Feature to film scenes at Dark Star Orchestra show

(Concord, NH) – LOSING JERRY, an independent feature film to be shot along New Hampshire’s seacoast and in Manchester this fall, will be filming crowd scenes at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Friday, June 1, according to the New Hampshire Film and Television Office.

The production team from the upcoming feature film will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom during a concert by Dark Star Orchestra, the nationally-acclaimed group known for performing sets of the Grateful Dead with faithful interpretation. The film crew will be capturing audience reaction shots as Dark Star Orchestra performs and the footage is planned to be used in sequences in LOSING JERRY.

LOSING JERRY, written and directed by New Hampshire native Mitchell Ganem, follows the personal journeys of three close friends from their happy-go-lucky, teenage days following the Grateful Dead, to that tragic day of Jerry Garcia's death, 15 years later. In between, the friends are forced to come to terms with the unkind reality of growing up - and just as their friendships have been pushed to their ultimate limits, that painful news arrives. Jerry Garcia's death serves as both a catalyst and a right of passage; forcing the friends to face that which they fear and desire most. And through it all, the joy of The Grateful Dead's music and what it has meant carries them through.

“It’s exciting to see this project get underway,” says Van McLeod, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Resources. “The film has been a long time coming, and the filming on June 1 is a great way to kick it all off.”

“This is a great chance for the public to be a part of the film,” says NH-based producer Mark Constance. “We’re hoping everyone will put on their favorite tie-dye and join us for what promises to be a magical night of lights, camera and music!”

Principal photography for the film is scheduled to begin in September 2007. However, the producers of LOSING JERRY are encouraging people (18 and older) to come to the Dark Star Orchestra concert on June 1 for the opportunity to appear in the film.

Dark Star Orchestra will take the stage at 8 p.m. at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Boulevard in Hampton Beach. For more information on Dark Star Orchestra and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, visit www.casinoballroom.com. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance, $22 at the door.

The New Hampshire Film and Television Office, as part of the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources, works to expand business activity and employment throughout the state by acting as a liaison between the film industry and an established network of government agencies, the state’s film industry workforce, and local property owners. The office is responsible for location assistance, public relations, and general production support in an effort to broaden the cultural and economic impact of film and television production in the state. For more information about film and television production in New Hampshire, call (603) 271-2220 or visit www.nh.gov/film.