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Naturally assimilating into highly critical communities and finding acceptance among your peers is a desire many people wish to achieve throughout their lives. Not only is the main character, Tommy, in the family drama ‘Contest,’ which is now available on VOD and DVD, determined to finally become accepted by his classmates at his high school, but first-time writer-director Anthony Joseph-Giunta is also working to leave his mark among the filmmaking community. The scribe-helmer used real-life motivations to create a compelling, inspiring story about the dangers of bullying. The movie not only shows how bullying affects kids both physically and emotionally in the moment, but also leave a life-long effect on [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Anthony Joseph Giunta Talks Contest appeared first on Shockya.com.

In most films that have a bully character, they're usually some sort of mean-spirited jock who picks on anyone who doesn't run in his same circles. While Contest certainly does borrow a few of these same traits, Kenton Duty's Matt Prylek is much different. Matt, a star on the local swim team, gets busted for a cruel prank on his frequent target Tommy Dolan (Daniel Flaherty). However, Matt is essentially forced to befriend Tommy or he'll lose his spot on the swim team. They team up for a local TV channel's cooking contest, where the winner gets his own reality show. I recently had the chance to speak with Kenton Duty over the phone about taking on a unique kind of cinematic bully, his experiences on the set, and much more. Here's what he had to say.

I got a chance to see this the other day, and it's...

The teen drama Contest takes a unique look at the hot-button topic of bullying by presenting both sides of the coin in an innovative way. The story centers on Tommy Dolan (Daniel Flaherty), a high school kid who is constantly picked on by the swimming team, particularly Matt Prylek (Kenton Duty), whose latest prank has some unforseen consequences. Matt is forced to join Tommy's team on a cooking contest, where the winner gets his own reality show. In the middle of these unorthodox friends is blogger Sarah O'Malley (Katherine McNamara), who learns the real truth behind this forced partnership. I recently had the chance to chat with Katherine McNamara over the phone for Contest, which debuts on DVD December 17. Here's what she had to say.

Can you first talk about your initial reactions to the script? This is a very different kind of high school drama. Was there something in...

Kenton Duty’s turn as a bully in the film “Contest” has helped create a dialogue with children and caretakers about school bullying and how to combat it. ShockYa was happy to be able to talk with Duty about the role, the film’s part in Cartoon Network’s anti-bullying campaign and Duty’s future projects. “Contest,” written and directed by Anthony Joseph Giunta and also starring Mary Beth Peil, Katherine McNamara and Kyle Dean Massey, will be available on DVD and VOD Dec. 17. What can you tell me about your character? Kenton Duty: Well, Matt is a bully, but he’s also an all-star swimmer. He’s the head of the school, if you [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive Interview: Kenton Duty Discusses Contest’s Anti-Bullying Stance appeared first on Shockya.com.