Helping a candidate running for office was a relatively new experience for some in our industry but because we lost funding to both the Massachusetts and Boston Film Offices, we dared to imagine something different. Brian Wallace ran for State Representative vowing to become the go-to man on Beacon Hill and give our industry its first voice in the State House in recent times.
Leaders in the Film, TV, New Media and allied industries met with Brian and supported him in his September 17th Primary election. An event was held the week before the primary, which provided the funding that enabled our chosen candidate to get last minute mailings out to the voters in his district.
It was a good win! Candidate Wallace won by 1000 votes, 41% in a three-candidate race, making him the clear choice to serve his constituents.
As there is no competition for Brian in the General Election, he has already gone to work on the many issues that concern him. One of them is the loss of the Massachusetts Film Office, during the last budget debate debacle, not because of the budget cuts across the board, but because of soured politics and our industry having no positive voice.
Here is an Imagine conversation with this new positive voice:
I: Congratulations on your victory. The Industry rallied around you and supported you. How important was that to your success?
BW: I truly appreciate the support of the Industry and it was very important. As any candidate can tell you, I was glad to get the help when I needed it the most.
My campaign was about continuing the tradition that Jack Hart, Bill Bulger, Ray Flynn and others going back to John Powers and before helped to create and followed in the time they held this seat. Just being up at the State House shows you that there is something special about this seat. The People of South Boston and Dorchester have a special place on Beacon Hill and I hope to continue that tradition of leadership for them.
Getting 41% of the vote in a three-person race is a great victory and I just want to do the best I can for the people who put me here in a seat that has so much significance. Thanks to everyone who helped. I appreciate it.
I: Can you comment on your sense of the current State of the Film, Television and the allied industries in Massachusetts as you enter office?
BW: It's unfortunate that it's at the lowest point right now. Having dealings with Hollywood with my own movie situation and speaking to them, I hear them saying that if there is no film bureau they're not going to be coming here. Talking with them it looks like Boston and Massachusetts are closed for business. I think that sends the wrong message. Movies are a global industry now and there's no reason that Massachusetts shouldn't have its fair share, if not more than its fair share because of the great historic places and stories around here. There's no reason we should be saying to those people we're closed.
We should be making Massachusetts movie and television friendly. We should be telling people we want your business, we're open for business. We have to change that conversation.
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I: Who do you think benefits from changing the conversation?
BW: The movie industry touches everybody and we need to restore a public film office and they should work with private groups and business leaders because it should be all about economic development and jobs here. Hotel people, restaurant people, cab drivers, everyone benefits from film business right away and we benefit later from tourism to places in our community the world sees on film and that happens as soon as it's shown.
Anyone putting up roadblocks to this success for everyone else in Mass is just ludicrous and when I get up to the State House I'm ready to file all the legislation to restore a film office.
I: Who are the people you believe you can work with to restore state funding for a Film office?
BW: In terms of a Governor, I think both OÕBrien and Romney see the benefit of a film office in terms of tourism. I think they'd both be OK and it's a very close election. We need to start finding out whose OK in the legislature and in the Senate. I know the Speaker of the House is, and I've spoken to him about this, supportive and Senator Hart from my district has been great.
Tom Birmingham (the former Senate President and failed candidate for Governor) is gone and that was one of the stumbling blocks and so whoever the new Senate President is will be an important piece of that puzzle.
I think we have to start cultivating friends in the Governor's office, in the House and in the Senate and in the Mayor's office. I think (Boston) Mayor Menino plays an important role in this as well. I think the City and the State have to come to an understanding to promote things together. They haven't always gotten along in the past and that's unfortunate.
Both the City and the State need to be juiced up with office space, personnel funding and attention. And I think if we do our homework and try to be as helpful as we can, we can get everybody working together. But the key is to start finding out who your friends are and helping them.
| I: As both a lawmaker now and also
someone with a big future in the film industry what can people in the film
industry do to help? BW: It's nice to know you have support from the people you support because there are some people out there who, once they get what they want, walk away from you. But I know IÕve benefited from the industry as far as fundraising is concerned and I got elected. When people start seeing that you can get elected in part because people in the industry help you out that sends a message. I know Boston City Councillor John Tobin has been a great friend of the film industry as well with his Boston Comedy and Film Festival and he is an up and coming leader and from my perspective, helping people like that is the key to the future. |
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I: Shifting from industry politics to the industry itself, tell us about your book: "Final Confession" and the new movie title for it CRIMINAL MINDED.
BW: Right, the working title for "Final Confession" is now CRIMINAL MINDED and it's being produced and directed by George Tillman, Jr. and Robert Teitel whose first movie was SOUL FOOD, the second was MEN OF HONOR with Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. and the latest that just came out is called BARBERSHOP which was #1 in the nation for this weekend.
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These are great guys from Chicago. I met
with them for 5 days last April and they just get it. They understand the
industry and are very down to earth street kids at heart I can relate to. They
don't come across as big Hollywood moguls, just the opposite. They're as
excited about this project as I am. Right now Scott Marshall Smith is just finishing up the screenplay. He's done several projects with DeNiro and we're hoping he'll star which brings so much attention to the movie. Publishing this book was exciting enough, but now to have it made into a movie and work with these guys is just incredible, beyond belief. I: Tell us about your second project, "Night Runner." BW: The book hasn't been fully edited yet but since "Final Confession" was so hot everyone was asking me what I had next. The book is about battling depression and it's set around the Boston Marathon. It's being turned into a screenplay in Hollywood by a gentleman named BJ Nelson who is working in conjunction with a number of directors. |
Mark Wahlberg is interested, I've spoken to Mark and his management has the book. They've read it and I've actually moved the character from South Boston to Dorchester so that hopefully, Mark (a Dorchester native) will play the role. George Clooney's people are now interested as well.
Right now everything's on a fast track and I just hope they see the merit in it. This one's very personal to me and I'm going to have to wait and see what ultimately happens. The first two are out there and I'm just hoping for the best.
Local connections are so
important to you, when are you going to find a role for Matt Damon?
BW: Matt is actually looking at "Night Runner" and BJ Nelson
has it in the hands of Matt's people. He's actually looking to come back to
play a role and I hope to be able to write something he likes. I think this
oneÕs more Mark Wahlberg's than Matt's but a lot of the guys in
Hollywood called me and asked if I wrote that for Matt and I would love to work
with Matt at some point.
I met Matt and Ben (Affleck) when they were working on GOOD WILL HUNTING and I know they used to go to the right spots to soak in the atmosphere. They can bring a lot of realism to these local roles. We all joked about our nicknames as kids growing up here and they are just great guys. By the way I hope Ben moves to Southie, that would be great.