Last you might have heard, the award-winning movie “Mount Joy,” starring Haddonfield Memorial High School alum Katie Hyde, was being screened at the 2014 Philadelphia Independent Film Festival last June. Now, since winning Best Feature of the Year at the festival, as well as multiple other awards, including a Best Actress award for Hyde at the Pittsburgh Film Festival, “Mount Joy” is being released nationwide on Jan. 24 on cable pay-per-view, iTunes, Amazon-on-Demand and DVD.
“I am relieved that we made it. It’s the light at the end of a very long tunnel. When you do something like this, no one cares if you do it or finish it or not. Finally now, I’m happy we made it to this point. I feel very proud of it and happy to release it,” Hyde said.
The film focuses on members of the band “The Living Daylights” as they are about to leave their hometown of Mount Joy, Pa., for their first national tour. When the lead singer’s girlfriend Alex, played by Hyde, disappears, his life goes into a tailspin and he puts the tour on hold, as he and the other band members question the importance of a big break without her. When she returns as suddenly as she left, her devastating secret changes their lives in ways they never could have imagined.
Along the way are wild concerts, run-ins with local bullies, car crashes, burning barns and more, all accompanied by the movie’s fist-pumping soundtrack.
“This film is more of a good time. It has a vibe that a lot of young people like. It’s fun and vibrant, and then it gets heavy. A romance, comedy, drama, tying in lots of genres, it’s a unique story for sure,” Hyde said.
According to Hyde, most of the music on the soundtrack was recorded in Lancaster, Pa., where most of the movie was filmed, or by indie bands from Lancaster, and it is one of the highlights of the movie. She also said what makes the movie unique is not just the setting, but the actors, who are not big-name talents. They are relatively unknown, bringing freshness to the movie.
“The actors are great and Lancaster is gorgeous. I think people from Haddonfield will like it. It takes place in a town not too far away,” Hyde said.
Viewers should expect to be entertained and surprised as well as walk away with a lot of happiness, according to Hyde. She said those who see the movie will think it is about one thing, but will soon realize it turns into something else.
“I hope that people give this movie a shot. I would like people from Haddonfield to feel proud that someone in their community went out and made something interesting and unique. I also hope that they feel it opens the door to other independent films. There are a lot of good movies out there not in theaters,” Hyde said.
Hyde felt honored to win so many awards for the film. She appreciates winning for acting, however Hyde felt her biggest job was as producer. However, it isn’t about the awards for Hyde; it is about the audience walking away from the movie with good comments and feelings.
“I think the audience has a good time watching it. Awards aren’t always important. The thing I take with me is how the audience reacted, which was good. I take it to heart more with the actual people reacting to it and what they say,” Hyde said.
People can preorder the movie on iTunes before the Jan. 24 date by typing “Mount Joy” into the search bar. If the movie reaches 500 pre-orders, there is a possibility it could be featured on the Noteworthy section of iTunes. The film can also be purchased through cable pay-per-view, Amazon-on-Demand and DVD at www.mountjoymovie.com.
“It is the hardest mountain to climb, to get strangers to order our tiny little project. Please spread the word. People who know about the film can help by letting other people know about the film. It can make or break us,” Hyde said.
But Hyde isn’t done yet. Through “Mount Joy,” Hyde was able to meet someone in Hollywood who offered to help her develop her and her husband’s next script. She is very excited about it and has started working on the project.
For more information about “Mount Joy,” go to the movie’s website www.mountjoymovie.com.
