Assistant Professor Randy Howarth’s 1964 Chevy Bel Air will have a lead role in an upcoming film about a mid-Sixties road trip. But the car has another Hudson Valley connection — the stylish new paint job the car received was a year-long project for the college’s Autobody Repair students.
The car will feature in “Karen or Bust,” an independent feature-length film by local historian, writer, producer and film director Don Rittner. An “invite only” preview screening of the film will take place tonight (Friday, Feb. 9) in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center auditorium.
After Howarth purchased the car in South Carolina and brought it up north, it became a lab project for the Autobody Repair students, who stripped it down to the bare metal and added a fresh new paint job.
“Karen or Bust” tells Rittner’s semi-autobiographical story of a young Troy teenager whose girlfriend moves to Florida. He and a buddy hitchhike their way down South to find her and encounter some eye-opening experiences along the way.
Howarth’s vintage four-door Bel Air plays a prominent role in the journey, as one of the vehicles that picks up the Troy duo.
“It’s a coming of age story that take place in 1966 and starts right here in Troy,” said Rittner. “And the car looks beautiful in the film.”
Rittner said he’s planning to enter the film in as many festivals as possible and, thus, find a distribution deal in the process. The film will also be featured in a 30-minute segment on WMHT’s “AHA, a House for Arts on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The segment will also be streamed online.
Autobody students and faculty pose with the 1964 Bel Air after completing their project.
Published: Thu, 08 Feb 2018 20:17:48 +0000 by e.bryant