Say My Name wrapped up its festival run in January. After picking up some nominations and a couple of awards, we are actively pursuing leads for finding a second life for the film. In the meantime, we updated the trailer and -- hopefully -- Say My Name will come to a streaming channel near you! Serial killer Mason Oliver Reed thought his final victim was silenced—until she returns. Wreathed in smoke and molten wounds, she stalks him through the shadows, a demonic doll at her side, whispering one command: “Say my name.” We also added some new artwork as well:

Back in 2005, when I was filming the documentary Facing Sudan , I flew to Philadelphia, rented a car, and drove to the New Jersey office of pediatrician Dr. Jerry Ehrlich. We had spoken only on the phone after I had found an article about his work in Darfur with Doctors Without Borders and he enthusiastically agreed to an interview. His office was small, covered in children’s drawings, notes and letters. A small man himself, with a slight haunch when he stood, Dr. Jerry was a giant of a human being. I was nervous, not knowing what to expect or even confident in what I was doing. Yet, in a matter of minutes — seconds perhaps — he put me at ease.   We set up in his office — the wood paneling the same as it had been when he opened his practice decades earlier, I imagine -- now with a spot made bare by the endless rubbing of his office chair against the wall. There was little room for the camera or the lights, but we made it work.  And Dr. Jerry told his story. Empathy, comp...

Cary, IL — January 23, 2026 —A Chicago-area high school librarian is using a new episode of his father–son podcast to explore the city’s beloved amusement parks — and to confront a disturbing piece of history that many have forgotten. Hersey High School librarian Bruce Janu has released Episode 17 of Songs in the Key of Dave , a storytelling and music podcast created from weekly conversations with his father, Dave, who grew up in Chicago. The episode centers on amusement parks – first Disney, of course, but then classic Chicago-area attractions such as Riverview Park, Kiddieland, and Santa’s Village — places that loomed large in mid-century childhood memories. As with previous episodes, the conversation begins with nostalgia: family outings to Disney World shortly after it opened, and Kiddieland, Santa’s Village and Riverview. The podcast explores the sense of wonder those parks created for generations of Chicagoans. But this episode takes a deeper turn when Bruce learns, during the r...

Cary, IL — December 1, 2025 — A Chicago-area educator and filmmaker has teamed up with his father in Florida to create a growing podcast that blends family storytelling, history, and music in a uniquely intimate way. With the release of its tenth episode, Songs in the Key of Dave continues to deepen a creative exchange that spans 1,200 miles. Created by Hersey High School Librarian Bruce Janu and his father, Dave, who lives in Florida, the show emerged from an ordinary weekly tradition: every Tuesday night, the two pour a drink, get on a virtual call, and talk — about cars, childhood memories, family history, and the music that shaped their lives. Those conversations eventually became the backbone of a fully produced podcast. Dave grew up in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood before eventually moving to Mt. Prospect, where Bruce was raised, and many of the podcast’s stories focus on life in Old Town and the northwest suburbs.   Bruce’s professional work makes the project feel esp...

Woodstock, IL – The locally produced horror short Say My Name heads to the Chicago Horror Film Festival next month.  With over 222 films screening over the three-day fest at the historic Logan Theater, The Chicago Horror Film Festival is now considered to be the largest in the world for the horror genre. This chilling tale of vengeance and justice brings together the talents of Maria Puga, a Woodstock resident; Bruce David Janu, a Cary filmmaker and longtime educator; and Andrew Zilch, an emerging cinematographer and 2022 graduate of Cary-Grove High School. Written and directed by Janu, Say My Name follows a serial killer haunted by the horrifying return of one of his victims. She appears with her glowing, lava-like wounds and fiery eyes.  She carries a demonic doll with a chilling laugh, and has only one request: “say my name.”  “Say My Name is more than a horror film. It is a story about a ghost, for sure,”  said Janu, who plays serial killer Mason Oliver Reed. “...

  ****  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  **** LOCAL TALENT BRINGS VENGEANCE TO THE SCREEN IN CHILLING SHORT FILM, SAY MY NAME Woodstock, IL – The haunting short film Say My Name has completed production and is making its way to film festivals worldwide. This chilling tale of vengeance and justice showcases the collaborative talents of Maria Puga, a Woodstock resident, and Bruce David Janu, an educator with over 30 years of experience teaching social science and is the current librarian at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. Written and directed by Janu, Say My Name follows a serial killer haunted by the horrifying return of one of his victims. She appears with her glowing, lava-like wounds and fiery eyes.  She carries a demonic doll with a chilling laugh, and has only one request: “say my name.”  “Say My Name i s more than a horror film. It is a story about a ghost, for sure,”  said Janu. “But it is also about how justice can be as terrifying as the crim...

