We like to mention good works in IMAGINE, and here we are happy to report the meaningful work of Lyda Kuth and the LEF Foundation (see IMAGINE May 2003 feature article). The LEF Foundation continued its investment in New England’s independent filmmaking industry with the awarding of 25 grants, totaling $189,500, from the Foundation’s Moving Image Fund. It is especially gratifying when we look at the list and note several recipients whose names and stories have appeared in IMAGINE over the past almost six years. The newly established Fund (2002) invests in films that push boundaries, and contribute to New England’s creative economy (a key word per PUB). It’s dedicated to providing grants for project development, production, and distribution to individual film and video artists, as well as to selected programs that support filmmakers.

“We are interested in providing funding for distinctive, independent voices in filmmaking, including people who are making their first films as well as nationally-known artists,” said Lyda Kuth, Director of LEF New England. “With these grants we hope to demonstrate that important work can be made here - that filmmakers do not have to leave New England for some other city or region in order to find support for their work.”

LEF is committed to making strategic investments in the early stages of a project’s life, and to following those projects over time. Two films that received distribution grants this year - Jocelyn Glatzer’s THE FLUTE PLAYER and Jared Katsiane’s EVERYDAY IS NEW - have received previously development or production grants from LEF. “We are fortunate to be able to take risks to fund projects in their early stages,” says Ms. Kuth, “and are thrilled to see those risks pay off.

Of the 25 filmmakers receiving grants this year, 16 are residents of six different Massachusetts cities and towns, six are from Rhode Island, and one is from Vermont: two are filmmakers residing outside the area who are working on projects dealing with New England subjects.

The LEF Foundation is a private family foundation that supports the creation and presentation of contemporary work in visual, media, and performing arts primarily in the New England and Northern California regions. LEF funds projects of creative merit, cultural resonance, and timeliness, reflecting a belief in the value of experimentation and in the important role that art and its practice hold in society.

To learn more about the LEF foundation and for a complete list of award recipients visit www.lef-foundation.org.

The Massachusetts Film Bureau announced that an estimated $112.8 million was generated into the local economy for the fiscal year ending July 1, 2003. Since its inception one year ago as a nonprofit, following the closure of the state film office, the MFB has facilitated production for 5 feature films including: SPARTAN, starring Val Kilmer, directed by David Mamet; Castle Rock’s ALEX AND EMMA, starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson, directed by Rob Reiner; Twentieth Century Fox’s STUCK ON YOU, starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear, directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly; Columbia Pictures’ MONA LISA SMILE, starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, and directed by Mike Newell; and Warner Bros.’ MYSTIC RIVER, starring Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, directed by Clint Eastwood. The various films shot throughout Massachusetts in Rockport, Gloucester, Wellesley, Framingham, West Bridgewater, Cambridge, and Boston.

MFB Executive Director, Robin Dawson, said: “It is rewarding to have secured this business for Massachusetts. This industry is an important economic engine for the Bay State. Through the support of many local businesses, the MFB is continuing the tradition of filmmaking in Massachusetts which is also, an integral tool to increase tourism.”

SPARTAN wrapped production in Boston on July 3 after shooting at landmarks at Copley Square, the Back Bay’s Charles Street and the new Lenny P. Zakim Bridge. There are six feature film projects that shot in Massachusetts due for release in the next eight months.

“All of these recent films showcase Massachusetts’ spectacular locations and architecture. Upon the international release of these movies, tourism will be substantially increased as well,” stated Dawson.

The operation of the Massachusetts Film Bureau has existed on donations and

fundraisers.… You can visit their new website at www.massfilmbureau.com.

This September, local filmmaker, Zachary Lee and Roadside Pictures will begin production on SHORTNESS OF BREATH, a film that pays homage to the French New Wave and its affection for film noir.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH is the story of Michael and Patricia, two lovers who find themselves increasingly alienated by their pursuit of the “American Dream”. To counter this, they seek refuge in the past, a past almost wholly defined by crime films of the 40s and 50s. But, when the pair is involved in a convenience store robbery, their game transforms into something more serious.

“Film history has a time and a chronology all its own. Films can connect to each other over several years, but still exist in the same place at the same time.” Lee says. “I [‘ve] tried to construct a film that would be true to this--a film that is new and has its own sensibilities…while remaining tied and paying tribute to the films that have come before it.”

The two-week shoot will be filmed entirely in and around the Somerville area, in a Super16mm format. The final intention, however, is to release prints in 35mm. Local support has been, and will continue to be, vital to the success of the production.

For more information about SHORTNESS OF BREATH, visit the website at www.roadsidepictures.com.

Producer Charles Cook believes the way to make a feature film about Henry David Thoreau is on a Thoreauvian budget. He showed preview scenes form Thoreau-a Re-creation in July at the Performing Arts Center in Concord, Massachusetts.

He calls his film a CITIZEN KANE meets OUR TOWN, as a reporter tries to find out who paid Thoreau’s taxes when he refused to support the Mexican American War because it would bring Texas into the union as another slave state.

Over 135 actors, both SAG and non-union, auditioned for parts in the film, most of which was cast and shot in and around Concord.

Charles Cook’s first feature film was a colonial period piece about how Ben Franklin secretly negotiated the French-American alliance a year before The Revolution began.

The one hole in the Thoreau-a Re-creation production, however, is that Cook has not cast Thoreau or the reporter. He is holding out for a “name” that might be interested in either role. Cook developed the Thoreau script so a name performer could be recorded in half a day and still appear through the film in flashback sequences.

