Hudson Valley Film Commission To Receive Special Citation on June 4

The Hudson Valley Film Commission will receive the Special Citation - Organization Award at the 7th Annual Ulster County Arts Awards on June 4 in Highland, NY.

For tickets and information to the 7th Annual Ulster County Arts Awards, visit https://artsmidhudson.org/ulster-county-arts-awards

Under the leadership of Laurent Rejto, the Hudson Valley Film Commission, has worked tirelessly to establish local work. Among many other projects, recent productions have included Charlie Kaufman’s I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, HBO’s I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, AVENGERS: ENDGAME, PLANET EARTH and THE DEAD DON’T DIE, which opens Cannes Film Festival on May 14 (see more here).

The Hudson Valley Film Commission was started in 2000 as a way to attract film industry members, many of whom were visiting the Woodstock Film Festival, back to the region for production purposes. Moreover, the mission included supporting local film production by referring 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 especially in Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange Counties.

Another aspect of The Hudson Valley Film Commission is the community outreach program, which was created to help educate and engage local residents, and business owners in the growing film & tv industry. Each program includes a discussion about different educational, job and creative opportunities available, as well as case study information about regional pre-production, production and post-production. See below for upcoming events.

Recent outreach at Kingston Public Library

Upcoming community outreach program dates include:
Saugerties Public Library - May 28
Gardiner Public Library - May 29
Tivoli Public Library - June 6
Poughkeepsie Adriance Memorial Library -  June 22

For more information, visit www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org

AVENGERS: ENDGAME, THE DEAD DON'T DIE, PLANET EARTH and the HUDSON VALLEY

2018 was a spectacular year for the Hudson Valley Film Commission and regional filmmaking. Several of the projects we worked on are currently making international news, including AVENGERS: ENDGAME, THE DEAD DON’T DIE and PLANET EARTH.

On March of 2018,  the film commission was contacted by a location manager for Marvel regarding a feature film going by the name MARY LOU PART 2. We were told up front that it was a sequel for AVENGER: INFINITY WAR, but asked to keep the info top secret. Our task was to find lodging, and to refer local crew and vendors, including catering, and boat vendors.

We were also asked to find a wide open field with hills and terrain for the "battlefield." We recommended about eight properties. The VFX Team at Marvel ended up falling in love with the Staatsburgh State Historic Site in Dutchess County. The grounds are unique before the train line does cut off the property from the river. We were also asked to help with contact and permitting information for an Esopus property near the Black Creek Preserve in Ulster County.

The bulk of the movie, we were told, had already been filmed in Atlanta and the production would only be for VFX (visual effects) Plates. No cast would be involved, as is common with these major productions, but several of the stars, Paul Rudd and Mark Ruffalo, had Hudson Valley roots.

The schedule called for filming on the grounds of the properties, on the river looking back at the properties and from a helicopter and get aerial shots. Filming would take place in late June.

Our help and support was appreciated and the production was blessed with beautiful weather.

“Everyone really enjoyed, Esopus, Staatsburg and Kingston,” we were told. “It could not have gone better!! Everything went great. I'm hopeful we will be back soon and LONGER! We’re Looking forward to working with you again in the future.”

Location fees were paid for the Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, as well as the property in Esopus. The Esopus Fire Department was also used for holding, and catering. To quote the location manager, “Ready to Serve Catering was awesome.”

In March, we were also contacted by producers from Kill the Head, Inc. regarding Jim Jarmusch's next film. Carter Logan and Josh Astrachan were exploring the possibility of shooting at least some of their upcoming film in the Hudson Valley. They were concerned because it was a complex film with a lot of moving parts. We discussed the prospects and moved quickly to make referrals for primary locations, crew, background actors (zombies) and vendors. The final result, THE DEAD DON’T DIE will open the Cannes Film Festival and the production team was very pleased with the outcome.

