Associate Professor of Digital Media & Journalism Gregory Bray ’00 leads a New Paltz-centered production of short film “Escapism”

Associate Professor of Digital Media & Journalism and alumnus Gregory Bray ’00 produced and directed an award-winning narrative short film titled “Escapism,” in a collaborative effort drawing on the talents of numerous SUNY New Paltz alumni, staff and faculty.   

Written by Bray’s brother and alumnus John Patrick Bray ’00 (Theatre Arts), “Escapism” follows a military veteran named Guy Friendly, played by Joseph Anthony Davis ’19 (Digital Media Production), whose old action figures come to life with potentially deadly intentions.  

“Escapism” has been a fixture on the independent film festival circuit and was recently recognized with the Film & Video Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association, the leading academic media organization. Additionally, Davis won the Best Actor award at the Talking It Out Film Festival.   

Other credited New Paltz alumni include Willis Williams ’99 (Communication—Organizational) in a performing role, Eveline Levin ’19 (Digital Media Production) as director of photography, Danny Asis ’07 (Communication & Media) as film composer, Harri Sheridan ’22 (Digital Media Production) as script supervisor; and Kevin Merting ’22 (Digital Media Production), who now works for the University as Student & Family Programming Coordinator, as the film’s co-editor.

Digital Media & Journalism Lecturers Brett Barry and Joseph Vlachos served as audio mixer/gaffer and on-set audio staffer, respectively, and were honored with a Best Audio award at Talking It Out.  

The film was also recognized as the Best Microbudget Short at the Edinburgh Film Awards in the United Kingdom and earned an Official Selection at the Sugar Loaf Film Festival in Rockland County, New York; the Nightmare on Broadstreet Film Festival in Sugar Hill, Georgia; the Milan International Short Film Festival in Milan, Italy; and the Wicked Realm Film Festival in Horseheads, New York. 

For Bray, “Escapism” is an extension of a filmography that includes short films he has created with campus community members, including “Liner Notes” and “Hanna Barbera at the Norman Rockwell Museum,” the latter of which was recognized as an Award of Excellence winner at the Broadcast Education Association’s 2018 ceremony. Click here for a select list of Bray’s work. 

Click here for more information on the Department of Digital Media & Journalism at SUNY New Paltz.