Shelter Island student filmmaker spotlights Cliff Clark
Shelter Island School’s SITV has submitted a film, “Lifeline of Shelter Island — Cliff Clark,” to the Young Voices Video Contest of Hamptons Doc Fest, the documentary festival to be held in December.
Readers of the Reporter will recognize the name of the student filmmaker, Jackson Rohrer, whose features and sportswriting, as well as his photography, have enlivened our pages in recent years. An 11th-grade student at the School, Jackson chose South Ferry CEO Cliff Clark as the subject for his film, entered in the contest whose theme for is “Hometown Heroes.”
Jackson narrates the film, covering the history of the Clark family, who have been making the crossing to North Haven since 1716, and focusing on its patriarch. Through aerial footage of the ferry at work, as well as a personal conversation with Cliff Clark, he portrays the individual, the family and the company that are deeply integral to the Shelter Island community.
Mr. Clark discusses the sense of pride as well as responsibility that the family and the ferry company feel, along with first responders, in providing a lifeline for Islanders needing to reach the South Fork. The film includes dramatic footage of Hurricane Sandy, when the ferry was shut down in dangerous high winds, and Mr. Clark received a call about a life-and-death medical emergency. With flood waters two-and-a-half feet above the roadway, the only vehicle that could make it up onto the ferry was a pickup truck. The patient and a medical crew in the back, the ferry brought them safely across to a waiting ambulance and transport to the emergency room to save the patient’s life.
The commitment of the Clark family to the Shelter Island community is also a point of pride Cliff Clark discusses in the film, which student Daniel Hernandez and teacher Chris Conrardy helped to produce. From establishing the 10K race on the Island to spearheading community fundraising for the FIT exercise center, they want to be not only a business serving the community, but an active part of the community.
The film, which is featured on the Shelter Island School’s Facebook page, can also be accessed by going to YouTube to view “Lifeline of Shelter Island — Cliff Clark.”
Students were welcome to create an original documentary short film (3-6 minutes in length) showcasing a “Hometown Hero” — anyone from the community or a family member who has made an impact. The competition closed on Friday, Oct. 31.
Entries will be judged by members of the Hamptons Doc Fest Board and staff, professional filmmakers, and Hamptons Doc Fest alumni.
The 18th Annual Hamptons Doc Fest will be held from Dec. 4 to 11. Tickets are on sale at hamptonsdocfest.com for the festival, including screenings at venues including Sag Harbor Cinema, Bay Street Theater and Southampton Playhouse. The winning student film will be shown at Bay Street Theater on Dec. 7 at the Short Films and Breakfast Bites part of the Festival, and three cash scholarship prizes will be awarded.
