Erik Peter Carlson had a dream to make a Fairy Tale film. For years, he imagined what his perfect set would look like – where his magical childlike world would come to life. When the opportunity came to life in November 2019, to produce A Fairy Tale After All, there was no better place for Carlson to produce his movie, than the area he grew up in.

"Coming back to make my fourth feature where I once had impossible childhood dreams is truly emotional,” says Carlson. “After working on both coasts, there’s no question that filming in the Hudson Valley, especially at Wing’s Castle, made for the most enjoyable production experience ever.”

Wing’s Castle in Millbrook, New York, was the brain child of artists Peter and Toni Ann Wing. In 1970, the long illustrious love affair of building the castle began. Forty-seven years later, the castle is still under construction. It has become a live in art project.

Filming in the Hudson Valley brings a special charm. The locations, the history, the air, and the people (more than anything) make it magical.

“Local crew members bring more than just themselves to the project, they bring a whole community,” says photographer Chuck Merrihew.

“Chuck knows everyone!” was the running joke on the set of set A Fairy Tale After All. Students and first timers (many from SUNY New Paltz) got hands on experience on what it’s like to be on a film production – set life as they call it. Throughout the filming, they connected with industry professionals, and opened doors for for themselves to more potential film work.

“A Fairy Tale After All was the first film I ever worked on and, as cheesy as it might sound, it was a fairy tale inside and out,” recalls recent SUNY New Paltz graduate Kathryn O’Mara. “Everyone was so nice and worked so hard. I learned an incredible amount about the film industry and can’t wait to learn more.”

Hanna Al-Tarmidhi, another recent SUNY New Paltz graduate, was so glad that her first time on a feature film set turned out to be A Fairy Tale After All. “The cast and crew made me so comfortable,” recalls Hanna. “The sense of camaraderie being one of the best things I took away from this experience. I learned so much from the sheer dedication everyone had towards making this a reality, and it was incredible watching this combined effort and passion turn this story into a reality.”

A Fairy Tale After All wrapped production in early December. Like most regional productions the film benefited greatly from the community. The film business feels accessible in the Hudson Valley. It takes a village to make a film, but in the Hudson Valley, you get the village and then some.

“A carved Indian sculpture stands six foot tall at the top of the staircase in the home I grew up in,” wrote Sage Higgins. “It’s hand carved with many intricate details. It was created by Peter Wing, who is best known for handcrafting Wing’s Castle from his imagination. Growing up with that sculpture, I never imagined I would one day assist on a film production set primarily in Peter’s magical kingdom. Among other duties, feeding the cast and crew through my mom’s granola company, Raspberry Fields Farm, brought the experience full circle.”

The Hudson Valley Film Commission helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $200 million in regional economic development.

If you are looking for help with your next production (or post production), contact us at filmcommission@me.com

SELECT Hudson Valley productions:Billions • Monsterland • Things Heard and Seen • A Fairy Tale After All • Audrey • The Plot Against America • Silent Retreat • Lapsis • Save Yourselves • Foxhole • The Undoing • I Know This Much Is True • I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Scare Me • Can You Keep a Secret? • Panic • High Maintenance • Shirley • The Dead Don't Die • Swallow • Avengers: Endgame • The Climb • The Irishman • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place • Fabled • Then Came You • Furlough • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times • The Seagull • HAPPYish • The Ticket • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother • First Winter • The Last Keepers • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock • American Gangster • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support