"Shooting our film in the Hudson Valley was a truly wonderful experience,” exclaimed producers Carter Logan and Joshua Astrachan. “The cities and towns welcomed us with open arms, the people were kind and generous, and our local crew of remarkably talented artists and professionals were simply incredible.  The Hudson Valley Film Commission was a fantastic resource, standing by for assistance every step of the way. We are so grateful for the support!"  

For more details, see previous BLOG. 

In April of 2018, we were contacted by Rachel Norman, the production coordinator for Silverback Productions about filming in the area for the 8 part natural history series, OUR PLANET. The series was being made in collaboration between Netflix, WWF (the world’s leading conservation organization) and Silverback Films, a production company whose directors are behind global wildlife series Planet Earth and Blue Planet.

The Hudson Valley Film Commission helped with location referrals, permits, and lodging. The team was focusing on the Ashokan Center and the Ashokan Reservoir.

“It was a bit frustrating because the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation limited access to the Ashokan Reservoir,” recalls Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto. “I understand how incredible and protected the reservoir is, but this wasn’t some random production team. No other group has more experience filming in sensitive environments with and without wildlife.”

The production team arrived in May to create a swathe of online conservation content to help launch the series. All of the content is aspirational, empowering and focused on the core message of OUR PLANET, that the world’s future can be amazing.

2018 included many other projects and 2019 has kicked off with the largest production to every film in the Hudson Valley.

For additional information, visit hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org or email filmcommission@me.com

THE DEAD DON'T DIE TO OPEN CANNES

(Mid Hudson Valley, April 10, 2019)
Mid Hudson Valley Zombies Heading to Cannes

The 72nd Festival de Cannes will open with the Competition screening of Jim Jarmusch's new film, The Dead Don’t Die . The film by the American director and screenwriter will be this year’s first Palme d'Or competition screening, on Tuesday May 14, on the screen of the Grand Théâtre Lumière.

In the sleepy small town of Centerville, something is not quite right. The moon hangs large and low in the sky, the hours of daylight are becoming unpredictable and animals are beginning to exhibit unusual behaviors.  No one quite knows why. News reports are scary and scientists are concerned.  But no one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing Centerville: The Dead Don’t Die  -- they rise from their graves and savagely attack and feast on the living -- and the citizens of the town must battle for their survival.

Carter Logan, Laurent Rejto and Jim Jarmusch

The Dead Don’t Die was produced in the mid-Hudson Valley during the summer of 2018. Featured locations include the Town of Ulster, Margaretville, Ancram, Elizaville and Fleischmanns, which became the fictionalized Centerville. Over 575 local background actors appear in the film and over 40 local crew members were hired.

Producers Joshua Astrachan and Carter Logan commented that, “Shooting our film in the Hudson Valley was a truly wonderful experience. The cities and towns welcomed us with open arms, the people were kind and generous, and our local crew of remarkably talented artists and professionals were simply incredible.  The Hudson Valley Film Commission was a fantastic resource, standing by for assistance every step of the way. We are so grateful for the support!"  

“We’re very excited,” said Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto. “We’ve worked on over 500 films since 2000, and this will be the first film to kick off the legendary Cannes Film Festival. It’s been a remarkable few years with the Mid Hudson Valley serving as production central for projects including A Quiet Place and Maniac. Currently, we’re hosting seven productions, including Derek Cianfrance’s HBO mine series I Know This Much Is True, and the Netflix film I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Charlie Kaufman. In additional to massive economic development, the PR that results from these productions is enormous for the region.”

Jim Jarmusch’s newest foray into genre film (after the western with Dead Man, Samurai/crime film with Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and his vampire film, Only Lovers Left Alive) promises to be "the greatest zombies cast ever disassembled": Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Selena Gomez, RZA, Sara Driver, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat, Eszter Balint, Larry Fessenden, Carol Kane and Tom Waits.  The Dead Don’t Die also reunites Jarmusch with many of his frequent collaborators including Director of Photography Frederick Elmes (Night on Earth, Paterson, Broken Flowers) and Editor Affonso Gonçalves (Only Lovers Left Alive, Paterson).  The Dead Don’t Die is Jim Jarmusch's thirteenth feature film and stands as not just a humorous and sometimes scary subversion of the genre (with a nod to George Romero’s seminal film, Night of the Living Dead) but also a tribute to cinema itself.

