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| A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER |
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At last! There is joy throughout Red Sox Nation! I believe the clean sweep to a World Series win is an omen for good things to come for our region and our industry! And that’s without saying anything about that wonderful Red Sox romp through Yankee Stadium! The historic outcome prompted FEVER PITCH directors to re-shoot the ending of the film bringing cast and crew back to Boston for at least three extra location days! All good things “do” come to those who wait.
For those of us in Massachusetts, we’ve been waiting awhile to get the full attention our industry deserves. As I reported last month, the State is finally positioning itself to take up the matter in a manner that reflects the voices of the newly evolved Legislature. The Governor’s Office, the House and the Senate are working together to firmly establish a duly authorized and designated Film and Television Office where studios and producers can find positive and professional staff and total one-stop-shopping, everything from casting directors to craft services.
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Clarity for our industry is about to emerge. We really want to thank our elected officials who have helped us keep the focus and the spotlight on our issues. Among those deserving mention are Chairman of the Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor Senator Jack Hart, State House Leadership Majority Whip Representative Thomas Petrolati, and Representatives Brian Wallace, Jennifer Callahan, and Robert Coughlin.
“After two years, we’ve finally got everyone to understand and we’re moving in the right direction. The Speaker, Senate President, and the Governor are on the same page and we’re moving forward,” said Representative Wallace. We essentially see that a duly authorized and funded office will be identified, and the matter of incentives (Incentive Models were spelled out in the October IMAGINE) will be legislated in such a way that Massachusetts will craft and provide oversight for them. Now that’s progress! The whole region is on the march.
Two neighboring states, Connecticut and New Hampshire (see IMAGINE classifieds this issue), are currently interviewing and looking for applicants respectively, for important positions within their film offices. Recently installed Rhode Island Film Director Steven Feinberg (see IMAGINE September 04) has already rolled up his sleeves to work with elected officials, unions, and other industry professionals to proactively develop an incentive legislation package for his State.
It is an exciting time for filmmakers. No one is more excited than Boston Entertainment Attorney Elaine Rogers (see IMAGINE Dec/Jan 04) who makes her Producers Debut in Boston with SPIN, James Redford’s (son of Robert) first feature film, opening at Loews Copley Place, November 5th.
An accomplished screenwriter, Redford turns his hand to writing and directing in this movie based on the novel SPIN by Donald Everett Axinn. Axinn and lawyer Elaine Rogers are the producers.
The film is a coming-of-age film set in the 1950s in the desert Southwest of Arizona and Mexico, starring Ruben Blades, Dana Delaney, Paula Garces, Ryan Merriman, and Stanley Tucci. Lyrically yet powerfully, it deals with issues of loss, prejudice, belief in one’s self and the importance of family.
In SPIN, young Eddie’s parents are killed when the plane his father is piloting crashes into the highest peak in the Huachuca Mountains near their home. Eddie’s uncle Frank (Stanley Tucci), also a pilot, is left to care for the boy. Shortly thereafter, Frank takes a job abroad and Eddie is left to be raised by ranch manager Ernesto (Ruben Blades) and his schoolteacher wife Margaret (Dana Delaney). When Frank returns ten years later to fulfill his brother’s wish that Eddie (Ryan Merriman) learn to fly, Eddie struggles to find his bearings as a young man with mixed emotions toward his uncle, his love for the couple who raised him, the loss of his birth parents, and his blossoming first-love with Francesca (Paula Garces). When Francesca flees to Mexico after a life-altering incident, Eddie comes to understand what it takes to sit in the pilot’s seat.
I am looking forward to the opening of SPIN produced by a New England Woman who works in the industry. Elaine took a leave of absence from her Entertainment Group at Fish & Richardson PC to go on location and produce SPIN. As this is IMAGINE’s “Women Who Work in the Industry” issue the timing is a perfect punctuation. I’ll be there opening night!
Last month produced three marvelous film festivals in the Northeast, The New Hampshire Film Expo, Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema, and The Northampton Film Festival. Imagine will feature complete reviews in our next issue of IMAGINE. I had the good fortune of attending and covering two of them. For the first time this year, the NHFX held its festival in the quaint picturesque city of Portsmouth with many of the screenings at the Music Hall. This festival enjoys a wonderful community involvement; it’s in the atmosphere! It’s so good to see and meet so many people whose names and efforts are recognizable from pages of IMAGINE like Greg Loser, Benjamin Zaimes and their short film, END OF THE SEASON. The film was shot in Massachusetts with a cast and crew from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Doug Stradley and Daniel Stephens’ MAESTRO was shot in Maine. MAESTRO featured Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live), Stan Grunder, Michelle Nietsche, and Richard Meyer. Congratulations are in order for the Founders and Directors of NHFX: Finance Director Judy Krassnowski, Program Director Chris Proulx, Communication Director Dan Hannon, Workshop Director Brett Parker and Technical Director Matt Collins.
The Montreal Festival of Nouveau Cinema is huge. Featuring extraordinary depth and breadth, the 10-day festival does some muscular heavy lifting for the international film community of first, second, and third time directors. Set at the exquisite Ex-Centris Theatre Complex and the Parc Theatres, the festival filled the streets of the city with filmmakers from Japan, Germany, South Africa, Mexico, all over really. Like San Francisco and Karlsruhe, Germany, Montreal stands on the forefront of the digital arts. I was reminded of that every day I walked by Soft Image and thought about its President and Founder, Daniel Langlois, owner of Avid Technology, and also the President and Founder of Ex-Centris. Films that screen at this festival vie for being spotlighted at Ex-Centris on a year around basis. Imagine, ten days, six screens. How ambitious is that!
I’ll have the full story for you next month along with a complete review of the Northampton Film Festival, which I understand was wonderful, as always!
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This month our entire issue is dedicated to “Women Who Work in the Industry.” I wish to thank all of our contributing writers and their fascinating subjects. I wish to express appreciation for our Guest Editor Rebecca Richards who has stepped up every year since we began this special issue in 1998 when we had Shari Redstone on the cover. Thank you Rebecca; her letter follows. I also thank my Associate Publishers in Rhode Island and Connecticut, Vin Fraioli and Carla Stockton, respectively, for their contributions.
Next month our BIG combined December/January issue featuring Christy Scott Cashman on the cover will look back at this year and peer into 2005. We’ll have some great news to break for you. Reasons you’ll want to celebrate again with IMAGINE at our Industry HOTSHOTS New Year’s Party. Save the date, January 11th, always the second Tuesday of the New Year.
Right now, I am expressing my gratitude for our advertisers and readers for your continued support. I am ever so thankful and grateful. I believe you make it possible for IMAGINE to make a difference for our industry. I wish everyone and your families a most Happy Thanksgiving!
Carol Patton
Publisher
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