ENCLOSURE AT LUMA ARLES

In June and July 2018, the Hudson Valley Film Commission worked to support Animal Kingdom and their production of ENCLOSURE, with crew, cast, animal and location referrals. Construction crews were also referred to reproduce 17th Century architecture at Woodstock Film Studios.

The unprecedented video installation created by American artist Rachel Rose, is currently being presented on a specially designed holographic screen at Luma Arles in the new Frank Gehry tower.

ENCLOSURE is immersed in a supernatural atmosphere that was inspired by the perception of nature of the 17th Century British agrarian world. This immersive work recalls the origins of the economic, environmental, social and radical transformation which has grown since then.

The work ENCLOSURE is co-commissioned by Luma Foundation and Park Avenue Armory, New York. It will travel to the Park Avenue Armory, New York in 2020. The exhibition is supported by Parfums Christian Dior.

For more information, visit https://www.luma-arles.org

LOCALLY PRODUCED SKIN IN THEATERS

The feature film SKIN, directed by Guy Nattiv, was produced in Kingston, Port Ewen, Saugerties, and the Town of Ulster, from February 24 through March 26, 2018. The Hudson Valley Film Commission was involved in pre production and principal photography, providing support for locations, crew, cast and vendors. SKIN opens at Upstate Films Woodstock on August 2. 

Inspired by true events, SKIN chronicles the life of Bryon Widner. After a difficult childhood drives him into the grasps of a white supremacist gang, 

Bryon tries to escape to a new life, all the while questioning whether he's capable of undoing—and repenting for—the evil he's done. Actor Jamie Bell (Rocketman, Billy Elliot, Undertow) delivers a visceral, explosive performance. Also featured are Julie Price, Daniel Henshall, Louisa Krause, Mike Colter and Hudson Valley resident Vera Farmiga. Variety calls the film, “a potent drama and powerful, well-acted tale of personal redemption." The short version of the same name won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. 

“SKIN was a memorable production for many reasons, including the controversial subject matter,” says Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto. “The issues were handled with incredible tact by the production team. Everyone involved, bonded and worked as a family to create a film that is challenging, compelling and electrifying.”

Among others, local crew included Richard Auth, Brian Barney, Tim Bruno, Kevin Callahan, Page Chase, Adrianne Davis, Matt de Bara, Evan Derrickson, Heidi Eklund, Jaf Farkas, Jesika Farkas, Dirt Haehnel, Amy Hutchings, Deana LeBlanc, John Livermore, Alanna Wray McDonald, Greg Meola, Tijen Osman, Julian Rodriguez, Brian Schuley, Dave Shumbris, Anthony Stracquadanio, Deirdre Sullivan, Steven Teitter, Jeremiah Wenutu. Lodging was secured at Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center and catering was provided by Stone Pony Deli Catering.

 Producer Trudie Stylern was recently quoted in the New York Times, saying: “We had no budget. Only $2 million. So we filmed upstate. Kingston. In the briefest period — only 23 days. No trailers for anybody. Huddled in our own vehicles. Down and dirty in the trenches. Freezing our butts off because we had to save money."

Casting directors Amy Hutchings and Heidi Eklund worked with director Guy Nattiv and actor/producer Jaime Ray Newman, to cast white supremacists and African American counter demonstrators. The initial casting call was held at the FILM CENTER in Woodstock, where the Film Commission and the Woodstock Film Festival are based.

"It was a very emotional casting session, seeing Guy Nattiv's words come alive,” recalls Amy Hutchings. “Normally gentle, kind actors, became violent skinheads before our eyes, while the passion of some of the African American actors brought me to tears. I knew from the auditions that Guy was going to direct a most amazing film."

Willis Williams, from Rhinebeck, was one of 280 extras used during the feature film production. He was part of the “Charlottesville-type” riot scene between white supremacists and counter demonstrators. The scene was filmed overnight in 20 degree weather, under the Wurtz Bridge in the Kingston Rondout. 

“SKIN was the most emotionally charged film I’ve ever been involved with. The scene I was a part of was exhausting and exciting at the same time. I will never forget it.” 

Photo credit: Julian Rodriguez

Greg Meola of Company 1 Productions provided grip and lighting gear, in addition to serving as key grip for director of photography, Arnaud Potier.  

“Most of the film was shot handheld,” Meola said. “Arnaud wanted viewers to feel like they are there–in the action. I was spotting the camera, and Arnaud. We were getting shoved, kicked, and punched. It was like being in a mosh pit in the early 90’s. I loved it.” 

As leadman, Jaf Farkas was tasked with many responsibilities including props and set dressing.

