04/05/2023
On Friday April 7th at 7 p.m. on Alumni Hall Rm. 323, University of Pittsburgh alumni Emmy award winning producer Jon Hill and Hollywood cinematographer Nathan Cornett are returning to Pitt for an exclusive sneak preview screening of Jon’s award-winning directorial debut film, Above the Clouds.
This screening event, which is co-sponsored by Pitt Film and Media Studies, as well as Steel City Networking Entertainment Entity (SCENE), will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited so everyone is encouraged to register at the screening’s Eventbrite.
Above the Clouds won Best Independent Feature Film at its premiere at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, as well as picking up a Best Actress Award for the film’s co-star Kayhun Kim, who appeared most recently in Co***ne Bear. This funny and heartfelt film was written and directed by Jon, inspired by his real life, and follows Jay who must return home to Los Angeles after the death of his father, and involves a lost dog, a cassette tape, a backyard comedy show, and an unlikely romance following two strangers on a day they will never forget.
Jon and Nathan, both Pitt 2005 graduates, have been friends and collaborators since their early days as filmmakers at Pitt, where they started as co-presidents of UPTV. Since then, Jon has gone on to become a senior producer at Fox Sports. Nate has found success working on films and TV shows including Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts, and HBO’s The Rehearsal.
Though shot in L.A., the film involved many Pittsburgh and Pitt connections as Jon describes below:
“'I’ve always dreamed of coming back to Pitt to play my movies one day,” Jon said. And after 13 years, it's finally happening. Pitt is where I learned how to become a filmmaker. I spent every day at UPTV (the student television station), most of them with Nate Cornett, just making videos and sharing them with the students. Without it, I would never have chased my dreams and met my goals. The Pitt community, the students, the faculty, and all the beautiful people in the neighborhood have contributed to this film and I'm so proud we'll get to share it with everyone! Myself, our cinematographer, our producer, our composer, our 2nd AC, four Executive Producers, multiple Associate Producers, and four interns all graduated or will have graduated from Pitt. Whether the school knows it or not, this is a Pitt production. Our composer, Peter Mudge, aka Nice Rec, is a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Pitt. Producing for Mac Miller, J.Cole, JID, and others, he has a platinum record and a gold record with more on the way. With additional signing by Cam Chambers, this soundtrack has that "Pittsburgh Soul" sound that can only arise from the Steel City. Hail to Pitt!”
Jon and Nate will also be holding a workshop on Saturday April 8th for interested students. To attend, students should email Max Christopher at [email protected]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5DMQWd5v5Y