Since Stranger Than Paradise, Caméra d'or winner at the Festival de Cannes in 1984, which was a landmark in the history of new independent American cinema, Jim Jarmusch has been sharing with us his artful, soulful universes, inspired soundtracks,  offbeat humour, and the meanderings of his anti-heroes in an always slightly strange world. At Cannes, his elegant, rock and roll cinema, often presenting an alternative America, has been honoured with four awards, including the Short Film Palme d'or in 1993 for Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California and the Grand Prix in 2005 for Broken Flowers.

In 2016, Jim Jarmusch had two films in the Official Selection: Paterson with Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Driver, in Competition, and Gimme Danger, the music documentary on Iggy and the Stooges as part of the Midnight Screenings.

Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto with Alejandro González Iñárritu at 2016 Woodstock FIlm Festival

A Focus Features presentation produced by Joshua Astrachan and Carter Logan, The Dead Don’t Die will be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures International around the world – alongside Longride in Japan.  The film will be released in France on the same day as its Cannes screening in the evening of May 14th, in the United States on June 14, 2019 and then worldwide.

The Opening Ceremony of the 72nd Festival de Cannes will take place on May 14, 2019. It will be broadcast free-to-air by Canal +, as well as in partner cinemas. Actor and director Edouard Baer will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The Competition Jury, chaired by Alejandro González Iñárritu, will present the Palme d'Or at the Closing ceremony on Saturday May 25.

The line-up of the Official Selection will be announced on Thursday 18 April.

DIANE OPENS IN NYC & LA

DIANE was produced in the Mid Hudson Valley in January 2017. Locations included Rosendale, Kingston, Saugerties and Palenville. In addition to local crew members, over a 186 extras were hired. The film received the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and is being released March 29 by IFC Films at IFC Center and BAM Rose Cinemas in NYC, and Landmark Theaters in West Hollywood. Stay Tuned for more release dates and locations including the Hudson Valley.

DIANE is directed by Kent Jones and features Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Andrea Martin, Estelle Parsons, Deirdre O'Connell, Joyce Van Patten, Phyllis Somerville, Glynnis O'Connor, Paul McIsaac

On location at the Circle W in Palenville

For Diane (Mary Kay Place), everyone else comes first. Generous but with little patience for self-pity, she spends her days checking in on sick friends, volunteering at her local soup kitchen, and trying valiantly to save her troubled, drug-addicted adult son (Jake Lacy) from himself. But beneath her relentless routine of self-sacrifice, Diane is fighting a desperate internal battle, haunted by a past she can’t forget and which threatens to tear her increasingly chaotic world apart. Built around an extraordinary, fearless performance from Mary Kay Place, the narrative debut from Kent Jones is a profound, beautifully human portrait of a woman rifling through the wreckage of her life in search of redemption.

The March 28 sneak preview of DIANE at the IFC Film Center, with executive producer Martin Scorsese in person, was SOLD OUT! But you can still get tickets to the Fri & Sat 8pm shows featuring Q&As with director Kent Jones moderated by Noah Baumbach and Academy Award-winning director Michael Moore! Tickets available at ifccenter.com/films/diane

Stey tuned for more Mid Hudson Valley film news

TWELVE ANNOUNCES MARCH 21 RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

Hudson Valley, NY: Scarlet Sky Productions is pleased to announce the release of its feature film, TWELVE. The family-friendly baseball movie is being released on Amazon Prime Video and will expand to multiple Video on Demand (VoD) platforms worldwide. The Amazon Drive link is https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Erik-Heger/dp/B07P282MSK

TWELVE follows the inspiring story of Kyle Cooke – an 11 year-old baseball player who, after moving to a new town and being unjustly cut from its all-star team, stops at nothing to make it to the World Series the following year. Kyle’s father, realizing his son may never get a chance to pursue his dream, finagles a way to get Kyle on a team in an opposing district. Understanding this is his one and only shot, Kyle uses the rejection as motivation to become the best 12 year-old player in the state – possibly the world. Ultimately, Kyle faces the team that cut him and, with the state championship on the line, discovers a greatness even he didn’t know he possessed.