Photo credit: Tim Bruno

"SKIN coalesced around an exceptional cast and crew as well as some very generous community members. It was an intense experience to recreate the environments and situations that these characters endured. From gravel pit “couch surfing” to SWAT raids to recreating a race-riot, our work was fast-paced and exciting. There were many occasions where certain themes and performances had our team bracing for emotional (or physical!) impacts. I’m grateful for the experience."

A24 and DirecTV acquired North American distribution rights to SKIN at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival. In addition to a limited theatrical run, the film will be available for streaming.

For more information about screening dates and times, visit the Upstate Films Woodstock website.

For additional info or photos, contact filmcommission@me.com 

CHASING THE MOON

Over the past five years, Hudson valley based director Robert Stone has been working on CHASING THE MOON, an epic political and social, historically accurate rendition of the race to the moon, that will premiere on PBS on July 8, 9 and 10 at 9pm Eastern.

“My latest film, CHASING THE MOON, is a six-hour documentary about the 25-year effort to send humans to another world - from the ashes of World War II to the triumph of Apollo 11 - and beyond,” recounts director Robert Stone. “ The film has been a five-year labor of love and was made largely right here in the Hudson Valley. It’s a 100% archival documentary with no narration and no talking heads so it was primarily a post-production project. Editing and production management was done largely out of my studio in Rhinecliff (my co-editor, Lindy Jankura, works in Brooklyn). The many months of work at image restoration and color correction was undertaken by Chad Smith of Massive Clouds in Kingston. Sound editing and mixing was done by Coll Anderson of CA Sound in Bearsville. One of the things I love about living and working in the Hudson Valley is collaborating with dedicated professionals, and friends, whose value system is to put the work first, rather than the money first. The result is an epic documentary about the race to the moon, by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done, with an overall production quality that’s second to none - and done almost entirely without leaving home.”

Among those included in the film, are astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Frank Borman and Bill Anders; Sergei Khrushchev, son of the former Soviet premier and a leading Soviet rocket engineer; Poppy Northcutt, a 25-year old “mathematics whiz” who gained worldwide attention as the first woman to serve in the all-male bastion of NASA’s Mission Control; and Ed Dwight, the Air Force pilot selected by the Kennedy administration to train as America’s first black astronaut.

Stone also co-wrote, with Alan Andres, the companion book CHASING THE MOON, published by Random House.

Chad Smith is a Kingston based post-production wiz, as well as the owner of massiveclouds.tv. He had this to say when asked to weigh in on his work experience on the series. “Robert and I started talking about working together on CHASING THE MOON a few years ago. He came to me to color correct the initial funding trailer that he cut. Robert made great efforts to obtain the best copy of footage used in the film. Some clips however were not captured under ideal conditions or had in camera issues. So even the best version of something would still need a bit of polish. After many months the end result looks great. I have been both humbled and honored to be part of this extraordinary project. As this Doc is sourced entirely from archival materials, the quality of sources was widely varied, from Russian home movies, the first color TV broadcast to footage shot by the astronauts themselves.  Every source presented their own challenges. Each shot needed attention in regards to color and noise to be able to sit within the context of the program.

In addition to the color challenges we also had technical considerations that needed to be addressed, frame rate conversions, up-scaling, deinterlacing, stabilization, dust removal and de-flickering all needed to be considered on a shot by shot basis. It has been very gratifying to work on iconic footage like JFK’s speech at Rice University. After many months the end result looks great.  I have been both humbled and honored to be part of this extraordinary project.” 

“CHASING THE MOON is my sixth film with Robert Stone and I would venture to say the boldest and most exciting undertaking with him,” said sound editor and mixer Coll Anderson.  “We were presented with no on camera interviews and mountains of historical footage, which , for the most part, had no sound at all.  It was great fun re-creating the sound of these images in a way that did not interrupt the historical content and had a sort of verisimilitude at the same time.  All this while embracing the drama of the story. And what a great story it is! I love how deep in talent the Hudson Halley is becoming with respect to filmmaking,” added Anderson..”It's a great place to feel part of and call home.  I am super proud to be working here.”

MORE ABOUT Robert Stone:

Robert Stone is a multi-award-winning, Oscar®-nominated and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. He gained considerable recognition for his first film, Radio Bikini (1987), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. 

