News from "Hollywood New England"

[Received this update from Joe Cummings at "Hollywood New England".]

In the fall of 2007, Joe Cummings and Mike Abbene, who have a combined 40+ years in the film and television industry, developed the idea of an entertainment talk show that would highlight regional talent from across the six New England states. Their brainstorming was the birth of the show, “Hollywood New England”.

Mike Abbene and Joe Cummings are the creators and executive producers of “Hollywood New England”. The show is also produced by Elena Abbene and Ken Lawrence. Joe Cummings’ resume includes work on television shows such as “Cheers”, “St. Elsewhere”, 40 Episodes of “Spenser for Hire” and features such as “The Verdict” with Academy Award winner Paul Newman and the Oscar-winning film, “On Golden Pond”. Mike Abbene and his wife Elena Abbene are producers and co-owners of Miken Entertainment Inc. with Ken Lawrence. They have several projects in development especially, “Cocoanut Grove”, the historic Boston fire of 1942, “Up Your Alley”, a celebrity game/reality show, “Maginary Way”, a television project for young children and several documentaries.

Mike and Joe felt that “Hollywood New England” should showcase talented artists in the film, music, arts and entertainment industry. They saw it as an opportunity for these artists to network with each other and to bring their undiscovered talent to the New England and Hollywood communities. The ultimate goal of this show is to recognize New England as a hotbed of talented artists both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. They also are working with local high school and college students, such as Keene State College, allowing them to utilize their talent and knowledge in exchange for college credits and internships. This will also give them the opportunity to be a part of an exciting new and local television production.

“Hollywood New England” has been fortunate to secure the talents of co-hosts John Campanello of Between-Gigs Casting and Gail Scott-Key from local radio and national television. Fifteen episodes have been produced to date. They have profiled such guests as Matthew Newton of the New Hampshire Film Office, Musical Composer Charles Carpenter, Rachel Barker, Miss NH 2007 and Morgan and Lori Murphy of Whitebridgefarm Productions as well as the Heavyweights a music producing team who have produced the award winning song Do You for Ne-Yo. They have also produced other projects for Rhiana and Janet Jackson. “Hollywood New England” has also taped five episodes at the Granite Media Center in Tilton where Joe Cummings’ office is located.

The show has begun broadcasting in several local cable access channels throughout the Granite State and soon to be seen in the other five New England states. “Hollywood New England” is also looking for experienced professionals to assist with various aspects of the show including editors who are experienced in Final Cut Pro.

If you or someone you know would like to be a guest on “Hollywood New England” or part of the production team, please contact Mike Abbene at mikeninc@comcast.net or Joe Cummings at cpdfilms@msn.com.

"D.I.D." to premiere at Palace Theatre June 15

New Hampshire-based Grave Situations Films will premiere its psychological thriller, D.I.D. on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 5 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

Tickets are $12 at the box office and $15 online at www.palacetheatre.org.

More information on the film and Grave Situations Films can be found here.

MODE

Sienna Miller




Lindsay Lohan




Rachel Bilson



Clothes:

Heartwood Media Shoots Pop-Star Michael Bublé for Commercial

Received this press release from our friends at Heartwood Media in Manchester.

For immediate release
May 15, 2008

Heartwood Media Hired by Dutch Production Company

(Manchester, NH) – Heartwood Media, an award-winning video, TV, and multi-media production company based in Manchester, NH, was hired by CREAMM, a Dutch production company to shoot a commercial featuring Canadian pop-star Michael Bublé.

“CREAMM contacted us on Friday for a shoot on Tuesday,” said Chris Conroy, Creative Director of Heartwood Media. “We were going for a very specific and stylized look, so we shot the commercial using a high-end High-Definition camera and film lenses.

CREAMM Director Yvo van Koppenhagen had this to say about working with Heartwood, "We hired Heartwood Media to facilitate in no less than 3 days a complete production for a TV commercial for Sky Radio (Europe) featuring Canadian pop star Michael Bublé. From script interpretation to the actual filming they have shown a professional vision. Working with artists requires a certain attitude and flexibility. I can recommend working with Heartwood Media, they are hands on, aware of budgets and on top of that they are really nice guys who love their work."

About Heartwood

Heartwood Media, Inc. is an award winning video, TV, and multi-media production company based in Manchester, NH. Heartwood partners with a diverse array of clients – including PSNH, Segway, Autodesk, CCA Global Partners, and the Nature Conservancy -- to focus their message, target their audience, and deliver an intelligently conceived production that gets results.

For more information, contact Chris Conroy at 603/665-9191 or chris@heartwoodmedia.com

"The Stag Hunt" and "Norman Rockwell Code" news

Hi, friends. I'm passing along this note I received recently from Alfred Thomas Catalfo, director of both short films, "The Stag Hunt" and "The Norman Rockwell Code."