“If a ‘name’ performer can help more people hear the Thoreau views on politics, personal responsibility, and living with each other and nature, then I’ve got to find that person to complete the film,” Cook says.

That may become a major task since completion of the film is targeted for next summer to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the publication of Walden. Charles Cook can be reached at thoreaufilm@comcast.com

This Wrinkle is being ironed out. After a yearlong hiatus, Boston Film & Video Foundation (BFVF) is bringing back its Rough Cuts screening series! This program allows independent film and video makers from the Boston area to screen works-in-progress, Rough Cuts provides a unique opportunity to meet filmmakers, and learn about and engage with projects while still in process. The series will kick off on August 21st with a screening of Laurel Greenberg¹s TROUBLE IN PARADISE. After the screening, the audience can participate in a discussion with Ms. Greenberg about the film and the subject matter, and can give feedback on a work that is still in its editing stage.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE will be presented on August 21st at 7:30pm. The film tells a people's history of Election 2000. It is a feature-length, real-life drama unfolding over a two-year period in the chaotic landscape of Florida politics, from Election 2000 to Election 2002. Set amidst a backdrop of current events, the film follows a diverse group of Floridians who, compelled by a sense of civic responsibility after the Election 2000, become centrally involved in politics.

Greenberg's last film, 94 Years and 1 Nursing Home Later won three Best Documentary awards, was seen on WGBH and was named Best Boston Documentary of 2000 by Gerald Peary in the Boston Phoenix. Greenberg also teaches video production at Boston Film &Video Foundation.

Rough Cuts will take place at the Brookline Arts Center, 86 Monmouth Street, Brookline. The screening is free to the public. No tickets are necessary, though you must reserve a spot to attend. For more information or to reserve a seat, email sandra@bfvf.org.

LOVE TEST, A REALITY WRINKLE, AUDITIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

The audition for a new ABC reality show went really well recently for Suzette Paradis, the Cinderella Modeling Agency in Manchester, NH, and 12 couples whose interviews were good enough to be taken back to LA by the ABC associate casting director Doug Rouillard. IMAGINE learned that he felt as though those couples had a good shot at being chosen for the show. Rouillard used to work for Cinderella as a model, and when talking with the producers from ABC, he convinced them to come to the NH area for the ABC casting.

The primetime ABC reality series will feature unmarried couples testing their commitment to each other to see if love really can conquer all-even all of the challenges and temptations that are thrown at them. The audition called for unmarried couples over the age of 21 who are in committed relationships.

Cinderella Modeling Agency was able to gather a large number of volunteers to help with taking photos and working the camera for the interview process. John Camponella of Between Gigs was a big help getting the audition call out to the region.

Selected couples that complete the series will take home $100,000 for testing their commitment to each other. To read the Eligibility Requirements and Program Rules visit www.abc.com.

Viewpoint Studios has just completed production on the theatrical, television and radio advertising campaign for Discovery Channel’s newest special presentation: “Nefertiti Resurrected” set to premiere August 17th.

“Potentially one of the biggest archeological finds since King Tut,” stated Viewpoint Studios’ Creative Director, Michael Middeleer, “the goal of this campaign was to communicate the magnitude of this finding. We sought to demonstrate the beauty, drama and mystery surrounding Nefertiti and show how the Discovery Channel resurrects one of ancient Egypt’s most famous and powerful queens.”

In developing the campaign, the Viewpoint Studios’ creative team adopted two promotional approaches. One was designed to tell Queen Nefertiti’s story of love, power and betrayal. The other takes a look at how forensic science has brought this fascinating queen back to life. Both involve complex live action shoots, intricate special effects, extensive editorial and elegant design.

The first, “Spirit,” centers on the beauty, seduction and mystery that is Queen Nefertiti. It features a beautiful woman glimpsed through sheer cloth and extreme close-ups carefully interwoven with matching shots of a recreated bust of Nefertiti. Viewpoint Studios’ Creative Director, Design, Joseph Kiely explains, “As the piece progresses, we use the contrast of the living queen and the defacement of a mummy to shock the viewer into a false sense of beauty and power that is then torn away and destroyed.”

Viewpoint Studios’ Flame Artist, Dave DiNisco added, “In Spirit, we walked the fine line between exposing the beauty, power and danger that Nefertiti possessed without revealing too much of the “Queen” herself.

The second approach, “Museum” features a bust of Nefertiti inside a darkened museum at night. As the camera dolly’s forward, the room begins to tremble; spirit forms rise up and begin to swirl around the bust. Kiely continues, “Simple, iconic and impactful the spot climaxes as her eye snaps open pushing away the remaining pieces of the bust. As the bust falls into ruin, the living queen is revealed beneath.”

DiNisco adds, “‘Museum had some interesting challenges of its own including the need to work in high resolution for the theatrical release. To meet the client’s tight deadline, we teamed up with RhinoFX in New York. We used three different live action models of Nefertiti’s bust shot it in a variety of conditions including clean, cracked and in pieces. After filming they were then scanned and realistically texture mapped for use in CGI.

The “Nefertiti Resurrected” campaign will air on Discovery Channel and other cable networks, as well as in over 2000 theaters nationwide continuing a long- standing relationship between Viewpoint Studios and Discovery Channel.

Viewpoint Studios is an award-winning creative services agency providing clients solutions to all their marketing needs through the integration of design, promotion and advertising. Quicktime movies and images taken from the promotion are available at: www.viewpointstudios.com.