The Dove Foundation, considered the authority on family entertainment, has awarded TWELVE its highest “Approved for All Ages” designation. The film was shot across New York’s Hudson Valley using dozens of players from Upstate New York and Connecticut as featured extras. TWELVE also showcases several baseball fields and other shooting locations in Fishkill, Newburgh, Hyde Park, and Wappingers Falls.

Regarding the number of young players in the film, director Steve Grimaldi said, “That was probably my favorite part of the filmmaking process – watching all these boys and girls get to have fun playing baseball and make a movie at the same time. The hardest part was actually selecting the kids. We sent out a casting notice hoping, praying actually, to get about 75 players interested in helping us out. We ended up with over 2,000 applications, some as far away as Atlanta. We can’t thank the local baseball organizations and the Hudson Valley Film Commission enough for all their support.”

The film stars Erik Heger (Law & Order), Wyatt Ralff (Moonrise Kingdom), Jenny Mudge (The Irishman), Jeremy Holm (Mr. Robot), Liam Obergfoll (Monster), and James McMenamin (Orange is the New Black). Scarlet Sky Productions is based in Norwalk, CT. For more information, contact scarletskyfilms@yahoo.com

Follow TWELVE on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TwelveMovie

STAY TUNED FOR MORE FILM NEWS
#filmedinthehudsonvalley #nothollywood

WOODSTOCK RESIDENT WINS AT BIG SKY WITH PARIAH DOG

Woodstock resident Jesse Alk recently premiered his debut documentary film PARIAH DOG at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Feature. Jesse was among a strong contingent of Hudson Valley Filmmakers represented at the festival, including Filmmakers Peter Nelson and Sally Roy, who brought their feature, THE POLLINATORS to Big Sky. With filmmakers representing Accord, Kingston and Woodstock, the Mid Hudson Valley contingent at Big Sky helped to illustrate the vibrant regional documentary filmmaker community.

PARIAH DOG focuses on several eccentric street dog caretakers in Kolkata, India. Shot over three years, the film paints a kaleidoscopic picture of the city of Kolkata, seen through the prism of four outsiders and the dogs they love. An artistically shot creative documentary, PARIAH DOG gains intimate access to the lives of its subjects, as they care for the street dogs around them, and struggle to find their place in this crowded megacity.

Color correction for the film was done with Chad Smith at Massive Clouds in Kingston. “It was literally the most pleasant part of making PARIAH DOG,” said Alk. “Chad’s excellent taste and consummate professionalism brought a level of polish to the film beyond what I could not have anticipated. As a first time filmmaker, I was incredibly grateful that Chad was willing to talk me through the process and dedicate himself to this smaller project with as much seriousness as he brings to larger films. The coloring of the film has repeatedly, and rightly, been singled out for praise by other filmmakers.”

“I met with Jesse to talk about working together at the beginning of the edit,” recalls Chad Smith. “At that time he only had a short trailer edited.  There was such a strong visual sense, so much texture and interesting characters that I was taken in right away. Even though he is a first time filmmaker, Jesse has a great eye, attention to detail and brings deep knowledge of cinema history.  Jesse attended the color sessions and provided positive feedback during the process. This made for a very collaborative and supportive experience. The end result is an exceptional looking film. I could not be happier for his wonderful win at Big Sky”

Stay tuned for more news about local production, and post-production.

SALVAGE POSTS IN MID HUDSON VALLEY & PREMIERES IN TEXAS

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. These words could not be more true in SALVAGE, the latest film from Amy C. Elliott​​. ​This documentary delves deep into the many sides and stories of the local dump in Yellowknife Canada, capital of the Northwest Territories. The town dump is the city’s most popular and notorious man made attraction, mined by a colorful community of thrifty locals. While some folks classify themselves as “fair-weather dumpers” others are tenacious enough to actually make a living “prospecting” the dump. Some even find food, heat sources and a nice new jacket! The dump is a treasure trove of odds and ends. Filled with discarded objects of the original owners are now up for grabs. First come, first served.

