Profiles 2022

FESTIVAL ART 2022

JASON HART

Every year, the Woods Hole Film Festival works with a local artist to create our new look, and this year is no different. The 31st annual Woods Hole Film Festival collaborated with Cape Cod illustrator Jason Hart to create our Festival design. Jason came up with the concept of an octopus dancing in the water reaching for the moon as a way to show this year’s festival story. He kept the crab in the image as a nod to designs that have been developed previously. He added the tutu after speaking with Associate Director John Gamache who joked that the tutu would represent 2022.

Jason knew he was destined to be an artist in 5th grade after procrastinating on a school newspaper project. For the project, he had to collect things from the newspaper and turn it in. He didn’t have anything to turn in from the newspaper so he decided to do his own thing, which led him to make his own comic strip about a little Viking going through the checkout line in a grocery store. As the little Viking was about to pay, the worker asked if he wanted to pay in cash or charge, and of course, he yelled charge which then caused him to run away. Even though it was 5th grade Jason’s original story, the comic strip was so good that his teacher thought he copied a professional comic strip writer and gave him a zero. It was then that Hart realized that drawing was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Since then, Jason has worked in many industries as an editorial cartoonist, product designer/illustrator, greeting card designer/illustrator/writer, apparel illustrator, and book designer for both adults and children. In addition to designing this year’s festival image, Hart recently contributed a story and illustrations to a book of stories for a girl with cancer through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The recipient of his book is now expected to make a full recovery. Hart also works as a high school art teacher, and advises new artists not to be intimidated by a blank page. In Hart’s words, anybody who’s interested in art can be an artist. Be sure to look out for Jason’s dancing octopus 2022 on Festival posters, flyers, and t-shirts throughout this summer and at the 31st Woods Hole Film Festival, July 30 – August 6th. Check out more of Jason’s beautiful designs on his website storieswithhart.com

FESTIVAL HOST 2022

KATIE MURRAY, THE CAPTAIN KIDD

The Captain Kidd Restaurant and Bar is a mainstay of Woods Hole, home to some of the world’s most important scientific institutions. In the original area of the Kidd, the long-wooden bar was hand-carved in 1865 in New York City in the Bowery. Located in the middle of the village, the Captain Kidd is a part of Woods Hole history. Over the years, it has served as the location of everything ranging from proposals, bar brawls, and even scientific discoveries. 

Now Katie Murray is the new face at the helm of this venerable local institution, and though she is newly in charge, the Kidd has been a part of her life for many years. The Kidd has been a constant in Katie’s and her family’s life since she was a teenager, and the preservation of its original charm has been essential to her work there. She began working there when she was 14 and over the years she learned every position in the restaurant. And, although Katie is now the face of the Kidd, it’s still a family affair. Her father is now the sole owner of the establishment after working with the Kidd for 40 years, her mother is the event organizer and her fiance is the bar manager. The Kidd has always been a part of her family, and now, her family is a part of the Kidd.

Katie is excited to welcome the community back to the Kidd this summer and hopes that locals and visitors alike appreciate this historic restaurant and gathering space. Still, there are some new changes coming to the Kidd. In addition to staying open later at night, the Kidd will serve pizzas nightly, starting on July 1st made by head chef Frank Belfiore who has been with the Kidd for around 20 years. . Other upcoming events at the Kidd include the Opening and Closing Night Parties for the Woods Hole Festival. In its 31st year, the festival runs from July 30th to August 6th. This year’s festival features 114 independent shorts, documentaries, and narrative features. Be sure to visit The Captain Kidd during the Woods Hole Film Festival this summer.

FESTIVAL SUPPORTER AND ADVISER

CHRISTY CASHMAN, YouthInk

When you hear the term “castle” what comes to mind? Princesses, dragons, dungeons? How about a unique creative writing program for kids aged 13-18? Every 3 to four months, Woods Hole Film Festival supporter and sponsor Christy Cashman hosts YouthINK, a weekend-long opportunity for young writers and filmmakers to join her at Kilkea Castle in Kildare, Ireland.

The program helps walk young people through the process of film creation by learning a combination of literary/writing skills and the technical aspects of film production. During the most recent workshop, the students came together to write, film and produce “KILLkea Castle,” a murder mystery that takes place in the Irish castle. The goal of the program is to give students an opportunity to explore their creativity and craft, something Christy wishes she had as a child. The weekend workshop is a great way for students to learn how to collaborate to tell a story. Storytelling has always been an essential part of her life, and is actually what sparked her interest in film.

Outside of YouthINK, Christy has had a long and busy career, first working as an actor and producer in Hollywood, with roles in popular films such as Ted 2, The Descendants, and American Hustle. Ultimately, while Christy found that while film production gave her incredible experiences as a creator, it didn’t provide the same creative liberties that she had when writing on her own. “At the end of the day” Christy said, “I was drawn to being able to have my own voice.” And, have her own voice she does, with her first young adult novel “The Truth About Horses” coming out on August 15th, 2023 with Spark Press. She is also the author of the children’s books “Petri’s Next Things” and “The Not-So-Average Monkey of Kilkea Castle.”
She actually prefers to refer to herself as a storyteller rather than a writer, as the term writer often comes with more serious, technical connotations. Currently, Christy is continuing to tell stories as she works on her second book, Belulah, a story about a 16 year old old girl living in a small town in Tennessee, struggling to find her own identity in a town overrun by gentrification.

Christy’s advice to writers, whether experienced as herself or new as the kids in her YouthINK program, is the same: purge writing. Spend 25 minutes writing without punctuation, grammar, spelling, or any kind of worry in the world. Somewhere in the jumble of feelings in which you get out everything, you can find meaning, or even an entire story! To learn more about Christy, her books, and YouthINK, visit her website https://www.christycashman.com/.