The third quarter of 2024 brought Film & TV production bouncing back to the mid Hudson Valley region, with more than $15-million in direct local spending and more than 8,000 room night rentals at local hotels.
July kicked off with a cooking show based at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. The Hudson Valley Film Commission had previously posted a casting call for the series under the tentative title, Calling All Chefs. Production included more than 175 cast and crew members. On July 14, production started for The Accused directed by Tony Glazer with filming primarily taking place in Newburgh.
In August, more productions started up, including the indie film Mother Wolf, directed by Suzi Yoonessi, and starring Melissa Leo. Incredibly, the Hudson Valley Film Commission first worked with Suzi Yoonessi in 2004 when she was producing her MFA project at Columbia University. The short film was called No Shoulder and it starred Samantha Sloyan and Melissa Leo, who would go on to star in several other films by Suzi, including the short and feature length versions of Dear Lemon Lima.
Several other projects started up in August including Oh Hi, directed by Sophie Brooks. Filming took place primarily in Germantown. Your Lips Never Left Mine, directed by Matthew Kozlark took place primarily in Rock Hill.
Filming also took place on HBO’s The Gilded Age (season 3). Although filming took place in Albany and Troy, many Hudson Valley cast and crew members were hired.
In September, The Four Seasons began filming, primarily in Putnam and Dutchess Counties. The NBC Universal production stars Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and many others. Several familiar locations have been used, including the City of Beacon, Glynwood Farms, Lake Oscawana, and Vassar College. Colman Domingo (who is also directing an episode) returned to the Beacon/Fishkill area two years after starring in the acclaimed Sing Sing (A24) there in 2022. In addition to hosting a local premiere of the film on August 22, the Hudson Valley Film Commission played a key role in recommending primary locations for Sing Sing, including Downstate Correctional.
On location with The Four Seasons, from Instagram, courtesy of @glynwood.org
Other projects during the third quarter included political ads for local candidates and a music video for artist, SZA. More info on that production will be released shortly.
In addition to more than two dozen inquiries from impending films and television shows, the third quarter saw a return of theatrical screenings featuring projects that the Hudson Valley Film Commission worked on in the region, including Nathan Silver’s Between the Temples, Chris Skotchdopole’s Crumb Catcher, India Donaldson’s Good One and Sing Sing from distributor A24. For a complete recap, see our August screening recap.
The fourth quarter started on October 1 with several new productions slated to begin. In terms of Mid Hudson Valley films theatrical releases, Paramount’s Smile 2, opened on October 18 and became the top grossing film across the country. On November 1, Lost of a Mountain in Maine will open at the NCG Cinemas in Kingston. In January of 2025, New Line Cinema’s Companion, which filmed primarily in Beacon, Garrison, and Putnam Valley will be released on IMAX.
Stay tuned for more news from the Hudson Valley Film Commission. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to engage, support and promote regional Film & TV productions. In 2024, we celebrate our 25th year, and will continue to recommend thousands of locations, local crew members, actors, background extras, qualified production facilities, post production houses and more.
Please help us continue our efforts with a year-end tax-deductible contribution at https://tinyurl.com/hvfcsupport