2008 Woodie Awards
SRU graduate lands first major role
By Kim Dishler
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: Life
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The New Kensington, Pa. native and 1990 SRU graduate did not become interested in acting until his final year at Slippery Rock when he took a couple of drama classes. After graduating with a degree in public administration and a minor in American history, Kubiak made his way into the film industry, and has been acting for about 10 years now, while also doing production work.
Kubiak's latest film, "The Connecticut Kid," premiered from March 4-13 at the Durango Film Festival in Durango, Colo. This was Kubiak's first time playing a major supporting role in a feature film.
In "The Connecticut Kid" a young man follows his dreams to move west and become a cowboy. Kubiak played Shawn Evans, a working wrangler who serves as a support vehicle to make the main character comfortable with his new surroundings. The film was shot outside Durango at an authentic working dude ranch.
"Evans was a sensitive soul who saw this young guy," Kubiak said. "Maybe he was in the same boat at some point in his life."
Kubiak, who currently resides in Salt Lake City, saw some parallels with the character he portrayed.
"Much like in the film, I had dreams of living out West with the mountains and beautiful scenery," he said.
Kubiak said on the first day of shooting it was minus10 degrees with a lot of snow.
"When you are out there in tough weather conditions trying to concentrate and play a role, it's a challenging experience," he said.
The film was shot on an ambitious 12-day schedule and released at the Durango Film Festival because they wanted to go back to their shooting location.
"It's a young festival, it's been around for five years," Kubiak said. "We had good responses from the audience and came away very positive. It's a film that people of all ages can relate to. The foundation of the film is simple, it's about following your dreams."
The Durango Film Festival featured 112 films of different genres - independent narrative features, documentaries, animation, short, children's and regional films. Kubiak said about 500 films are submitted for consideration before the field is narrowed down.
"It was exciting to be a part of that film festival," he said. "I've attended other festivals and it's a good community of creativity and a learning experience. I get to see films from all over the country."
Kubiak said "The Connecticut Kid" will be seen next at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival in April. One of the oldest film festivals in the world, it was founded in August 1961 as an International Film Society. The 38th Annual WorldFest will offer 55 new international feature films and 100 award-winning shorts.
Kubiak hopes "The Connecticut Kid" will come East at some point. Right now the film is being considered for film festivals in Seattle and Los Angeles.
"A lot of film festivals are about getting the film out and gaining an audience," he said. "That's our next step."
Prior to "The Connecticut Kid," Kubiak played Sgt. Patrick Gass in the Imax film "Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West" in 2002.
"I really enjoy the historical period films, there's a lot of research involved," he said.
Kubiak said they followed the actual trail taken by the Corps of Discovery, which often required physical skills.
"I canoed and capsized on the Snake River in 40 degree temperatures and was chased by a 1,000 pound grizzly bear named Tank," he said.
In 2003 he played Jesus Christ in "The Journey," a film shot in the Utah desert in 100-degree temperatures.
Now, Kubiak is working on lining up new projects but is content promoting his current film, "The Connecticut Kid." He said he agrees with the film's main theme.
"Never give up on your dreams, follow through with them," he said.
