JENNIFER K MAHAL -- In The Wings

The cliche of Southern California culture is that everyone has a

screenplay. But not everyone who has 20, 50, 80, 110 pages locked up in a

drawer has the temerity to take that bundle of paper and actually film

it.

Newport Beach’s Justin Hewko does. The 22-year-old Orange Coast

College graduate will premiere his first feature-length project, “The

Great Banana Beguilement,” on Friday in the college’s Fine Arts Building.

“It’s just, I want to see the reaction,” Hewko said of his first

public screening. “You don’t get that chance when you’re making it and

watching it. I’m having anxiety over how it will fare, but it’s

thrilling.”

“Beguilement,” as it’s called by its writer-director, tells the story

of two recent high school graduates, one of whom has discovered that he

may be adopted, who don’t quite know what they want to do with their

lives. Hewko said the movies of Kevin Smith helped influence him.

The comedy was written in two weeks and shot on a mix of digital

video, 8-millimeter film and regular video over the course of several

months. Hewko said he and producer Brendan Baer, whom he met at OCC, are

hoping to have it transferred to 35-millimeter film at some point. At the

moment, the final product is on video.

Since writing “Beguilement,” the Corona del Mar High graduate has

finished three other scripts. He hopes that his next film has a slightly

larger production budget than the around $10,000 it cost to do this one.

The film was financed from Hewko and Baer’s savings and by loans from

family members.

Many of the actors on the project are local -- Orange Coast College

drama student Jason Emyutizi stars in the film, alongside UC Irvine’s

Kareen Neilson and Wes B. Holl. The film also stars Tyler Troutman, a

Chapman University student. All of the actors were unpaid.

“It was tough to get everyone’s schedules to work out,” Hewko said.

Some of the actors will be at the screening, Hewko said he is hoping

that the general public comes too.

“It’s open to anyone,” he said.

Though it is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America,

Hewko said the film would most likely receive a PG-13 rating, as it is

free of violence, nudity and profanity.

“The Great Banana Beguilement” will screen 7:30 p.m. Friday at OCC’s

Fine Arts Building, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. The screening is

free, although donations to OCC’s Film and Video Club will be accepted.

Information: (714) 543-0202.

* * *

Do you know a local artist, writer, painter, singer, filmmaker, etc.,

who deserves to get noticed? Send your nominee to In The Wings, Daily

Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, by fax to (949) 646-4170 or

by e-mail to o7 [email protected]

* JENNIFER MAHAL is features editor of the Daily Pilot.