Local Filmmakers Aim To Honor Cleveland Photographer Janet Macoska with Documentary Film

Local photographer Janet Macoska has captured the Cleveland music scene for more than 50 years snow. She’s taken photos of icons such as David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Joan Jett, Bruce Springsteen and Tina Tuner.

Now, Cleveland filmmakers Sedona Hyde and Emma Grosklos want to tell her story with their documentary film, tentatively titled Rocking the Lens.

The film chronicles Macoska’s remarkable journey from photographing radio shows for WKYC 1100 at just 12 years old to shooting Cleveland baseball, and ultimately becoming an internationally recognized artist whose work is featured in the Smithsonian Museum of American History and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Janet’s story is Cleveland’s story,” says co-director Sedona Hyde in a press release. “She helped define what rock ’n’ roll looks like, not just for our city, but for the world.”

“This project isn’t just a film,” adds co-director Emma Grosklos: It’s a love letter to creativity, a tribute to women in the arts, and a celebration of Cleveland’s creative heartbeat.”

Hyde and Grosklos are currently raising funds for production and archival licensing through an Indiegogo campaign.

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