Documentary on Joliet to be screened Dec. 7 at JJC

Local filmmaker Jason Pittman, who goes by the pseudonym Preston Heights after the community he grew up in, has released his second film, titled “Choose the Right Path.”

In the film, Pittman tackles serious themes such as violent crime and how the city has tried to address it. He does this through interviews with subjects such as former Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante, current Mayor Bob O’Dekirk and former Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton.

Pittman said his goal was to encourage viewers, young and old, to engage in conversations about how to improve their community

“In the process of making the film, we realized that it was more than just a film,” Pittman said. “It was something that everyone could participate in. So it became ‘Choose the Right Path,’ the movie as well as the movement.”

For Pittman, the project began in 2014, about the time of the shooting deaths of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in Chicago. Pittman said he was also concerned about the relationship between police and communities of color, but said he’s encouraged by the efforts of the Joliet Police Department to implement policies such as community policing.

After attending Columbia College Chicago to study film and video production, Pittman moved to Los Angeles and found freelance work as a production assistant on film sets. In his spare time, he wrote a number of original screenplays. Pittman adopted the pseudonym Preston Heights as a tribute to his Joliet roots. He attended Joliet Central High School.

His first film, “The Path Not Taken,” tells the story of a college-age Joliet man and the choice he makes when his father insists he either find a job or attend college. When he finds a job, he quickly becomes dissatisfied with the pay and chooses another path to success. Pittman was able to take that first project to the screen at the AMC Showplace in New Lenox.

Pittman said he’ll be screening the film for a public viewing at Joliet Junior College at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the J Cafeteria. Local eateries DeWitts Gourmet and Popus Gourmet Popcorn will serve refreshments.

A trailer for "Choose the Right Path" is available on YouTube.