Film called ‘CHOKE’ by two Hamilton men premieres this week

Pike and Brad Huffman are both Hamilton residents and 2009 graduates of Hamilton High School. The movie was funded equally by Pike and Huffman and independently produced. Pike came up with the initial idea in 2021, and he brought it to Huffman in 2022.

In 2023, Pike drafted the script, and that is when they started casting, and putting a crew together. Production was completed in 2023. In 2024, the team has been editing “nonstop” and getting everything ready for the local premiere.

“I have all these ideas, and I put them in the Notes app on my phone, and at 2 a.m. in the morning, one night, I just woke up with the idea, and put it down. I told a couple of friends about it, and they told me they thought I should pursue it. And about a year later, I reconnected with Brad Huffman, the co-director. After talking, he suggested we make a movie together, and the rest is history,” said Pike.

Written and directed by Pike and Huffman, the 1-hour and 38-minute comedy/thriller/horror film stars Jessica Buck (as Leanne Watts), Matt Hudson (as Chris), and Rosebelle Easthom (as Sarah), Kathleen Ashcraft (as Martha), David Sollberger (as Burt), Andrew Gordon (as Larry) and more. Huffman wrote the score for the film.

Watch the “CHOKE” movie trailer online at facebook.com/ChokeFilm/videos/777817617766886.

In addition to the upcoming screening, Pike and Huffman plan to submit “CHOKE” to film festivals this year, and into 2025. It will also be available via streaming platforms next year.

“Our main goal was to make a movie, have friends, family, and the cast, and people around the community, come to see it, and enjoy. That’s the most important thing to us is to entertain,” Pike said.

A “CHOKE” original motion picture soundtrack/limited edition collector’s CD is available for $12. A “CHOKE” poster collection will also be available for purchase at the premiere.

More details

The “CHOKE” film premiere will start at 3 p.m. and run to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the movie will begin at 3:30 p.m. The movie screening will be followed by a Q & A with Pike and Huffman at 5:40 p.m. General admission tickets are $10. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to ticketleap.events/tickets/chokefilm/choke-film-premiere.