Barrett DeYoung is a 24-year-old filmmaker with an appetite for ambitious projects.

Currently living in Los Angeles, the Newtown High School graduate got his first exposure to drama and the arts right here in town through his early acting experiences. He shared that he still considers himself a Newtown citizen at heart in many ways.

“I did all the theater here,” he said. “I did Newtown High School shows. I did a Newtown Middle School show when I went there. I did [Sabrina’s Encore Productions] shows at Edmond Town Hall and the Ridgefield Playhouse. That’s pretty much where all my friends here came from.”

After studying acting at Pace University, he decided to start experimenting with stand-up comedy.

“It helped me get over my fears,” he explained. “You know, anything creative is pretty scary. Whatever your worst fears are will happen!”

Besides developing his stage resiliency, however, DeYoung’s experience as a comedian had an even more transformative impact on his career trajectory. According to him, it was as a comic that he first began to engage seriously with the creative work of writing — which would go on to become the new center of his artistic endeavors.

DeYoung described himself as becoming “obsessed” with the writing process as his education progressed, opting to write his own scenes for acting class.

It was in 2023 when he and his partner Benjamin J. Young released their first short film, Rest from the Edge, which was recognized at two Academy Award-qualifying film festivals: New York Shorts International Film Festival and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it achieved semifinalist status.

“The title, shockingly enough, was kind of the last thing to come,” he shared. “I had written a script and fell in love with it, but couldn’t think of a name for it. I guess the title pretty much comes from how it’s about two people who meet while they’re each at the end of their rope. They meet at the worst moment of their life, coincidentally.

“They kind of have this break from all the crap they’re going through with each other. So they get a rest when they’re at the edge of their rope,” he explained.

Unusually long for a short film, the final product boasts an impressive 32 minutes in length. Interested readers can view the film itself at Young’s YouTube channel, titled simply “Benjamin J. Young”.

Fascinatingly, the film production process actually presented DeYoung with an opportunity to reconnect with his roots. He told The Newtown Bee that Rest from the Edge was filmed right here in town.

Local readers watching the film might find the location of the characters’ meeting spot strangely familiar.

“It was the bridge down from the dog park near Fairfield Hills, across the road,” said DeYoung.

He noted that filming in Newtown was a much more friendly experience than what he has grown accustomed to in Los Angeles.

“The cops actually came because we were on a bridge at like four in the morning,” he recalled. “We were like, ‘Hey, we’re filming something here!’ And they were like, ‘Oh, cool, just call ahead next time and let us know.’ The town was so supportive.”

All in all, DeYoung describes his experience of bringing his script to life as a powerful learning opportunity that reinforced his sense of confidence as a creator.

“It sort of taught us how to work together, and that we could work together with some money,” he remarked.

Setting his sights on the future, though, DeYoung is now in the process of assembling a team to create his first ever feature film, alongside partners who also happen to be former Newtown residents including cinematographer Aidan Petershack, composer Lindsay Dievert, and actor Aidan Moulder.

“It’s been incredibly cathartic and cool,” he shared, “but it’s a big step. It’s a lot harder. It’s a big cast.”

He described his team as currently in the midst of a fundraising process, with around half of the projected budget of approximately $120,000 presently accounted for.

DeYoung did emphasize that “we’re going to make it work no matter what.”

In addition to fundraising, another major challenge confronted by DeYoung and his team is finding a location to film. The team is currently in the process of scouting bar locations in which the entire duration of the film-to-be will take place, according to him.

Nonetheless, the aspiring filmmaker remains steadfast in his resolve to see the project through and produce something unique.

“It will happen,” he said, “one, because the people I work with are incredible; two, because we work hard, and if there was an earthquake and all financing fell through, I’d shoot it in my garage.”

Curious readers can get in touch with DeYoung via email at barrett.deyoung@happymansproductions.com or visit the team’s website at happymansproductions.com.

=====

Reporter Owen Tanzer can be reached at owen@thebee.com.