Bridgewater Resident Brings Filmmaking Home

For his thesis project with the New York Film Academy, Bridgewater resident Aviral Kapoor not only filmed a 12-minute movie at his home—the township became a character in the piece.

“Bridgewater became a character in the story as it was being written, and the film wouldn’t be the same if it took place anywhere else,” he said. “So we decided to move the entire crew, who live primarily in New York City, to my house in Bridgewater while we filmed for seven days.”

Called “Rocket,” the short film was filmed near Timberline Drive and Washington Valley Road, with the ending at North Branch Park.

The film is a story about a father and son’s inability to communicate until they are brought together by one single toy, a rocket.

The film, which Kapoor wrote, was his thesis for a one-year filmmaking program with the New York Film Academy.

Post-production for the film finished in March, and he has started submitting it to film festivals. It has already been named an Official Selection at the 2013 Speechless Film Festival, and was selected for the 2013 Hoboken International Film Festival, which was held June 4.

“There were a few inspirations for this story,” Kapoor said. “One came from my father, and how he has always inspired me to reach for the stars.”

“The second was a dream in which I saw a rocket flying into the sky,” he added. “And finally it was a quote attributed to Mark Twain that sealed the premise of the story. It took more than six months to finally finish the final draft of the script.”

The crew for the film, Kapoor said, was made up of his classmates and New York Film Academy alum Thomas Moura, a cinematographer. His classmate Yunus Yildirim also served as assistant director and production designer.

The young boy, Kevin, in the film, Kapoor said, was played by Kevin Coughlin, of Wyckoff.

“I saw him in a short film at NYFA and I was instantly convinced he had to play the part,” he said. “It is a great coincidence that Kevin and the character who was named over six months before I met Kevin have the same name. In my opinion, he is one of the most talented and hardworking actors I have ever worked with.”

Kapoor said James Lyden, of Wall, played the father in the film.

“As soon as James was finished with the audition, I was ready to offer him the part,” he said. “He understood the mindset of the character completely, and played him naturally. Lyden is a very talented actor, and is regularly cast in short and independent feature films alike.”

Kapoor said he moved to Bridgewater more than two years ago, after coming to the United States from India.

“I was planning to live in the city like everyone else in my class,” he said. “But the peace and quiet and the beauty of Bridgewater has kept me from leaving.”

With the short film done, Kapoor said, he is writing a feature film called “Exit 6,” which he hopes to film in the next year.

“It is also based on one of my dreams,” he said. “It is about a man who is trying to run away from his destiny, yet every step and every action takes him closer to it. Whether it is his fate or his own actions that lead him to it is what I am trying to explore in the film.”

A trailer for "Rocket" can be seen by clicking here.