Join The LAVA Center for four evenings of local film screenings and discussions with the filmmakers! Leading up to the 3rd annual LAVA Film Festival, we have invited Valley filmmakers to share and discuss their work. The LAVA Film Festival is open to all Massachusetts filmmakers, but this series is even more locally focused on Valley filmmakers! $5 suggested donation goes to support the filmmakers and LAVA.
Samarah Hasan-Kepes (Director, Voice Actor) likes doing gymnastics and playing piano. She is 10 years old, and lives in Easthampton, MA. She enjoys making films and can speak Chinese fluently.
Gyuri Kepes (Assistant Director, Cinematographer, Screenwriter, Sound Designer) is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Landmark College where he teaches courses in multimedia production. He enjoys painting and making films with his daughter, Samarah.
Lorna Kepes (Creative Director, Caterer) was born in England and raised in mining camps in Mexico. She attended the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. She lived in Taos, New Mexico for many years and started a pottery business and raised four boys. She moved to Massachusetts where she continued her career as a potter and
later became the director of an after school arts program for Latino youth. At the same time she began a writing practice which resulted in a recently published book, Recipes For a Delectable Life. Other books are in process.
Imre Kepes (Lead Carpenter, Gaffer, Best Boy) is a not quite retired 73 years young. What keeps him youthful and inspired are his children and grandchildren. Among other activities and ventures one of the most inspiring is making off the wall videos with his son Gyuri, granddaughter, Samarah, and wife, Lorna. The laughter and creative energy fill him with joy and should keep him going for several more decades.
The Kepes family will screen and discuss “The Saga of the Golden Potty” (2023) — a scintillating stop-motion-tour-de-force from three generations of filmmakers, led by visionary 10-year-old Director, Samarah Hasan-Kepes.
