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Hundreds of electronic candles lined The Palace Theatre on Sunday, their glowing flames dancing on the walls. When the lights extinguished, a projector illuminated the screen on centerstage, kicking off the first annual Syracuse Actors Studio film festival — SASFest.

“This is the pinnacle of cinematic art right here. We’re not watching on our phones or even on our home TVs. We’re watching collectively with people who also love movies,” Joe Cunningham, president and co-founder of SAS, said. “These are local movies, so that energy, I can literally feel it in my veins.”

In 2024, Cunningham and Laura Stisser founded SAS, a free Syracuse-based collective for actors of all experience levels, inspired by Lee Strasberg and The Actors Studio in New York City. That eventually led to the creation of SASFest this year, an all-day outing which showcased 21 films produced in central New York.

Cunningham started producing independent films with a screenwriters group in Syracuse roughly 10 years ago. He said the experience influenced him to create a space where actors can learn from and help one another. Starting with 17 attendees, SAS sessions now include roughly 50 people, with about 100 in the overall network, he said.

On Sunday hundreds of attendees gathered for the first annual SASFest. Featuring a range of recent and older projects of varying lengths, SASFest highlighted music videos, thrillers, a black-and-white Charlie Chaplin-esque short, dark comedies and more.

Cunningham originally reached out to The Palace Theatre — where SAS hosts its monthly meetings — to screen his and his friends’ films. The theater accepted them, and SAS then gauged people’s interest in submitting projects to add to their curation. After gathering 21 films, Stisser suggested turning the screening into a bigger festival.

“​​In the spirit of John Cassavetes, who forged his own way, and Robert Redford, who tried to bring people together, our goal became, ‘OK, we could really make something here where we bring all these local filmmakers and these local actors together,’” Cunningham said.

One film even included shots of Syracuse University’s campus.

“Spiral,” a 2025 film raising awareness about college students’ mental health, featured the Einhorn Family Walk outside the Schine Student Center.

Adria Dawn and David Tarleton, partners and professors at SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, created “Spiral.” Although she’s technically the writer, Dawn said the story evolved from discussions with SU students in the couple’s collaborative class about acting and filmmaking for social change. The movie also stars SU students as actors.

Tanya Woldbeck Pellettiere accepts the SASFest’s Lifetime Achievement award on her late father’s behalf. Her father, Bjorn Woldbeck, died in December. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor

Dawn and Tarleton moved to the Syracuse area less than three years ago, when Tarleton was hired as chair of VPA’s Department of Film and Media Arts. SAS helped the two spread casting flyers and asked if they’d show “Spiral” at SASFest.

“For us, as still relative newcomers to the area, it’s really nice that we have reached out to the community, and the community’s reached out to us,” Tarleton said.

Other films, like Charles Berch’s “The Rods,” showcased New York areas outside of Syracuse. The documentary — which focuses on the Cortland-based metal band The Rods — also highlights part of Berch’s own journey, he said.

“It means a lot because this movie follows not only their roots, but actually my roots,” Berch said. “There were some pictures of 1983 from Rochester. Those are mine from my little 110 pocket camera when I was running around as a rock fan going to concerts.”

Carl Canedy, the drummer and co-founder of The Rods, said the documentary was a labor of love for Berch. Berch added that all of the filming and editing was done on his iPhone.

Even with “horrific,” decades-old photos of himself and the band, Canedy said the film was fun to watch, and he was impressed by the festival’s turnout and vintage venue.

Cunningham, who directed three movies screened at SASFest (and acted in others), filmed the only feature length film of the festival, “American Claudius,” entirely on his phone. Cunningham said he only spent $200 on the project, despite its over two-hour runtime.

He thinks SASFest will inspire more activity in Syracuse’s film community by inspiring people to start making movies.

“I’m going to be watching every single film with the idea of: What can I learn from this person?” Elyse Andrews, a member of SAS, said. “I’m just ready to soak in as much as possible.”

Johanna Beale Keller, who taught at the Newhouse School of Public Communications for 16 years and founded Newhouse’s Goldring Arts Journalism program in 2003, also screened her 2023 film, “The Perfect Match.” The project was filmed at a now-closed restaurant in downtown Syracuse and stars Derek Emerson Powell and Evelyn Oliver, who were both born and raised in Syracuse, Keller said.

Keller said SASFest was the most fun she’s had at a film festival. She emphasized that the hometown audience should know the people involved in making the movie.

“(SASFest) means that community really matters and that it’s possible to get a community going when there are big hearts and a lot of energy behind it,” Keller said.

The festival’s attendees also participated by voting for their favorite films and performances.

Taking their input into account, the festival ended with the Bjorn Awards Ceremony — named after Bjorn Woldbeck, an avid supporter of central New York’s performing arts community and an active SAS attendee who died in December 2025.

​​“He was the biggest supporter of the creative community in Syracuse, New York, and he would go to everybody’s play, everybody’s film premiere,” Cunningham said.

The awards, called Bjorns, included Best Director (won by Cunningham) and Best Screenplay (won by Keller). But SASFest’s Lifetime Achievement award went to Woldbeck. His daughter, Tanya Woldbeck Pellettiere accepted it on her father’s behalf. Pellettiere said she was always so proud that her father was “enthusiastically Syracuse,” even when others weren’t.

“They’ve committed to giving their first Lifetime Achievement award to a fan, which I think speaks volumes to what role we all play in the arts community in central New York,” Pellettiere said. “Everybody has a part. You don’t have to be Meryl Streep to make an impact. My father, who just loved it all and didn’t have any talent according to himself, can be so important.”

Jay Merante, a friend and collaborator of Cunningham, won the Bjorn for Best Actor and appeared in four films at SASFest, including two of Cunningham’s.

Cunningham called Merante “my Robert De Niro.” Coincidentally, in “American Claudius,” Merante references De Niro’s famous improvised line from “Taxi Driver.” Cunningham also confirmed that one scene’s camera movement was inspired by a hallway shot in “Taxi Driver.”

Before SASFest’s opening ceremony, Merante reflected on the journey with Cunningham — while Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” played in the background.

“Joe and I actually dreamt about this. Like, ‘Hey, man, one day we’re gonna get our movies somewhere. We’ll get these movies on a big screen somewhere at like a film festival,’” Merante said.

Now, that dream has been achieved. And it looks like it’ll continue — Cunningham already booked a full weekend for next year’s SASFest at The Palace Theatre.

“You don’t have to go anywhere. You can see a movie that’s made here and be proud of Syracuse and the people. We have a lot of talent and people that appreciate and love art, and I hope (SASFest) really helps the Syracuse film community grow,” Merante said.

Published on April 20, 2026 at 11:12 pm
Contact Joel: jdpelach@syr.edu