​SALVAGE​ was produced over a ten year period and shot by the director. The film is edited by Sabrina Zanella-Foresi a veteran of many PBS American Experience, Independent Lens and Frontline titles. Once the editing stage was completed Amy enlisted the services of Coll Anderson of ​C.A. Sound​ in Bearsville. Wanting to keep the finishing stage local, Anderson contacted Chad Smith at ​Massive Clouds​ in Kingston to work on color correction.

”One of my favorite things about working with filmmakers as a colorist is hearing about the making of the film as we work,” says Smith. “During the color sessions for Salvage, Amy shared backstory tales of the characters and the amazing plane ride to location that went​ through​ the northern lights! We were all very excited that during the finishing stages, Amy found out she had gotten into SXSW.”

The film has its world premiere on Friday, March 8, 2019 at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

HUDSON VALLEY PRODUCTIONS SELECTED FOR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 24 to May 5, just announced it’s lineup. Several Mid Hudson Valley film productions (and filmmakers) will be featured.

“It’s always a thrill to see how local productions are featured at top festivals around the world,” said Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto. “We work very hard to attract film production to the region and to support filmmaking with location, vendor, cast and crew referrals. I like to think the region and local people play a supporting role in all this film success.”

On location in Pleasant Valley with producer Joe Pirro and director Andrew Ahn.

On the heels of its critical success at its Berlin Film Festival world premiere last month, DRIVEWAYS, will have its U.S. Premiere at the Tribeca FIlm Festival. The film is directed by Andrew Ahn, written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, and produced by Celine Rattray, TrudieStyler, James Schamus, Joe Pirro, Nicolaas Bertelsen. Filming took place in July and August of 2017 and featured many Mid Hudson Valley cast & crew members, vendors and locations. Featured towns include Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, New Paltz, Rosendale, and Kingston. The cast features Brian Dennehy, Hong Chau, and Christine Ebersole. In this beautifully understated drama, a lonesome boy accompanies his mother on a trip to clean out his late aunt’s house, and ends up forming an unexpected friendship with the retiree who lives next door.

SKIN will have its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca, after world premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in the fall of 2018. The film is distributed by  A24 and DirecTV release and set to open this summer. Production took place during March of 2018 in towns including Kingston, Catskill, Port Ewen, Saugerties and Ulster Park. Hundreds of Hudson Valley cast and crew were involved. The feature film is adapted from Nattiv and Newman’s short film of the same name, which was honored with the 2019 Oscar for best live action short. The film was produced by Oren Moverman, Jaime Ray Newman, Celine Rattray, TrudieStyler, Dillon D. Jordan. The story traces the true story of Bryon Widney, a white supremacist who begins a path to redemption through a romance with a single mother intent on keeping her children out of the movement. Featured cast members include Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Mike Colter, and Vera Farmiga.

Carlo Mirabella-Davis and David Hall at 2009 Woodstock FIlm Festival with KNIFE POINT

A third production that filmed in the Hudson Valley will World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. SWALLOW is directed and written by Carlo Mirabella-Davis, and produced by Mollye Asher, Mynette Louie, Carole Baraton, and Frederic Fiore. The story follows Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife who finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession. The cast features Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche and Denis O’Hare. Filming took place primarily in Highland during the summer of 2018. Carlo Mirabella-Davis is no stranger to the Hudson Valley. His brilliant short film KNIFE POINT was also filmed in the region, with part time Hudson Valley actor Davis Hall. The short was featured at the 2009 Woodstock Film Festival.

Several other films have local ties including THE APOLLO, DREAMLAND and EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE.

The fest will open at New York’s iconic Apollo Theater with the world premiere of HBO documentary THE APOLLO by part time Hudson Valley resident Roger Ross Williams.

Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, who graduated from Bard College in 2014, will World Premiere DREAMLAND. Amid the dust storms and economic depression of Dustbowl Era Texas, Eugene Evans finds his family farm on the brink of foreclosure. His last bet to save the farm is the bounty on the head of fugitive bank robber Allison Wells. The Cast features Margot Robbie, Finn Cole, Travis Fimmel, Kerry Condon, Garrett Hedlund, and Darby Camp.

Another part time Hudson Valley resident, Joe Berlinger, will have the NY Premiere of EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE. The film chronicles the crimes of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron)from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.

Stay tuned for more…

POST PRODUCTION CASE STUDY FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY - RUN WITH THE HUNTED

John Swab visiting Ulster County Jail

In December of 2016, Paul Green introduced the Hudson Valley Film Commission’s Laurent Rejto to director Jon Swab at Sunfrost in Woodstock. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Swab had just moved to the region after wrapping production on LET ME MAKE YOU A MARTYR, starring Marilyn Manson and Marc Boone Junior (SONS OF ANARCHY, MEMENTO). The film showed raw talent and Rejto became determined to make sure that Swab’s follow up feature would be produced locally. To that end, the Hudson Valley Film Commission started making introductions to A-list actors, crew, vendors, and locations, including the old Ulster County Jail (see photo).

After many ups and downs, the film was lured back to Oklahoma by private equity, which has become harder and harder to find in an independent film world that has been monopolized by corporations. Following some Herculean reshuffling of the principle cast, Swab set about directing RUN WITH THE HUNTED in and around Tulsa.

“At its lowest point,” says Rejto. “I remember getting a text that one of the principles had dropped out, but John wrote that he would make the film, even if he had to resort to sock puppets,”

Through sheer determination, and hard work, Swab with the help of Roxwell Films co-producer Jeremy Rosen, landed Ron Perlman, Michael Pitt, and William Forsythe. With Marc Boone Junior and Dree Hemingway, who were in all along, production started in July of 2018..

With brilliant performances and outstanding production quality in hand, Swab returned to the Hudson Valley to tackle post production, and the film commission was back in the game.

“As a former film and sound editor, I’m always looking to promote local post production,” says Rejto. “The paradigm has completely shifted from the eighties and nineties, when everything was done under one roof. I worked on 49th Street across from Sound One. A lot of the same people who relied on post houses like Sound One and Magno, now work in offices, homes and cabins throughout the Hudson Valley, with high speed Internet as a lifeline.”

This was an intense year for local post production with parts of the Academy Award nominated ROMA doing some of their sound editing with Wyatt Sprague in Ulster County and with Jay Peck at Stepping Stone Foley in Orange County. Sprague also worked some sound effect magic on M. Night Shyamalan’s THE VISIT with sounds recorded in the Rhinecliff train station, Ashokan Reservoir, Longyear farm, various local farmhouses, etc. BCDF Pictures edited CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET in Kerhonkson while Michael Cristofer picture cut THE NIGHT CLERK in Woodstock. Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Robert Stone continues to work on his PBS mini series, CHASING THE MOON, with picture editing in Rhinebeck, sound editing at C.A Sound in Bearsville, and color correction in Kingston with Chad Smith at Massive Clouds. Many other projects worked locally with VFX specialists, composers (Spencer Hutchings with THEN CAME YOU), and more.

The film commission made several referrals to Swab, including editors, sound editors, composers, VFX and all things post.

John Swab and Jon Greenhalgh

Within days, Jon Greenhalgh was hired to picture cut the film. Greenhalgh is best known for his Emmy nominated documentary TEAM FOXCATCHER, which was edited with particular skill.

“I initially sought out Laurent when I was looking to screen my documentary film TEAM FOXCATCHER at my hometown theatre in Woodstock, NY, wrote Greenhalgh. “.That screening went off without a hitch, and subsequently Laurent and I have become fast friends. Professionally, Laurent has suggested me for a plethora of editing projects based in the Hudson Valley area, which is a win-win for everyone involved -- I get the luxury of staying home with my family and cutting within the comfortable confines of my personal studio, and producers benefit from the hefty tax credit they receive from doing business in this area.”

