Jefferson County native and filmmaker Robert Shupe wrote, directed and starred in “Handshake,” a 2021 film to show at the Myrna Loy in Helena on Thursday, May 18 at 7 p.m. The movie was filmed at the Jefferson County Courthouse, the Legal Tender as well as around Clancy and Helena, including the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds. He cast Jefferson High students and teachers (including his former teacher Linda Piccolo) and lots of locals as extras.
Piccolo remembers teaching both Robert, a 1999 JHS graduate, and his older brother Ben, a 1997 graduate. Robert stood out in her theater class, starring in her advanced drama spring musical.
Piccolo said she is also very impressed with Ben’s career in the film industry. Ben, she said, just spent two years working on an exclusive crew of five with James Cameron in New Zealand doing the special effects for “Avatar: the Way of Water.”
“They actually made two movies as they were locked in New Zealand for two years because of COVID restrictions,” Piccolo said. “Ben has been incredibly successful in the field of special effects. He may be the most commercially successful of all my talented JHS students.”
Both brothers, Piccolo said, are phenomenal talents, adding that she encourages Jefferson County to come see the “Handshake.”
Tickets for the showing are available at https://themyrnaloy.com or by calling 406-443-0287.
