Celebration and anticipation filled the month of February for most working in our industry in New England. It’s an important month for the movie business as the focus was on every entity that has anything to do with filmmaking giving out their annual awards. While those who work in the industry notice that the work was a little slow in February, the future looks promising in New England as projects like Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED and Showtime’s “The Brotherhood” prepare for their location shoots in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Maine is bustling with activity around Rod Draper’s new production center opening in April (read the story in this issue) on Maine’s Mid-coast. Connecticut has a new HDTV studio in Hamden at Quinnipiac University (the whole story is in this issue).

Vermonter Jay Craven’s Border Run Pictures is co-producing with Moody Street Pictures in Waltham, MA (see February 05 cover story), for the production of Jay’s adaptation of “Disappearances,” the third novel by Howard Frank Mosher completing his trilogy of books that also includes “Where the Rivers Flow North” and “Stranger in the Kingdom”.

Kris Kristofferson will star as Quebec Bill Bonhomme, a hardy schemer and indefatigable optimist, who needs to raise money to preserve his endangered herd through the rapidly approaching winter. He resorts to whiskey-smuggling, a traditional family occupation. Quebec Bill takes his son, Wild Bill, on the journey. Also Henry Coville, an inscrutable professional whiskey-runner, and Rat Kinneson, Quebec Bill's perpetually disconsolate hired man. Together, they cross the border into vast reaches of Canadian wilderness for an unforgettable four days "full of terror, full of wonder."

Currently in preproduction, “Disappearances” also stars Gary Farmer and Louise Guzman. Jay Craven will direct, of course. Stacey Babb has taken on the Line Producer duties, and Carl Sprague is already hard at work on Production Design for this ambitious, action packed project. Production begins April 4^th for five, 5-day weeks in Northeastern Vermont where the weather can be a little tricky, especially when on cars, trains, boats and on water.

Oscar Night America in Boston at Saint 2005: Alex Peselman, Zvi Cole, Zahir El-Assi, and Mohamed-Ali Gam. Photo courtesy of the Ellie Fund.

Special guest Tony Shalhoub arrives at Saint with his entourage, (clockwise from Tony) "Monk" star Tony Shalhoub, Ed Rae, George Fifield, Publicist Diane McNamara, and Mikki Monaco of Begyle Entertainment arriving on the Red Carpet at Saint for the Official Oscar Night America, Boston 2005 Celebration. Photo by Robert Pushkar.

Oscar Night America in Boston at Saint 2005: Count Max Tucci, Zvi Cole, Casey Galbraith, Mohamed Ali Gam. Photo Courtesy of the Ellie Fund.

Zvi Cole, Lynne Adams,Tony Shalhoub, Carol Patton and Jeff Popkin on the Red Carpet at Saint.Photo by Robert Pushkar.

Special Guest Tony Shalhoub with Mark Drago, the Director for Film at the Massachusetts Sports, Film & Entertainment Commission. Both supported Oscar Night America benefiting the Ellie Fund at Boston hippest club, Saint. Photo by Robert Pushkar.

Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis in OPEN WATER, an independent film from Plunge Productions that brought renewed attention to Blanchard Ryan's career. Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Films, Inc.

For the current year’s count for Moody Street Pictures, that would be one film in postproduction and one in preproduction. And it’s only March. I would like to suggest this is a barometer of sorts. The marketplace feels active and energetic for Film and Television (both content and commercial).

The goal of IMAGINE for our industry, as it was over seven years ago, is to encourage the creation and support of mechanisms that proactively and aggressively attract production work here. It’s an imperative that sustainable work comes to New England on an ever increasing scale and on a year around basis. IMAGINE covers and provides support for the work that is here and for efforts that are designed to attract work.

This week as we are going to press, Rhode Island House Speaker William J. Murphy and Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano will hold a joint Press Conference at the State House in the House Lounge to make an historical announcement, which will have an immediate and significant impact on the State’s motion picture and television community. Scheduled to attend are writer/director Bobby Farrelly (THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, ME MYSELF AND IRENE, FEVER PITCH), director Michael Corrente (FEDERAL HILL, OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE, AMERICAN BUFFALO) and Blake Masters, creator of the new Showtime series "The Brotherhood", as well as Steven Feinberg, Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office and Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

Feinberg, as you may recall, worked tirelessly with Rhode Island’s business community, elected officials, unions and others in the industry to bring Showtime’s “The Brotherhood” to Providence along with their commitment to film the pilot and 11 episodes there. The pilot budget was $4 million, the 11 additional episodes is $38 million. That will have a significant economic impact on Rhode Island. But Feinberg is adamant about creating an environment that can be maintained and sustained. The announcement at this press conference will be of legislation that will be presented that day to both the Rhode Island House and Senate that will create incentives for the motion picture and television producers and studios, and perhaps for the people that work in the industry who live in the State. We’ll attend and have the full scoop in our next issue.

In Massachusetts, the incentives for the Film and Television Industry are in Committee spearheaded by Representative Thomas O’Brien. Representatives Brian Wallace, Robert Coughlin and James Leary were onboard early and recruited many supporters. Mark Drago, Director of Film at the Massachusetts Sports & Entertainment Commission (MSEC) is working with the committee on a daily basis preparing the bill. He reports that the work is going well and has the support of Governor Romney, the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore, The President of the Senate, and a host of others including new MSEC Ex-Officio Board Member, Senator Jack Hart, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and Chairman of the Committee on Tourism and a good friend of IMAGINE and the production industry.

