AbSolved: Season 1 Local Premiere

As part of its ongoing Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center will host AbSolved, a 120-minute episodic narrative created and written by local actor and writer David Ogrodowsk and produced by LaTasia Greene, Thursday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m.

AbSolved, a psychological thriller, follows Father Demetrius, a Catholic priest, as he struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome after witnessing a school shooting.  

Demetrius, played by Ogrodowski, goes on an unexpected journey to understand his new circumstances and is bombarded with mysterious sounds, haunting voices and ghostly visitors. His efforts to trace these strange occurrences takes him down a rabbit hole that pulls him further and further from the priesthood.

For Ogrodowski, writing and acting are certainly a means of self-expression. “The more I create, the more I live,” he says. But he feels even more strongly about making a positive impact on others with his art. “We can take people away from the troubles in their lives, and help them temporarily forget whatever is ailing them. So whenever I approach filmmaking, I approach it with that in mind.”

Leading the filmmaking crew are directors Kevin Hejna of Hazelwood and Jesse Hutchins of Moon Township; producers Greene of Pittsburgh and Edward Pfeifer of South Hills; editor James Harland Lockhart V of Bellevue and cinematographer Kevin Kukler of Belle Vernon.

In addition to Ogrodowski, a Washington, PA, native who now lives on Pittsburgh’s North Side, other actors involved in the production include Jason Burke of Munhall, Ella Burke of Punxsutawney, Phil Henderson of Canonsburg, David Saint-Jacques of Sewickley and Curtis Caldwell of Pleasant Hills. 

AbSolved, shot mostly in the Pittsburgh area, has earned over 30 nominations on the festival circuit and has won over a dozen awards including Best Suspense/Thriller and Best Actor (international) at the 2022 Seoul Webfest; Outstanding Thriller at the 2022 New Jersey Web Festival, and Best Drama and Best Actor (Ogrodowski) at the 2022 Miami Web Fest. 

“Pittsburgh is very well endowed with an army of dedicated independent filmmakers,” Ogrodowski says. “Also, If you can’t find a setting to shoot a narrative in in Pittsburgh, you aren’t looking. Pittsburgh can be old Europe, untouched woods, modern cities, country roads, apocalyptic societies, rich, poor, rivers and mountains—all sorts of amazing things for a camera to look at.”

The first season of AbSolved will be screened in its entirety, along with the first episode of the second season, for a total running time of two hours. 

The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. Big Spring Spirits, a community-centric craft distillery that is based in Bellefonte, Pa. and operates a store in Sewickley, will also be on hand with “AbSolved-inspired” signature cocktails available for purchase.

Showcase events, a staple at The Lindsay, are designed to encourage exchanges between local filmmakers and the public, and are free to all.