Hi Everyone,

I'm very happy to announce that The Stag Hunt has been selected for the Boston International Film Festival! The BIFF will take place from June 6 through 14 at the Loews Cineplex/AMC at Boston Common, 175 Tremont Street. We've been given a prime screening time of 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday, June 11, which will be followed by a Q-and-A. For more information about the BIFF, please go to www.bifilmfestival.com. The Stag Hunt trailer has had more than 2,400 views on YouTube. The link to the trailer is http://www.thestaghunt.com/viewtrailer.cfm

The Norman Rockwell Code will screen Friday, August 15, at 7:30 P.M. on Opening Night of the three-day Norman Rockwell's Small Town America celebration at the Kennebunk Town Hall, 1 Summer Street, Kennebunk, Maine. It's a fun celebration of Norman Rockwell's life and art featuring, among other things, photographic recreations and stage plays based on Rockwell paintings. It's going to be a blast! For more information, please go to http://www.artoftheplay.com/

New Hampshire Filmmaker Roundtable June 11

This is a reminder that the next New Hampshire Filmmaker Roundtable, presented by the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, will take place on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 from 12-3 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main Street, in Concord.

Members of New Hampshire's film industry, from student filmmakers to seasoned professionals, are invited to attend this lunch-hour networking event and get a first-hand update from the Film and Television Office as well as participate in topical discussion related to film and television production in the state.

Attendees are encouraged to come B.Y.O.L. (Bring Your Own Lunch!) If you haven't done so already, please RSVP by Monday, June 9 via e-mail at film@nh.gov or by calling (603) 271-2220. For directions to Red River Theatres, click here.

NH High School Short Film Festival showcases up-and-coming filmmakers

Young filmmakers and other film enthusiasts from around the state gathered for the inaugural New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival on Saturday, May 17 at the Sweeney Hall Auditorium at New Hampshire Technical Institute–Concord’s Community College.

Twenty films—which varied from documentaries about World War II veterans to music videos with soundtracks composed by the filmmakers to comedies and film noir—were shown. While the films themselves did not have to be part of a school project, in order to be eligible to compete, the filmmakers needed to currently be enrolled at a New Hampshire public or private high school.

“The talent exhibited by these student directors was absolutely inspiring,” said Matthew Newton, director of the New Hampshire Film and Television Office. “We couldn’t have asked for a better slate of films for the first year of the Festival and we’re already receiving inquiries from interested participants looking forward to next year.”

“Aden,” an experimental film about a young adult living on the streets, directed by Michael Basta from Nashua North High School, was selected as Jury Prize winner by a committee of New Hampshire film and video production professionals. Jury award finalists were “Cute Things Falling Asleep” (Daniel Castrillon, Nashua North), “Erased” (Chris Thompson, Londonderry), “Hometown Heroes” (Maree Magliocchetti, Timberlane Regional) and “With or Without” (Dennis Fraser, Hopkinton).

“With or Without,” a funny and heartwarming film about friendship, also took home the Audience Award.

More than 100 people attended the Festival.

The top five films will be packaged onto a DVD, which will also include brief interviews with the films’ directors. Copies of the 2008 New Hampshire High School Film Festival Winners DVD will be distributed to every community access television station in the state for broadcast and shown at both the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth and the SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival in Concord, expanding the audience for these up-and-coming filmmakers.

“Student filmmakers are a key part of the film industry here in New Hampshire and are a vital part of its growth,” says Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod. “The Department of Cultural Resources, through the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, is proud to be able to provide a public audience for this next generation of New Hampshire filmmakers.”

The New Hampshire High School Film Festival, presented by the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, is designed to foster and reward interest in film for future members of the industry by offering a venue for them to show their films to a live audience. Sponsors for the 2008 Festival included New Hampshire Technical Institute–Concord’s Community College, Concord TV, the New Hampshire Union Leader and the Jaw.

The 2009 New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2009. For details, visit www.nhstudentfilm.com.

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.

New Hampshire’s Department of Cultural Resources includes the State Council on the Arts, the Film and Television Office, the Division of Historical Resources, the State Library and the American Canadian French Cultural Exchange Commission. The Department strives to nurture the cultural well-being of our state. From the covered bridges and traditional music of our past to the avant-garde performances and technological resources of today and tomorrow, New Hampshire’s culture is as varied as its geography and its people. This strong cultural base—which truly has something for everyone—attracts businesses looking for engaged workforces, provides outstanding educational opportunities and creates communities worth living in. Learn more at www.nh.gov/nhculture/.

###

NOTE TO EDITORS: An electronic image of all winning directors, taken at the 2008 New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival, is available for reprint. Electronic images from all films submitted to the 2008 New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival are also available for reprint. Please contact Shelly Angers, 603-271-3136, shelly.angers@dcr.nh.gov.

NH Chronicle to feature Granite Media Center

NH Chronicle, produced by WMUR-TV 9, focuses on the people, places and trends that give the Granite State its unique character. All this week, NH Chronicle will be hosting from Granite Media Center in Tilton. The production facility will also be showcased on the program on Tuesday, May 20. Be sure to tune in!

More on NH Chronicle here.

"Mystery Gang" (filming in Manchester) casting extras

[Received this casting notice from John Sefel of the Acting Loft Academy of Performing Arts.]

