Jan 9, 2026 - Things to Do

The Force Is local: "Star Wars" producer headlines Cleveland film gala

Troy Smith

Two men in prison uniforms play checkers on weathered wooden benches in a prison yard, surrounded by other inmates in gray and beige clothing, with chain-link fencing in the background. — North Olmsted native David Lester served as a unit production manager and executive producer on the 1994 film "The Shawshank Redemption." Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment/Getty Images

North Olmsted native David Lester will give local movie fans a glimpse into a galaxy far, far away this weekend.

Driving the news: Lester, a longtime producer who has worked on movies like "Star Wars" and "The Shawshank Redemption," headlines the Greater Cleveland Film Commission's (GCFC) sold-out Behind the Camera gala Friday at the Cleveland History Center.

Lester will share stories from his career working on movies like "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Air Force One" and "Bull Durham."

Flashback: Lester attended USC Film School before returning to Northeast Ohio to work as a cameraman at WEWS (News 5) in the late 1960s.

Not long after, a former college classmate, George Lucas, tapped Lester to serve as a production manager on the first "Star Wars" film.

What they're saying: "David Lester is one of the most successful producers of all time, mastermind behind some of the most iconic movies of all time," Bill Garvey, president of the GCFC, tells Axios.

"He was recruited by George Lucas himself to manage the team that shot the 1st robotic camera sequences in the history of the film business."

If you go: Lester will also lead a free production assistant workshop at Tri-C Metropolitan Campus at 10am Saturday.

Registration is required.

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The Force Is local: "Star Wars" producer headlines Cleveland film gala

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