The Fledging Premiere and Q&A

Capital Region filmmaker Joe Gietl brings his work and his story to Saratoga Arts for a screening of his most recent projects and to talk about his current journey pitching a TV series. The Fledgling producer and actor Chris Gaunt accompanies Joe to inform audiences on the many struggles and successes that can be found while navigating the television and film industry, and the unique approaches they’ve taken to stand out. Join us for the New York premiere of The Fledgling, enjoy some film-inspired refreshments, and support local filmmakers’ ambitious dream of bringing their stories to a global audience. This premiere will also feature the opening film “A Void,” by Joe Gietl.

Doors open at 12:30pm, Films at 1:00pm, Q&A at 2:00pm

Tickets: $15

Fledging Logline

When a young orphan girl is turned by a vampire couple on the fringe of a small Missouri town, they’re forced to find a new home and raise the family none of them expected. The trio are soon pursued by a private investigator hired by a shadowy organization growing closer in the rearview mirror that threatens everything they’ve worked towards.

Runtime: 10 minutes

A Void Logline

In the wake of an unspeakable tragedy, a husband and wife seek to fill the void that has formed in their lives. He seeks refuge in memory, she seeks refuge in science. When a new breakthrough happens at her laboratory, the lines between the two cease to exist.

Runtime: 44 minutes

BIO: Joe Gietl is a writer, director, songwriter, and producer from Upstate, New York. He has directed several short films that have played on the festival circuit, written numerous screenplays, and produced both narrative and commercial work. In 2022, Joe produced the first ever adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Monkey”. In addition, he also produced a documentary entitled Mariah: Acts of Resistance, that is currently in the midst of its  festival run. In 2023, Joe completed production for phase one of his most ambitious project yet, entitled ‘The Fledgling’. ‘The Fledgling’ is a proof of concept short for a television series that was written over the course of three years beginning in 2020. The Fledgling has enjoyed a highly successful festival run playing at a plethora of prestigious genre fests including Sitges, Flickers, and Filmquest. At Filmquest, Joe connected with legendary actor Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Shape of Water, Star Trek Discovery) who has expressed interest in attaching to The Fledgling. Most recently, Joe and his team worked with accomplished show-runners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer (Smallville, The Mysterious Benedict Society) to fine tune the pilot and take The Fledgling to the next level. Joe is also slated to direct a feature film adaptation of the highly successful stage play “A Shadow That Broke The Light” this May, and he will also be releasing his debut full length record “From The Abyss” in the coming months.