Three years ago, I packed my car with cameras, microphones, tripods and a camera crane. I left right after work and made my way from the midwest to the hills of rural, northeastern Pennsylvania. The location of my journey was not even on a map -- it was church in the small, forgotten town of Lynn.  For nineteen years, the Old Lynn Church was the home to one of the most prestigious concert series in modern, acoustic folk music. And this was their last show. This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts is not only about that last show, but about the history of the building and the music that echoes there.   In the spirit of the Old Lynn Concert Series, which was free and open to the public, we will be streaming the documentary free on Saturday night, May 28, 2022 on our Facebook page at 7pm Eastern.  This is a special, never-before-seen event: The film will be introduced by the director, Bruce David Janu After the film, Bruce will introduce and screen three del...

Bruce David Janu, the director of This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts has won the Best Director Award for documentary features at the Couch Film Festival. The festival is a quarterly event held in Toronto, Canada.  It is an IMBD-eligible event, meaning award winners can list their awards in the penultimate movie database. This Sacred Space was nominated for both the Best Documentary Award and Best Director.

The Couch Film Festival in Toronto has selected This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts as a Semi-Finalist in the Documentary (60-120 Minutes category). Plus, a nod for Best Director for the 60-120 minute film category, as well. Unfortunately, due to new Covid restrictions, they had to cancel all public screenings. Still, the films will be judged and winners announced on March 31.

This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts was selected for The Barebones Music & Documentary Festival in Oklahoma. The festival runs May 13 -15, 2021 in Muskogee, OK.

The setting was stunning: an old rural church in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1883, the Old Lynn Church had hosted many performances over the last 100 years. But for the last two decades, it was home to some of the world's most renowned singer-songwriters.  This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts tells this part of the Old Lynn story.  As a concert venue, the sound is spectacular in this church. There is something warm and comfortable about the way the sound envelopes the audience, bouncing here and there off the walls and the tin ceiling, providing a pleasant reverb. In terms of lighting----well, that proved to be a bit of a challenge. This was apparent especially as the light from the early evening that was coming in through the stained glass began to change, darkening the room.  Lighting is crucial to any endeavor at story-telling; a live concert is no different. "White Balance" is necessary to adjust the camera's sensors to the light in or...

For this week, This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts was in the top 10 of the streamed films for the festival this week. It landed at the number 2 position! Keep streaming!  You can view the film at this link:  https://www.dmoffest.com/post/this-sacred-place-the-story-of-old-lynn-concerts

This Sacred Place: The Story of Old Lynn Concerts has been selected as an Official Selection for the Direct Monthly Online Film Festival. The film will be streaming online throughout the month of January.  Click here to watch the film.

Back in 2019, suburban Chicago history teacher Bruce Janu packed his car with camera equipment and headed on a road trip to Lynn, Pennsylvania. His task: document the last concert of the famed "Old Lynn Concert Series." He wasn’t the only out-of-towner to attend this concert. Others came a long way for the show --- as far away as Idaho. But this place is not on a map. Lynn is at a crossroads in rural Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Blink and you will miss it.  The unusual concert venue was the Methodist Episcopal Church of Lynn built in 1883.  This church was known for its musical presentations throughout the years. That tradition was continued in 2000 when the old church was turned into a concert hall. Despite its location in rural Northeastern, Pennsylvania, the Old Lynn Concert Series managed to bring in some of the most acclaimed acoustic folk artists from all over the world. Renowned singer-songwriters such as Jez Lowe, Bob Warren and Michael Jerling were among those t...

Suburban Chicago Teacher Produces Documentary on Famed Concert Series "This Sacred Place" tells the story of Old Lynn Concerts (Chicago) December 27, 2020 .   Memorial Day weekend, 2019, suburban Chicago history teacher Bruce Janu packed his car with camera equipment and headed on a road trip to Lynn, Pennsylvania. His task: document the last concert of the famed "Old Lynn Concert Series." He wasn’t the only out-of-towner to attend this concert. Others came a long way for the show --- as far away as Idaho. But this place is not on a map. Lynn is at a crossroads in rural Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Blink and you will miss it.  The unusual concert venue was the Methodist Episcopal Church of Lynn built in 1883.  This church was known for its musical presentations throughout the years. That tradition was continued in 2000 when the old church was turned into a concert hall. Despite its location in rural Northeastern, Pennsylvania, the Old Lynn Concert Series manage...