each team is challenged to create a complete short film using the assigned theme and prop. They were faced with the additional challenge of only having 28 days from start to finish.
Among one of the mentees within the Paper City Mentorship Project (PCMP), James Whitaker has been gaining first-hand experience of what a day in the life of an independent filmmaker looks like. “I did the clapper, got involved with being an extra, helped put my perspective on some things that went into the film, and I helped with our location scouting.”
“I would definitely do something like this again. There were so many nice people and getting to be so hands-on gave me a true behind the scene look on the process of making a film. I just generally want to thank everyone who helped out. I definitely appreciate it and I learned quite a lot from this experience,” said Whitaker.
Griesheimer, also a mentor within PCMP, stated, “I cannot express enough gratitude to all of the leaders of the Mentorship Project for their dedication to bringing more positive influences to the youth in this community. The best way to build a community is from within the community. This film is just a drop in the bucket to bringing that vision of a better Chillicothe to life, but every drop counts.”
The film, aptly titled, “Lost & Hound” is a comedy mystery that features many local names within the cast and crew, including a Chillicothe-born canine actor, Stormagheddon who stars alongside Jace Carson, Jeff Grenell, Ramona Schwalbach, Aaron Smith, Beth Metcalf, Montana Iverson, Theo White, Micah Shanks, and Alex Capteron. Even more fitting to the theme of the mentorship program, the story follows a young Henry Holmes (Jace Carson), son of the famous Sherlock Holmes and his mentor, John Watson (Jeff Grenell) as Henry works to uncover the case of the kidnapped dog with the guidance of his older mentor.
“With this film, we aim to embody the power a small community has on the film industry. Without the support of local businesses and organizations like Fifty West Brewing Company, Chillicothe Parks & Recreation, Chillicothe Police Department, Chillicothe Antique Emporium, the Chillicothe Gazette, and countless other businesses from previous films, we wouldn’t be able to show our audiences the impact Chillicothe can hold within Ohio,” Griesheimer said.
The award-nominated film made its debut premiere at the Woodward Theatre on April 22 in Cincinnati. The film will be made publicly available online on the official Ohio Creations Youtube page after its circulation in the film festival circuit
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Chillicothe, community support highlighted in local film
