(Posted September 17, 2007)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Charles \"Wylie\" Earnhart, a junior from Mercer, Pa. studying digital media arts, has had his short subject film \"Attack of the Meteorite Parasite\" accepted into the second annual Iris Film Festival, which runs from Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 23 at the Clifton Theater in Huntingdon, Pa. \"I wanted to do something that was a throwback to the classic sci-fi movies of the \'50s,\" Earnhart says. \"I also really wanted to blow something up.\" The student filmmaker was inspired by 1950s-era science fiction movies such as \"The Thing,\" \"Them\" and \"The Blob.\" In \"Attack of the Meteorite Parasite,\" a young man has an encounter with an alien being who threats to alter his mild-mannered ways. Complete with special effects and black-and-white cinematography, the 16-minute movie was shot entirely in Mercer, Pa. Previously, Earnhart\'s short film \"Thorns,\" a project he completed through Juniata\'s Extreme Media Camp, was selected for the first Iris Film Festival in 2006. \"Thorns,\" which was filmed in Huntingdon and features a cast of Juniata students, told the story of a young man\'s misguided attempts to save his father\'s struggling flower shop. The Web site for Earnhart\'s films is: www.youtube.com/devobonostudios; and the film festival\'s site is: www.irisfilmfestival.org. The festival is an exhibition and competition of films by Pennsylvania filmmakers. It is organized by a volunteer committee composed of Huntingdon-area movie fans and filmmakers. In addition to screening original works by Pennsylvania filmmakers, the Iris Festival also hosts guest speakers, who discuss their experiences in the industry. This year\'s guests include Brad Pattullo, a stop-motion animator who has worked for Will Vinton Studios and on several network television series such as \"Celebrity Death Match\" and \"Phantom Investigators.\"

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.