Fresh Films, the Rock Island-based national production company, is premiering their funny, family-friendly movie “Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks” as part of the Alternating Currents festival.

The film will screen for free both Saturday, Aug. 15 at 11:30 a.m., and Sunday, Aug 16 at 12:15 p.m. at The Last Picture House (325 E. 2^nd St., Davenport) and will feature a puppet workshop for kids and families following each screening.

“Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks” (80 minutes) follows 11-year-old Benny, who — in a desperate move to stop his parents’ divorce — kidnaps the town’s beloved groundhog to extend winter and buy himself six more weeks to save his family. It’s Home Alone-style mischief alongside heartfelt family storytelling, according to Fresh Films.

A Fresh Films student works with actor Marc Evan Jackson (who plays the mayor in Groundhog Gary,”) last summer in Rock Island’s Arts Alley.

The film was written by two-time Emmy winning screenwriter Liz Hara (Marvel, MoonGirl and Devil Dinosaur), and stars Marc Evan Jackson (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place) as Mayor Twiss, young actors Henry Witcher (Lego Pixar BrickToons) and Aniya Simone (Disney’s Sydney to the Max) and features puppeteer Bradley Freeman Jr. (Sesame Street and the new voice of Rizzo the Rat and Bean Bunny, The Muppets) as Gary the Groundhog. Fresh Films directed and produced the feature.

The film is planned for a national release in February 2027, but Quad City families can see the film now and for free as part of Alternating Currents Festival programming at The Last Picture House.

A group of Fresh Films students celebrates “Groundhog Gary,” with actor Marc Evan Jackson (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Good Place”) in summer 2025.

Following each screening, the film’s puppet wrangler Frank Cesario (PBS’ Donkey Hodie) will engage kids and families on how puppets are brought to life on the big screen. These sessions are supported by Quad City Arts, who will also bring Cesario and his puppet workshop into local schools and afterschool programs.

Alisha Espey, Alternating Currents Festival Director said, “Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks is silly with a big heart. It’s perfect for parents and their elementary and middle school aged children and offers exactly the kind of shared viewing experience and feel-good storytelling that we wanted for the festival. We’re thrilled to be premiering it at Alternating Currents.”

“Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks,” a new 80-minute family-friendly feature, was filmed in the Quad Cities, and premieres this weekend at Last Picture House, Davenport.

Local actor Ben Gougeon (“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and new executive director of Quad City Arts) stars as the Dad in the film, and 25 other local Quad-City area children and families are extras in the film. The movie was filmed in summer 2025 across multiple local locations, including First Lutheran Church, Arts Alley and Jordan Catholic School in Rock Island, and at Sylvan Island and Illiniwek State Park.

In addition to the professional cast and crew, “Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks” was a training ground for the next generation of content creators that are part of the Fresh Films program. Over 100+ student filmmakers from both the QC and cities across the U.S. came to the QC last summer to work on the production, gaining valuable experience and an industry credential.

Quad City Arts’ new executive director Ben Gougeon plays the father in “Groundhog Gary,” which was filmed in the QC in summer 2025.

The regional economic impact from this $500,000 film, with job creation and spending at local hotels, restaurants and retailers to support the production is part of the larger story Fresh Films is telling as it works to build the new $12-mllion Rock Line Studios in downtown Rock Island, geared to attract much larger $5 to $30 million film and TV productions.

To see a trailer for “Groundhog Gary,” click HERE. For more information, visit Fresh Films HERE.

“Groundhog Gary: 6 More Weeks,” a new 80-minute family-friendly feature, was filmed in the Quad Cities, and premieres this weekend at Last Picture House, Davenport.

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.