Our AFM Special Edition is packed with film projects in many different states for production from concept to completion here in New England. Each would like to find their special “needs and wants” at this year’s AFM held at the Loews Beach Resort Hotel in Santa Monica. This will be the largest independent film market on the globe with over 8,000 professionals attending from all over the world.
And get this, over $3 Billion in deals will be sealed in eight days. Imagine that! I look forward to it every year and have never been disappointed.
IMAGINE Magazines are distributed at this major industry event right along-side of Variety and Hollywood Reporter. We really score big for our advertisers, our region, and the projects we select to be seen in this issue representing New England.
Last year SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY starring Steve Sweeney was included in our slate of New England films in our 2016 AFM edition. The film was still in concept mode. Now I’m happy to report that SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY, Executive Produced by Dennis Serpone, has just recently wrapped and is now in post-production.
We also featured ANNABELLE HOOPER AND THE GHOSTS OF NANTUCKET. The film is now in international distribution and we are once again spotlighting ANNABELLE HOOPER 2, a sequel in development along with a slate from Paul Serafini and Angelina Pictures based in Concord, MA. Read about them in this issue.
“Along for the Ride” creator Lisa Reilly is now in LA along with the powerful stories she collected while driving for LYFT to offset her production company expenses. She and her story attended AFM in 2016. I really encourage anyone, in this business that can to attend this opportunity each fall.
There is no getting around the fact that this edition is one of our most important examples of outreach that IMAGINE continues since its inception. We get the word out. When we send our stories to the likes of AFM, we greatly enrich our region and our region’s connection to the industry. Read all about the special projects we have chosen for Hollywood limelight in this edition.
I just have to recall one of our first AFM editions that we took there. I ran into Dorothy Aufiero. It was the year 2000; IMAGINE was only two and a half years old. Under her arm was a project for motion picture. It was called THE FIGHTER. It took Dot a long time to develop that story into a motion picture – ten years, in fact. But, she did. She did it in Massachusetts and the show won two Oscars and eighty-eight other awards!
Since then she has produced THE FINEST HOURS and PATRIOTS DAY. I cannot wait to see what my friend Dorothy Aufiero does next.
Our cover story for this issue is exceptionally important for our industry in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth hasn’t had a major TV series since Spenser for Hire! Oh yes, Dorothy A. worked on that too along with our current MA Film Office Executive Director, Lisa Strout and countless others who were here in the ‘80s. In fact Lisa put me onto the subject of Robin Sweet, producing Castle Rock for Hulu Originals in conjunction with Warner Bros at New England Studios and on location in the wonderful town of Orange, Massachusetts. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did collecting it. And imagine, Robin has lived in Concord, MA for nine years….
Fall is flying by and before we know it, I say this every year, it will 2018. Thinking of that reminds me to remind you to Save the Date! The IMAGINE Industry New Year’s Celebration & “Imaginnaire” Awards Gala will be held on the second Tuesday of the New Year: Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Save the Date!
I had the great pleasure of taking another industry group to the Berkshires for a visit with Doug and Julia Trumbull at Trumbull Studios. Everyone oohed and awed as always at the amazing work that is being done there vis a vis Douglas Trumbull’s Magi Project: shooting at 120fps, editing and post-producing at the same rate and screening at 120fps in his geodesic dome shaped Magi Pod – this will change forever how we see what is on the silver screen. The results will take your breath away.
I’d like to draw attention to Mick Cusimano’s ImagineNation cartoon this month. He joined our fi rst trip to Trumbull Studios and has created this remembrance.
Jan Haughey’s Media Resource Expo is the best place to catch up with broadcast technology and old friends at a well-run conference. It’s so enjoyable. IMAGINE was an exhibitor. It was held in Westborough, MA this year at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel. There was a great deal to do and no one went hungry. Ice cream in the late afternoon along with $500 door prizes! Well done Jan, Pam, and your team.
IMAGINE has often interfaced with Berklee College of Music of the years, including one time when a Berklee student agreed to come to Nantucket and play for our IMAGINE House Champagne Brunch honoring New England screen writers and fi lmmakers. It was absolutely terrifi c except for one small little detail. In transport from Boston to Nantucket, the airline lost the group’s bass fi ddle. How do you lose a bass fi ddle you ask? I don’t know how it happened, but it was easy to fi nd – on Martha’s Vineyard, of course. The situation was remedied and the show went on. Now that I think of it, producer Dorothy Aufi ero was there, too.
I was reminded of that little story because I just enjoyed a splendid evening as an AVID invited guest to the Berklee College of Music 23rd Annual Encore Gala, a wonderful benefi t for Berklee City Music at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. It consisted of a reception and a star studded dinner program featuring Rickey Minor, the former band leader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as master of ceremonies: and R&B, soul, and funk group Tavares, as well as special guest Courtney Harrell, ’01 (last year she advanced into the top 12 on the hit NBC TV show The Voice). She was a part of the Berklee City Music program and then offered a full scholarship.
And then it was Music, Music, Music – the whole fourth fl oor rocked where individual rooms had separate musical programs performed by students and members of Berklee City Music. Each room sponsored. The fund raising was extremely successful for a very worthy program. It was a sensational evening. Thank you AVID for a wonderful seat at your table.
Coming next is IMAGINE’s Women Who Work in the Industry. It’s one of our most popular issues of the year. Watch for it.
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