UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State student-produced sports documentary focused on dirt-track racing will premiere Aug. 29 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting fire and EMS departments that serve the speedway featured in the film.
“Dirt Circus” focuses on racers at Clinton County Speedway in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. Students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications created the film, which will premiere at the Roxy Theatre. All tickets for the screening cost $5, with proceeds benefiting Logan Township Fire Company and Renovo EMS. Theater doors open at 6 p.m. with the screening at 7 p.m.
Students collaborated across majors to shoot and edit the film, which adds to a growing list of such projects completed with the support of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.
“I'm very proud of our student team that made ‘Dirt Circus.’ None of the students were experienced filmmakers and yet they all showed dedication to the project — going to the track every Friday night for a couple of months — and interest in learning new skills,” said John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center. He also serves as head of the Department of Journalism.
“I'm also impressed with the finished product,” Affleck said. “I think the film fairly captures the passion of the teams and the fun, excitement and danger of dirt track racing, a sport that too often goes under the radar.”
Clinton County is a 1/3-mile oval track that conducts weekly events from May to September each year.