Multi-tasking as a producer, director, writer, editor and cameraman, Stone has over the last 30 years developed an esteemed international reputation for his unique and critically acclaimed feature-documentaries about American history, pop-culture, the mass media and the environment. His best-known work includes Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004), which premiered at Sundance and went on to become one of the

most highly-acclaimed theatrical documentaries of the year. The film was followed by the documentary feature Oswald’s Ghost (2007) for which Stone earned his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking. Earth Days (2009), which premiered as the closing night film at Sundance, traced the emergence of the environmental movement in the United States, from its beginnings in the 1950s to the first Earth Day celebration in 1970 and the political action that followed it. Pandora’s Promise (2013), an audience favorite at Sundance, prompted considerable controversy by telling the intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts who have undergone a radical conversion from being fiercely anti- to strongly pro-nuclear energy. Stone has screened several of his films at the Woodstock Film Festival.

For more information about CHASING THE MOON, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chasing-moon

For more about Robert Stone, visit http://robertstoneproductions.com

MAX - HOW TO ROCK FROM HUDSON VALLEY TO WORLD TOURS

In 2012, the Hudson Valley Film Commission referred many young actors (and crew) from the region to work on Maggie Greenwald's THE LAST KEEPERS, starring Aidan Quinn, Virginia Madsen, Zosia Mamet, Olympia Dukakis, Sam Underwood and Nat Wolff.

One of those actors was Max Schneider. Formerly from the Woodstock Day School, MAX was attending NYU, but opted to follow a new road when given the opportunity, and left to pursue his acting career.

Several months after performing as Lance, in scenes filmed at Saugerties High School, MAX was on his way to Los Angeles to try out for pilot season. He landed a feature role in Nickelodeon's HOW TO ROCK. 

“THE LAST KEEPERS was my first movie ever and such a special experience,” Max told the Hudson Valley Film Commission. ”It’s actually why I dropped out of NYU and pursued music and acting full time. Without its glorious cast and people, I certainly wouldn’t have the wonderful life I have now. Very grateful.” 

“We all knew Max was a rare talent,” recalls THE LAST KEEPERS co-writer Peter Hutchings. “Not only did have a special presence, but he came in every day with such a terrific attitude--his enthusiasm was infectious. At the time I didn't know he was also a musician, but a couple years later, I used a great song of his, Mugshot, in a film I directed called THE OUTCASTS.

As an actor/musician, MAX has been recognized by G.Q. as a “Young Pop-God.” At age 17, he was featured in a Dolce and Gabbana campaign with Madonna. His rise has been well deserved and the result of very hard work. We're wishing him continued success.

MAX can be seen in this video performing his latest hit, LOVE ME LESS, on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna!.

For more about MAX, visit http://maxmusicofficial.com

For more about the Hudson Valley Film Commission, visit hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org,

Blog post by KJ Ryan

THE DEAD DON'T DIE special screening

Louise & Jaf Farkas, Laurent Rejto, and Zach & Sara Golden

On June 11, the Hudson Valley Film Commission hosted a special private screening of THE DEAD DON’T DIE at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck. The Guffaws and gasps filled the theater, as director Jim Jarmusch’s latest feature blends both humor and horror.

THE DEAD DON’T DIE recently opened the Cannes Film Festival and opens in 500 theaters across the county on June 14. Focus Features is distributing. The feature film holds special significance for the Mid Hudson Valley as principal photography took place in regional towns during the summer of 2018. 

Some local crew and actors attended the special screening, including several zombies, stand ins, and background casting directors Amy Hutchings and Heidi Eklund. Local industry luminaries included Colin Broderick, Eden Brolin, Cameron Crosby, Jon Greenhalgh, Willo Hausman, Sam Quartin and Mike Wallach. Local artists (Portia Munson, Jared Handelsman, Jeanne Fleming), filmmakers and cinephiles alike congregated at Foster’s Coach House for a happy hour prior to the screening and enjoyed a zombie themed cake, courtesy of Hudson Valley Dessert Company. Click to see photos online.

Colin Broderick, Mike Wallach, Eden Brolin, Cameron Crosby and Sam Quartin

THE DEAD DON’T DIE features Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Selena Gomez, Larry Fessenden, Danny Glover, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi, Eszter Balint, Caleb Landry Jones, Carol Kane, Rosie Perez, RZA, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, and many local extras.

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.

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. More than 10,000 room nights were rented in Kingston and the Town of Ulster, and administrative offices were based at Tech City.

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!”

Location Manager Jeff Brown wrote, "THANK YOU for steering me in the direction of Fleischmanns. Whenever anyone asked me “how did you find Fleischmanns?” I would always mention that you (the Hudson Valley Film Commission, naturally) steered me in the direction of it.  Without that broad stroke of guidance, I don’t know where we would have ended up. You made The Dead Don’t Die, as far as I’m concerned."

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 especially in Ulster County, Dutchess County, Orange County, as well as Columbia, Delaware, Greene, and Sullivan Counties.

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.