Glen Cove Student Wins Top Honors at Major Media Art Show

Glen Cove High School senior Danny Casale won his second consecutive Best in Show award at the Long Island Media Art Show, held at Five Towns College in March. 

The Long Island Media Art Show featured students from approximately 20 high school television and film production programs across Long Island. 

Judges consisted of professionals from various areas of the film and television industry, including several independent filmmakers. Danny's piece, "A Pleasant Yardsale," was first screened in a preliminary room for about 50 television and film production students and was the first entry to be awarded "Best in Show" by the two judges – one a production associate from MTV Networks and the other an assistant director from CBS, New York. 

The culmination of the show brought together all of the students, judges and teachers in attendance into the Five Towns main theater to view all of the Best in Show pieces collectively. "A Pleasant Yardsale" not only received excellent reviews from the judges, but a fantastic response from the audience as well.

"The thing about all of Danny's work is that it's so different and it demands your attention right away," said Chris Barry, Danny’s Media Communications teacher at Glen Cove High School. 

"From the first frame you know that this is going to be something interesting and it's obviously something that you have never seen before," Barry added. "Danny delivers this on such a consistent basis that it's no surprise that he keeps winning at each festival he goes to. The work is just that good."

Barry sees big things ahead for Danny.

"Dan's on his way up," Barry said. "He's probably the most talented student that I've ever had and I just can't wait to see what he's going to do next." 

"A Pleasant Yardsale" is now eligible to be screened at the First Exposure Film Festival, sponsored by the Suffolk County Film Commission this spring. Mr. Barry has also entered the piece into the April 25 Long Island University Student Video Festival, a competition Danny also won last year. 

Additionally, the theatrical premiere of Danny’s first full-length documentary titled “The God Doc,” will take place on May 7 at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington. 

Danny was recently accepted into the extremely competitive SUNY Purchase BFA Film program, which takes in only 20-25 students out of approximately 2,000 applicants each year. He has also been accepted into Syracuse University and Emerson College, two of the finest communications schools in the country.