Massachusetts has its general media paying attention to the so-called feud between the person who ran the former office, closed by the state, and a new quasi-public entity given permission, budget, and authority to support the Commonwealth’s interest in Film and Television production. If you are a filmmaker looking to shoot in Massachusetts, your permitting and approvals come through Patte Papa for the City of Boston and Mark Drago, for the State. As evidence, the location files from the closed state office are now available at the Commission. The former state film office was closed because of a complete lack of confidence in its leader. The former office was not closed by political intrigue or for budgetary considerations but for reasons that the main media will not address.

It is apparent that the State of Massachusetts, which invests $450,000 annually in MSEC, has selected the current, one true film office for the State. While there still is confusion in the general press, it’s important to note that if you want the full services that are available, you must work with Mark Drago at the MSEC. He has a great deal of support from the filmmaking community as well. Anything else is wasted time. This is not a feud for people who work in the industry, but more a general media perpetuation of a story that sells newspapers and coagulates the system.

The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism has announced the appointment of a new Director for their Film Division, John Courtmanche. The new appointee has 16 years of experience as a film and media professional, including owning his own production company, and working as a producer for television, independent feature films and news and documentary projects. There’s a short piece in WWW in this issue, Carla Stockton is preparing a full report for April. I spoke to John before going to press; he reported activity in Connecticut is brisk. IMAGINE will feature a report from each New England State Film Office in our next issue.

IMAGINE gets busy this month putting together our New England Location, Resource, and Production Guide. It’s a part of our April issue that pulls out and stands alone. This is the guide that really gets around! And it’s posted to our web site for one year, available 24/7. In it you’ll find stories and information about New England’s production community, locations and resources. In addition to being a helpful tool to New Englanders, we travel with this issue to some very important places including to AFCI’s Location Trade Show (Film Commissions from around the world exhibit) in Santa Monica and to NAB 2005 (the world’s largest electronic gear show) in Las Vegas. This is a part of IMAGINE’s effort to get the word out about what is available in New England and about the work that is done here. The intent is to let everybody know how great it is to bring their work here. We also cover these two significant events and the New Englanders that exhibit and attend so we can show the whole story in our May issue. If you have a talent, craft, product, service, venue, etc., to offer, you’ll want to be in this issue. If you are attending either of these events, you’ll want to let us know so that we can find you there and take your photo to appear in IMAGINE.

IMAGINE has a big celebration coming up! Next month, IMAGINE begins its 8^th year of publication. Imagine that. It means we’re seven years old and we’ve got the “seven-year itch.” So, this year we will get bigger, gain more advertisers and more readers, and develop a more significant web presence. Watch us grow! For our past seven years, I am eternally grateful to our readers, contributors, advertisers and vendors for your support and I wish to thank each and every one of you. We believe that we do important work for our industry and region. We couldn’t do it without you. Watch for a celebration announced in our April issue.

There was a round of celebrations on the night of the Academy Awards. IMAGINE supported the Official Oscar Night America, Boston 2005 at Saint that benefited the Ellie Fund. The dress was Hollywood Glitz or Aviator Attire, so I chose the later and thought it was great fun. According to Zvi Cole, a Co-found and Marketing Director for this event, “This year's Oscar Night America Celebration and Fundraiser was one of the best yet. The Hollywood lights were glowing, the paparazzi was out in full force! Fashion was everywhere, the food was amazing and the drinks were flowing! Hollywood Hit Boston in a big way.

“This was our 8th year running the event to benefit the Ellie Fund, in its fight against breast cancer and in support of their new program, "care for the caregiver". Our silent auction was fantastic with one-of-a-kind items from local businesses and all of the major studios including DreamWorks, Paramount, and Universal, Focus, Sony, Fox, MGM and more. One of the night’s biggest highlights was the appearance by Tony Shalhoub and Lynne Adams (see Cover Photo). They mingled with the guests and viewed the Oscars on the many screens set up all over SAINT. They added a great energy to the event and helped make Oscar Night a thrill for Bostonians!”

Ellie Fund Co-founders Jeff Popkin, Zvi Cole, and Ellie Fund Marketing Director Julie Perry, did an outstanding job organizing and hosting the event. Many industry people attended; please note the photos.

Tony Shaloub and Lynne Adams did add sparkle to the evening’s festivities. The night before, Tony attended a special fundraising event for the Network of Arab-American Professionals where in coordination with the NAAP, he announced that the first Arab American Film Maker Award gives the whole Arab community a chance to show their moral and financial support to the cause of advancing Arab participation in the common human culture, and the US film industry specifically.  He and Lynne were both excited that Lynne’s film MADE-UP, which is Tony Shaloub’s directorial debut, will have a major DVD release in July. Lynne wrote and starred in the film along with her Sister, Brooke Adams, Gary Sinise, Eva Amurri, and Tony. Tony commented to me that he has another film project that he will bring to Boston in the not too distant future. It was grand of both of them to be there. Brooke, of course, is married to Tony Shaloub.

The Brattle Theatre also had a successful fund raising night. You can see that story with photos within this publication.

And finally, AFTRA and SAG have signed a Film & Television Agreement. I checked in with Dona Sommers, she had this to say, "This is great news for SAG and AFTRA members in New England. We were able to leverage the studios intransigence on DVDs to get the most lucrative deal in our bargaining history. And with major TV and Film projects set to start in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, we don't have to worry about losing these projects - and jobs - in an industry slow down. Cameras will keep rolling and members will keep working. What could be better for our whole film community?"

That’s the good news.  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to everyone and especially to Massachusetts Senator Jack Hart and Representative Brian Wallace. They bring the national media to Massachusetts every Saint Patrick’s Day and maybe President Bush will call. Watch for it!