Pittsburgh Actor, Jerry Pietrala Podcast Interview
How long have you lived in Pittsburgh? I don’t live in Pittsburgh, I actually live in Delmont which is 20 miles east of Pittsburgh.
What roll(s) do you fill when making films? For films, I’m an actor 95% of the time, although I’ve been an extra on a few and I’ve served as PA for a few as well.I don’t really keep track of exactly how many films I’ve done so far. But according to the IMDb, I’ve worked on more than 40 films.
About how many movies have you worked on? In 2018, I won the Pittsburgh Uncut Film Festival Award for Best Actor for a short film entitled “Angel Hair,” which can be viewed on YouTube. I’ve also attended several other festivals here and there in Pittsburgh. In 2014, a feature script that I co-wrote with writer/crewman Kevin Hejna won 3rd place for Best Feature Comedy Script at the International Indie Gathering Awards. This script is entitled “Retail Purgatory.” The International Indie Gathering is an organisation in Hudson, OH that specialises in showcasing many independent films (features and shorts alike) and they hold an awards competition every year for anything film-related – features, shorts, trailers, scripts, you name it!
How long have you been making films? After two or three years or so of unsuccessful auditioning, luck finally allowed me to break into the independent film scene in Pittsburgh in 2010 and I’ve been active in the indie film scene in that city ever since. Around 2013, I extended my horizons to other cities in western PA and even a couple of cities in northeastern Ohio.
What are some of your “more visible” films? Several films that I’ve worked on can be viewed on YouTube. “Angel Hair” and “Human 001” are two short films that can be found on the YouTube channel for Shadowframe Productions. A 20-minute film entitled “Payaso” is on the YouTube channel for Suspek Productions. Clips from a feature entitled “Craig Quits His Day Job” are available on the YouTube channel for Forgotten Path Films.
What’s the best way for people to reach out to you? You can reach me through E-mail at jerrypietrala@yahoo.com
