North Massapequa Director to Open Film Fest

A film by a director with North Massapequa roots has been selected to open the Long Island International Film Expo.

Rick Bieber's "The 5th Quarter," will screen Friday July 9, at Bellmore Movies at 222 Pettit Avenue in Bellmore.

The Brooklyn born Bieber, moved to North Massapequa as a teen and graduated from Plainedge High School before attending Hofstra.

He wasn't aiming for a film career while he was a student at Plainedge. "I was more interested in music," Bieber said.  "I played a lot of guitar and jazz guitar."

In fact, his entry into the film industry came not as an artist but as a lawyer.

He attended law school in Vermont and took a job with Columbia Pictures which had offices in New York, before moving them to Los Angeles.

"I began to look at screenplays," Bieber said.  "I was always interested in material.  I began to make the transition from the business side to the creative side."

He formed a partnership with actor Michael Douglas to produce the 1990 film "Flatliners" and also produced films for HBO. 

But eventually his career took another turn. "I became more interested in writing and directing, than I did producing, he said.

His debut film as a director "Crazy" also opened the Long Island International Film Festival in 2008.

He returns this time with "The 5th Quarter," the inspirational true story of former Wake Forest football star Jon Abbate and his family. Jon lost his younger brother Luke in a tragic 2006 car accident.

After considering quitting football, Jon decides to play one final season at Wake Forest wearing the number 5 jersey, Luke always wore when he played sports.

"Jon would raise five fingers to his parents at every game," Bieber said. "His parents who were sitting in section five would also raise their fingers."

The tradition spread throughout the Wake Forest community and the football program, long considered one of the weakest in the Atlantic Coast Conference, became one of the best.

"They won eleven games and the ACC championship. They were the most improved team in the country," Bieber said.

The director met the Abbate family through a friend.

"We've become very close," he said. "They're like my extended family. They were very courageous in telling the most intimate details of a very personal experience."

Bieber is looking forward to bringing their story to the film expo.

"It's a lot of fun," he said. "Regional film festivals are a great opportunity for film makers to interact with audiences."  

The film stars Andie McDowell and Aiden Quinn and will be screened at 7 p.m.  on July 9.