The renovated Lamp Theater, which showed films in downtown Irwin for over sixty years until its closing in 2004, is the setting for a film production this summer.

Independent film director and producer Mark Cantu, 45, of McKeesport, said he will return to the downtown Irwin movie theater on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to continue filming his upcoming horror film “Grind,” described as a cosmic horror comedy.

Cantu said he plans to shoot interior shots at The Lamp on August 19, as well as late-night exterior shots on Main Street. He has reserved August 20 and 21 for more interior shots at The Lamp.

Irwin Borough agreed to an agreement with the company this spring to provide police officers for security during filming and has approved filming outside the theater.

The Lamp serves as the setting for the film’s Grindhouse Film Festival, hosted by a group of college students who discover an enigmatic arthouse horror film called “The Creeping Chaos.” The students screen the film and inadvertently trigger a series of horrific and supernatural events that throw their lives and the festival into chaos.

“I’ve been to the Lamp Theater a couple of times. It looks great,” Cantu said of his selection for part of the planned 80-minute film.

By choosing The Lamp for the scenes of “Grind,” Cantu returns to the location where one of his previous horror films, “Massacre Academy,” had its world premiere in 2021.

Scenes will also be shot in McKeesport and Pittsburgh, said Cantu, who is also one of the film’s screenwriters.

Bill Elder, manager of the Lamp Theatre, said he was not sure what preparations might be necessary for the film production.

When the film is finished, it will be exciting to see where in the theater the filming took place, says Elder, who pointed out that Cantu did some filming at The Lamp about three weeks ago.

The lamp will benefit from the attention the film attracts, he said, and it will also help the local art scene.

“This is a great way to help local actors,” Elder said of the cast Cantu has assembled for the production. “He wants to make a really good movie.”

To tackle a film project – whether independent or Hollywood – you need money. Cantu has raised around $53,400 through the social media fundraising site IndieGoGo with the support of around 210 backers. His “stretch goal” is $100,000 for the film, which is being produced under the Cineworx umbrella.

Cantu said he hopes the film will be ready to premiere early next year.