Working with John Swab on RUN WITH THE HUNTED was a creatively satisfying experience,” Greenhalgh continued. “John brought a clear vision and well developed ideas into my editing studio, which allowed the process to unfold quickly and efficiently. But, at the same time, he remained open to exploring any and all ideas that arose spontaneously, no matter how avant-garde. And that type of creatively untethered environment kept things fresh and fun for me, as an editor. “

Following picture lock, the project was handed over to another local: the masterful sound editor Coll Anderson, who has worked on THE JINX, THE FLORIDA PROJECT, BLACK SWAN and hundreds of other projects. He’s currently finishing up Robert Stone’s ambitious PBS mini series CHASING THE MOON.

Coll Anderson and John Swab

“I had a great time with John,” says Anderson. That mix of working on a new version of Noir and having the time to explore ideas is what’s great about being here. There is a connection to space that is really grounding and from that position I think John and I were able to have fun and relax. I think that confidence shows in the work that comes from here. This place is exactly what I want in a working environment. With all the tools we have up here at our disposal it makes it a great place to create. I am really happy to call the Hudson Valley home.”

RUN WITH THE HUNTED will start being previewed by distributors and major film festivals this week.

“I was lucky enough to screen the final mix at Coll’s,” says Rejto. “I had the opportunity to see some early edits, which I was very impressed by. The production value, direction, acting and editing was very accomplished, but it rose to a whole other level with sound design and music. I’m optimistic that the film will find distribution, and a large audience - it deserves it.”

As for director John Swab, it is hoped that his next feature film will be produced and posted in the Hudson Valley. The future looks promising.

“I couldn’t have made the film I wanted without the help of the Hudson Valley Film Commission and all of the talented people who live and work here,” said John Swab. “After this experience, I won’t ever do post anywhere else, and I hope very much to bring my next production to the Hudson Valley as well.”

Stay tuned for future Hudson Valley Film Production news.

FROM DOC TO NARRATIVE - THE MARK HOGANCAMP STORY

In 2006, director Jeff Malmberg began what would become the Award Winning documentary MARWENCOL, about outsider artist Mark Hogancamp. The documentary, which later inspired a radio story for THIS AMERICAN LIFE, was released theatrically by the Cinema Guild and aired on PBS. It won over 25 awards, including the Best Documentary award at the 2010 Woodstock Film , where it was booked after programmer Laurent Rejto had dinner with director Jeff Malmberg at a BMI dinner in Austin. The screening would be the first public screening that Hocancamp attended.

“Mark is a beautiful and fascinating person, so to be able to tell his story over that amount of time was a real joy,” says Malmberg looking back. “At that time, the Kingston area was sort of a second home for me. I still feel really close to that area and love coming back.”

Mark Hogancamp at Film Festival (photo by Rick Gilbert)

The feature film version, WELCOME TO MARWEN, which is based on MARWENCOL, will play from 1/4 through 1/7/2019 at the Rosendale Theatre Collective. When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) and wipes away all his memories, no one expects recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one. In a bold, wondrous and timely film, WELCOME TO MARWEN shows that when your only weapon is your imagination…you’ll find courage in the most unexpected place.

WELCOME TO MARWEN is the second feature directed by the legendary director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Castaway, Forrest Gump) that features an Ulster County Resident.

Philippe Petit at Woodstock Film Festival screening of THE WALK

THE WALK, is based on the Academy Award winning documentary MAN ON WIRE about high wire artist Philippe Petit. Before production, in 2014, actor Joseph Gordon Leavitt visited the region and practiced tightrope walking under the tutelage of Philippe Petit at Tech City in the Town of Ulster.

Zemeckis is also executive producer of NBC’s MANIFEST, which filmed its pilot episode at Stewart Airport in New Windsor.