Anyone interested in coming down and being part of Mystery Gang, the new feature film being shot by Derrick Comedy Productions here in the Greater Manchester area?

We are in dire need of extras for several scenes - it is unpaid -- but breakfast/lunch/snacks are included.

We are looking for:

1. 3-4 Football Players and 4-5 High School Students shooting 6am to 7pm on Saturday, May 10th (our "high school students" should actually be mid 20s). Plan on being there the entire time.

2. 8-10 Strip Club Patrons -- skeezy looking dudes preferred -- Shooting Monday, May 12th (must be over 18) - times tba, but assume they'll need the whole day.

3. 8-10 Bowlers -- Shooting Monday May 19 (all ages) - times tba, but assume they'll need the whole day

4. 8-10 Picketers -- Shooting Sunday, June 15, 2008 (adults) - times tba (but assume they'll need much of the day)

5. 10-15 Party Goers (it's a costume party) -- Shooting Sunday, June 15, 2008 (adults) - times tba (but assume they'll need much of the day)

Interested? Send an email to either myself (johnsefel@gmail.com) or Meggie at mysterygangmovie@gmail.com, and - if at all possible - please attach a recent photo and tell us which of the above times/scenes you are interested in and available for.

Please note: I have only sent this email to adults on purpose. These calls are ONLY for adults, with the exception of the "bowling" shoot date (May 19th), in which a few families might be ok. Please, do not respond with "are there any roles for my really cute eight year old son?" There may be ... but not on these particular days.

Thanks all!

john sefel
producing artistic director
acting loft academy of performing arts
johnsefel@gmail.com

New Hampshire Film in the Hippo

There are two nice stories in this week’s Hippo (their Summer Movie Issue) about film projects shooting in New Hampshire in the coming weeks.

First, the members of New York-based troupe Derrick Comedy are filming their feature-length independent film, The Mystery Gang in and around Manchester this month. Meggie McFadden, one of the film’s producers, is quoted in the piece saying that the New Hampshire Film and Television Office has been "extremely helpful." Very nice.

Turn the page and you'll find a story about the upcoming shoot for the film Just Say Love, which is written by David Mauriello and directed by Bill Humphreys, both from New Hampshire’s seacoast region. The production gets under way in another week and will utilize the Granite Media Center in Tilton as its sound stage. Here’s a nice clipping from the piece:

“Humphreys said initially he wanted to film in New Hampshire because this is his home. Mauriello also lives in the region. But also, it’s a lot more ‘cost-effective’ to shoot in New Hampshire than in California, or even Boston. Even though Massachusetts offers a tax credit to shoot within the state, sound stage rates can be about four times higher. And New Hampshire has no sales tax. In addition, the Lakes Region is a ‘very conducive place to do creative work.’”

Always nice to hear what filmmakers have to say about shooting in New Hampshire. Both stories were written by Heidi Masek and can currently be found online at: http://www.hippopress.com/080501/cover.html

"Real World" spoof wins awards at Boston 48-Hour Film Project, goes national

Portsmouth filmmaker John Herman writes:

"I recently participated in the Boston 48 Hour Film Project. Movies submitted were written, cast, shot, and edited in 48 hours, so keep in mind that they are very much slapped together at a brisk pace. Out of the eighty films submitted, ten were selected as the Best of Boston. These were screened [April 29] at the Kendall Square Cinema. Awards were given. In addition to an Audience Choice Award, the film I worked on won Best Script, Best Ensemble, Best Costumes, and Best Actress. I was awarded Best Cinematographer. Go New Hampshire! We also won the award for Best Film. That means we now go national. Needless to say, it was a little out of control."

To view John's film entry, click here.

"Communities & Consequences" to screen at Red River Theatres on May 15

Red River Theatres, the Concord region’s only non-profit, independent cinema, is pleased to partner with CATCH Neighborhood Housing to present a free public screening of Communities & Consequences on Thursday, May 15, 2008.

Communities and Consequences, by New Hampshire filmmaker Jay Childs, is a film about the human ecology of New Hampshire. It addresses the loss of New Hampshire's young people through the human stories of people that are living out the consequences of demographic imbalance. Correspondent Peter Francese travels throughout the state to talk to business owners, town officials, young professionals and active citizens about the causes and effects of a rapidly aging state. The film confronts and questions many long held myths that have heavily influenced local development decisions, including those of explosive population growth, the aging of New Hampshire as simply a natural trend, and the belief that families with children will increase property taxes.

The evening event from 5:30-8:00 p.m. includes a reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. followed by a free screening of the film and dialogue with community leaders as part of the theater’s Community Conversations series. This event would not be possible without the generous support from Steve and Susan Duprey, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Orr & Reno.

The post-film dialogue with Peter Francese and local community leaders will be moderated by Jon Greenberg, Executive Editor at NH Hampshire Public Radio. Panel participants include:

Peter Francese, founder American Demographics Magazine
Rosemary Heard, President, CATCH Neighborhood Housing
Tim Sink, President, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
Jack Savage, Vice President for Outreach, Forest Society

Tickets may be reserved for this limited seating event online at www.redrivertheatres.org or at the Box Office.