NHS Grad Wins Top Honors at Serling Film Festival

by Carrie Watkins

Nisky Alum Sebastian Stone, who graduated from Niskayuna High School in June, has recently received two awards in the 2020 Rod Serling Film Festival for his short horror film Knickknack. Hosted in Binghamton, New York, the Rod Serling Film Festival has been held every year since 1995 to “inspire the next generation of filmmakers.”

For context, Rod Serling, for whom the festival is named, was the Emmy award winning host and creator of The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). His other notable works include Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956), Planet of the Apes (1968), and Night Gallery (1970-1973). As Serling’s hometown, Binghamton has a walking tour hosted by Greater Binghamton Convention & Visitors Bureau for visitors to find the spots where Serling has left his mark. The Rod Serling Memorial Foundation also makes its home in Binghamton, where it is run by WSKG Public Media.

This makes Stone’s accomplishments all the more impressive as Knickknack won both the “Spirit of Sterling” and “Best in Show” awards with his first horror film. In Stone’s own words, “Knickknack is the chilling tale of what happens when an unspeakable evil locked away centuries ago is unknowingly let loose by a young boy, Felix. As he slowly comes to understand what exactly he’s dealing with, Felix desperately tries to ward off the dark force he’s invited into his home, but he may find that its power is too great for him to ever overcome.” The main character Felix, played by fellow Nisky filmmaker Erik Mavian, is haunted by a cat-shaped birdhouse figurine he finds in the woods, which he soon discovers seems to move on it’s own. Several of the shots are filmed from within the birdhouse itself, showing off Stone’s creative and ingenious use of his props. To find out the ending, watch the film here.

Stone found his love for filmmaking in Stephanie Palazeke’s Advanced Studio in Film class. Niskayuna’s Studio in Film courses allow students to write, shoot, and act in their own short films. Stone founded LAST Productions while making videos for his Global History classes. LAST Production’s creations can all be accessed on their Youtube channel here. Together with the other half of LAST Productions, Erik Mavian, the dynamic duo continues to work together to make reflective and engaging films, even though they graduated in the spring.

The Studio in Film classes have their own Youtube channel, NHSshortcuts, where several of LAST Production’s shorter creations can still be found. One of these is World Without, which explores a reality where the 9/11 terrorist attacks had been stopped. As the description says, “World Without is an exploration of an alternate universe, a reality similar to our own in many ways, but with one major difference, with ripple effects that have changed entertainment, technology, and politics. The teenage protagonist, dissatisfied with his current life, yearns for things to be different, missing a world he’s never known, one that we know all too well.” The channel continues to be a home for the Studio in Film class’s activities, and is an impressive representation of what Niskayuna’s creative students can accomplish.

The latest in Niskayuna’s award winning art students, Stone hopes to continue creating films now that he has graduated. He is now going to college to pursue an affinity for writing. We at the Warrior wish him the best and look forward to seeing Stone’s career develop in the future!