TO buy the DVD, visit MARWENCOL. For upcoming exhibitions featuring work by Mark Hogancamp, visit marwencol.com/artwork

THIN EDGE FILMS PRODUCER / DIRECTOR MAKES HISTORY

THIN EDGE FILMS PRODUCER / DIRECTOR MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST TO FILM AT LUMBERYARD STAGE WITH SURREAL, ZEBRA MUSIC VIDEO FOR RYDER COOLEY AND THE DUST BOWL FAERIES

Donkeys styled as zebras, flame breathing femme fatales and aerial ghosts that hang from the rafters are just some of the images brought to life in the upcoming Dust Bowl Faeries, Zebra music video shot in mid December at Lumberyard, Catskill. The surreal, dream like, circus affair was conceived of by Producer / Director, Lisa M. Thomas who worked with Ryder Cooley, the founder and lead songstress of the Dust Bowl Faeries to make the larger than life music video.

Being the first filmmaker on the stage meant that Thomas’ cast and crew were not only making history, but the Producer / Director felt the responsibility as the first filmmaker on the stage that what they were creating needed to be a bit larger than life to attract other filmmakers and big it was. With the help of Production Designer, Jesika Farkas, a circus tent was built on site and Thomas brought inside show acts to make for a spectacular production.

Lumberyard which opened its doors earlier this year in Catskill, is the new home of the American Dance Institute. The idea to renovate the town’s former Dunn’s Hardware Store / Lumberyard and make it a state of the art facility where dance, theater, music and film can all be housed under one roof is beyond a dream for a town like Catskill, it’s a game changer. The first time the Catskill based Director heard what was going on at the former Dunn site, Thomas remembers thinking, “there’s no way this can be happening here, but if you build it they will come. Having one of the best sound stages in all of New York coupled with having Ryder Cooley and the Dust Bowl Faeries in the town’s midst made it a no brainer. Ryder is just one of those people that you look at and know should be filmed; she has this kind of old Hollywood mystique about her that makes it near impossible to not get gold.”

The Zebra music video which is currently in post-production will be have its premiere in New York City on January 30 th and will be unveiled at Lumberyard, Catskill on February 2 nd 2019. In the meantime, you can catch the Dust Bowl Faeries performing from Woodstock to New York City and for those who are rubbing their eyes thinking they may have fleetingly saw a donkey in these parts playing up the town in Zebra fashion, know it was not a dream at all just what happens when a little town goes Hollywood up the Hudson.

The Hudson Valley sounds of ROMA

If you're asking yourself, 'why is the Hudson Valley Film Commission posting about Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También) and his new film Roma? – the answer is simple. The sound effects editor for the critically acclaimed film is Hudson Valley based Wyatt Sprague, who has worked with many other illustrious directors including Martin Scorsese, The Coen Brothers, and Ang Lee, to name a few.

Roma, which receiving astounding awards is now available for viewing on Netflix and in limited theaters. Roma follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a young domestic worker for a family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City. Delivering an artful love letter to the women who raised him, Cuarón draws on his own childhood to create a vivid and emotional portrait of domestic strife and social hierarchy amidst political turmoil of the 1970s.

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote: "Alfonso Cuarón's masterpiece Roma, an autobiographical movie set in Mexico City in the 1970s, uses both intimacy and monumentality to express the depths of ordinary life."

“I was a sound editor on 49th Street back in the eighties,” says HVFC director Laurent Rejto, “so it’s a particular thrill for me to see someone like Wyatt, creating, recording, and editing the most nuanced and subtle sounds to magically add depth and meaning for some of the most remarkable films imaginable. For reference, listen to the dog barks, the alarm clock, footsteps, and broom sweeps in the Roma trailer, and don’t be surprised if some of these sounds were recorded right here in the Hudson Valley!.”

Post production is one of the fastest growing sectors of the film business in the Hudson Valley. With high speed internet, the paradigm shifted many years ago from NYC based editing facilities to backwoods cabins and private homes. Ulster County, in particular (due to it’s lack of an MTA tax), has attracted many post production stalwarts including picture editors, sound effects editors, vfx artists, foley recordists, color correctors, mixers, and more. Stay tuned for more news regarding recent post production work. Stay tuned for more…