Local filmmaker, family tackle trivia on TV

Indie filmmaker and podcaster Jon Russell Cring and his family are set to compete in “The Quiz With Balls” gameshow. The Season 2, Episode 6 broadcast will air on July 14.

The show is hosted by comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Jay Pharoah and features two families suspended above a massive pool, facing off in a multiple-choice trivia challenge. Each wrong answer sends someone into the water, courtesy of a massive rolling ball. The family’s episode is titled “Left Brain vs Right Brain.”

Cring, a long-time New Yorker who relocated to Tuxedo Park during the pandemic, was joined by his brother Jerrod, sister-in-law Angela, and nieces Isabella and Lily for the episode, which was filmed in Antwerp, Belgium.

“It wasn’t until the van ride from the Amsterdam airport that we realized some of our fellow passengers might be our competitors,” Cring said. “The tension and sabotage started there.”

While the final outcome remains under wraps, producers hint that the family helped make show history as both teams kept getting answer after answer correct.

“I think people will be surprised by how personal and fun this episode is,” Cring said. “It’s not just about trivia, it’s about family, competition, and being willing to fall 8 feet into a pool.”

Alongside his wife Tracy, Cring has completed 21 independent films (many streaming on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Tubi), and helped pioneer the Upstate New York film movement. Their latest creative endeavor, the “Married to Movies” podcast has logged over 70 episodes from their home in the scenic Sterling Forest.