Boardman Native Aaron Massey Returns Home to Screen His Feature-Length Film “Mid West”
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Boardman native Aaron Massey is the writer, director and one of the actors for “Mid West,” which will be screened Friday at Movies 8 in Boardman.
Aaron Massey’s Journey from Athlete to Filmmaker
Aaron Massey, a former jock from Boardman, found a new passion after a shoulder injury ended his baseball career. He turned to filmmaking, driven by his childhood love for movie theaters. Massey, who now resides in Columbus, will be returning to Boardman to screen his first feature-length film, “Mid West,” at Movies 8 on Friday evening.
After college, Massey moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting but struggled to find desired roles. However, the emergence of consumer-level digital recording devices, such as iPhones, provided an opportunity for him to create his own films. He began making shorts and fell in love with both acting and filmmaking. Due to the high cost of living in California, Massey eventually relocated to Columbus, where he continued acting and produced various short films and comedy sketches.
The Birth of “Mid West” and its Unique Production Process
With a desire to make his own feature film, Massey wrote the screenplay for “Mid West.” The story revolves around a man who wakes up in a field with no memory of how he got there, embarking on a journey to discover his identity. Massey aimed to create an entertaining film with underlying themes of self-discovery. He shot the movie over the course of a year in the Columbus area, utilizing a flexible production schedule to accommodate the availability of actors.
While “Mid West” was completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, its distribution was delayed. The film premiered at the 2023 Cinema Columbus Film Festival in April. Massey is now in the second stage of distribution and is actively seeking opportunities to screen the film and attract the attention of streaming services.
Showcasing “Mid West” in Boardman
As a proud Boardman native, Massey chose to hold a screening of “Mid West” in his hometown. The screening will take place at Movies 8, a theater he frequented during his upbringing. Tickets for the event can be purchased online through Fandango.
Continuing the Journey as a Filmmaker
For Massey, this screening in Boardman is an important step in his filmmaking career. He named his production company Steel Valley Productions as a homage to the Steel Valley Conference where he played sports during his youth. With “Mid West,” Massey hopes to captivate audiences and make further strides in the film industry.