Recent Hudson Valley Film Commission productions have proven to be very successful at landing prime screening slots, and awards, at some of the world’s top film festivals, including Sundance, Berlin, SXSW and the upcoming Tribeca FIlm Festival in April.
Sundance Film Festival award winners included NANCY and THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST (READ MORE). The Berlin Film Festival featured the world premiere of Zach Golden’s THE ESCAPE OF PRISONER 614, which was produced in the Hudson Valley in the fall of 2017. Locations included Phoenicia, Saugerties, Shandaken, Pine Hill and Arkville (READ MORE). In March, SXSW highlighted several Hudson Valley films including their opening night film, John Krasinksy’s A QUIET PLACE, co-starring Emily Blunt. The film opens nationwide on April 6 (watch the trailer at https://youtu.be/WR7cc5t7tv8). The film was produced entirely in Dutchess and Ulster Counties during the summer and fall of 2017. Sarah Daggar-Nickson's VIGILANTE, starring Emily Blunt filmed in Newburgh, Kingston, Ulster Park, Saugerties, Beacon and Lake Katrine, and Windham. THE RANGER, directed by Jenn Wexler was produced in the Hudson Valley in April and May of 2017, and follows teen punks on the run from the cops. Hiding out in the woods, they come up against the local authority – an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind (READ MORE).
In April, three local productions that will be featured at the Tribeca Film Festival include FABLED, THE SEAGULL and THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST.
FABLED, directed by Jennifer Morrison
The TV project directed by Jennifer Morrison (best known for portraying Emma Swan on the long running ABC series ONCE UPON A TIME), stars Zosia Mamet, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Norbert Leo Butz, Evan Jonigkeit, and Paul Wesley, among others. Episodes for the project were filmed during the fall of 2017, primarily in Kingston and Rhinebeck with production partner Refinery29, a leading global media company focused on young women, that inspires, entertains, and empowers their audiences through optimistic and diverse storytelling, experiences, and points of view. The anthology series reimagines classic fairy tales through the perspective of its female characters, whose overlapping stories take place in the same small town.
FABLED’s Executive Producer John Kite recently posted the following on Instagram about the project: A few years ago Zosia and I were driving to Vermont when we came across a photo of some storybook characters a little bit grown up talking to one another. It sparked the idea of what eventually evolved into FABLED. The idea morphed and changed over time with our producing partners @Refinery29 @gibsonautomatic @whatsthatlookfor @AlexhGayner @AmyEmmerich and has grown into something that will be having its premiere @Tribeca film festival on April 23rd.
“I realized my first time being on a set that was largely run by women on the film TALLULAH, directed by @SHeder which was led onscreen by @ellenpage and @AllisonBJanney that women create a naturally supportive, efficient and collaborative environment. That film was the first time I personally felt comfortable in front of the camera and I have all of those women involved to thank. Being able to put together the team of women led by @jenmorrisonlive, to tell the stories of FABLED, stories of women finding themselves through their own agency, was more rewarding then I could imagine.
I’ve always loved being a storyteller because I’ve always felt they make people feel less alone, but what I realize more and more is that it also makes ME feel less alone, in what is a confusing time to be alive. And being connected to all these women and men, that helped us make something we are all proud of, is just as important as the pieces themselves. Thanks to everyone at Refinery29 for seeing what these stories can be. And thanks to all of our new and old friends for keeping us moving towards a more connected society. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS
Two other films that were filmed in the Hudson Valley, which filmed in the Hudson Valley, include THE SEAGULL and THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST
THE SEAGULL, directed by Michael Mayer
*Filmed in the fall of 2016 in Orange County. The Hudson Valley FIlm Commission acted as a fiscal sponsor.
Adapted by Tony Award®-winning playwright Stephen Karam and directed by Tony Award®-winning director Michael Mayer, this exquisite adaptation of Anton Chekhov's classic THE SEAGULL finds a group of friends and family gathered for a seemingly jovial weekend in the countryside. But under the surface, Nina (Saoirse Ronan) pines desperately for Irina's (Annette Benning) partner Boris (Corey Stoll), a celebrated playwright. Meanwhile, Masha (Elisabeth Moss) fights a battle with her own unrequited love.
This layered saga about art, fame, family, and human folly plays out with claustrophobic intensity, as the lives of friends, families, and lovers, all living under the same roof, become entangled. The Seagull’s cast of celebrated performers brings fresh perspective to these beloved, complicated characters. Rich with feeling, this tragicomedy asks timeless questions about how best to live a purposeful life and, more importantly, how to love. (—Mara Webster for Tribeca Film Festival) CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, directed by Desiree Akhavan
*Filmed in the fall of 2017 in Ulster and Greene Counties, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
When teenage Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) is caught having sex with another girl on prom night, she is shipped off to God's Promise, a middle-of-nowhere treatment center run by Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and "success story" Reverend Rick (John Gallagher, Jr.). They subject her to dubious gay conversion therapies—but, despite these “treatments,” Cameron eventually forges a community with her fellow teens, quietly defiant Jane Fonda (Sasha Lane) and Adam Red Eagle (Forrest Goodluck). Together, these misfits play at recovery, since their only way out is time.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival and based on the acclaimed novel of the same title, The Miseducation of Cameron Post overflows with standout performances and unforgettable characters in a story that is equal parts coming coming-of-age drama and teen hangout movie. —Mara Webster for Tribeca Film Festival. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS
2018 is off to a quick start with three features currently in production and many more in the works. For more information about filming your next project in the Hudson Valley, visit www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org