After weeks of research and discovery of potential film locations for Braveart’s filming of “Eye of the Hurricane,” Hollywood Producer Susan Johnson has announced the project will be filmed in St. Marys, Georgia.
“Eye of the Hurricane” writer and director Jesse Wolfe said it was more than the beauty of the area that helped make his and Johnson’s decision.
Actor Campbell Scott will play the leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” Son of Hollywood icon George C. Scott, more than 20 movies comprise his film dossier including the poignant “Dying Young” that co-starred Julia Roberts. Jose Zuniga also plays a leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” His credits include the film “Twilight” and others, as well as starring roles in television series “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Ghost Whisperer.”
A plot synopsis of “Eye of the Hurricane” describes it as: “A compelling family drama about a small Florida community struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of a devastating hurricane. In the spirit of ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ is told through the eyes of a determined child, a troubled adolescent, a wounded parent, and a loyal friend.”
With filming set to begin in August, Writer/Director Wolfe sees “Eye of the Hurricane” as a prequel to much more filming in the Southeast.
“I originally wanted to shoot the film in Florida, as it is a story based in Florida,” Wolfe said. “But from the moment we drove into St. Marys, I knew I would change my mind. Potential locations leapt out at me each time we turned a corner, and the hospitality, enthusiasm and charm of the townsfolk, sealed the deal. I will be making my ‘Florida film’ in St. Marys, Georgia.”
“We are thrilled to be shooting ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ in St. Marys, due in no small part of the folks at the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance. Initially we were looking for a location that could match the Florida Everglades, but once we saw St. Marys, the possibilities were endless,” Johnson stated. “We saw every location we needed in the span of four hours and became so enamored of the look of St. Marys that the script has been rewritten to utilize the entire town. And we could not have received a warmer welcome. By the time we finish production, I’m sure one of us will have moved in permanently!”
Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, sees the economic effect impacting long after the production is finished.
“People love to visit places where movies were filmed,” Brinko said. “After the filming of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ in Savannah, their area tourism soared. Having ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ filmed here will be like having a two-hour picture postcard for St. Marys distributed all over the world.”
To see the kind of picture postcard Brinko envisioned, one can visit www.havensfoot.com and view the location visuals posted by the production company showing the beauty of St. Marys and the surrounding area.
For more information about “Eye of the Hurricane,” visit www.havensfoot.com.
For more information about the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, visit www.coastalgeorgiafilm.org.
The Isle of Eight Shrimp festival kick off on Thursday April 29th with a Pirate Parade at 6 p.m. in downtown Fernandina. Come watch this fun parade showcasing everything from pirate ships to a gigantic shrimp. The theme for this year’s parade is “Name that tune”, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to be performed. We will be at the parade to film this year, so if you happen to see me, make sure to come up and say hello.
On Friday it’s time for the official opening ceremony of the festival and the Invasion of the Pirates takes place on Friday night, April 30th.
Then the big festival continues over the weekend with lots of fun for the whole family, including a variety of contests from Best Decorated Boat, Best Decorated Pirate to the Miss Shrimp Festival pageant. I’d have to admit that the only contest where I stand a chance would be the ice cream eating contest, which should we say is the “icing” on this year’s festival.
For the complete program, visit the website at www.shrimpfestival.com
Cumberland Sound Ferry will run a special ferry all day, every hour on the hour service from St. Marys, Georgia, to the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in Fernandina on Amelia Island on May 1 – 2, 2010. This is an excellent way to visit the popular shrimp festival without having to deal with traffic and parking.
May 1st, and Sunday, May 2nd, three boats running all day to ferry passengers out of St. Marys, GA to the heart of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in the historic district of Fernandina Beach, FL.
Service will run as follows:
Saturday, May 1: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. out of St. Marys, GA.
Final return from Fernandina Beach will be 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Sunday, May 2: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. out of St. Marys, GA.
Final return from Fernandina Beach will be 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Ferry service is $20 roundtrip. No reservations are required and cash payment is preferred.
Call for additional information at 904-261-9972 or visit www.ameliarivercruises.com.
If you ever thought about building your own raft and racing down the river, now is your chance. This year it’s the second time around for the event Fun in the Sun Expo, which includes the popular raft race. If raft racing is too much excitment for you, there is also a duck race which one assumes is much less demanding – at least for the human participants.
The event is scheduled for Saturday May 29, 2010 from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
The 2nd annual Fun in the Sun Expo is a celebration of the start of summer held at Howard Gilman Memorial Park on the river in historic downtown St. Marys. The event features a 5K Fun Run, the 12th Annual Rotary Club of Camden County Charity Duck Race, the 2nd Annual St. Marys River Raft Race, the 2nd Annual Pet Fashion Show, the 2nd Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, a free concert by Sound of Freedom, kids amusements and music.
Admission is free for this day of family fun.
Apply for the raft race now, click here for the form!
To participate in the 5K, click here to download the application.
We wish everyone a wonderful Easter Weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather and spend time with family and friends.
According to Jacksonville’s Channel 4 News it’s a strong possibility that Kingsland, Georgia, can get a new Mega Mall. Kingsland is in a perfect location for a mall, right next to interstate 95. The new development could bring thousands of jobs to Camden County as well.
What do you think? How would a shopping mall of this size impact Kingsland and Camden County in general? Will it change Camden from small town to Jacksonville suburb, or is it something we need to get more jobs and more money to the county?
You can post your comments below.
Here is the link to the news video
America’s 2nd Harvest will be providing us with another mobile food pantry on April 15th. Forms will be available at the REC center beginning March 22nd and will be due back by April 7th. You must meet income requirements set forth by The Emergency Food Assistance Program to receive food. You will be given a time to pick up your food when you turn in your form. If you have any questions, please give us a call.
The Camden County Public Library will host the Monthly Co-ed Book Discussion Group on Wednesday, March 24th at 4:30. The book discussions are held in the Library’s Community Room. All attendees must be eleven years or older.
The book selected for the discussion is Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. This is the first book in the thrilling new Alex Rider Series. This book relates to a teenage audience.
The book begins with the mysterious death of Alex Rider’s uncle and questionable events that occur afterwards. Alex decides to investigate and is thrown into a world of espionage and evil. Alex receives help from British Intelligence and is recruited into M16.
The plot progresses realistically and allows readers to become lost in the world of gadgets and secrecy. Characters are imaginative and many people can relate to them. Mr. Horowitz paints a detailed picture of spies and secret operations.
There is a website www.alexrider.com that offers fans or interested parties the first chapters of each of the missions, contests, newsletters, and other interesting information. The 8th Novel in the Alex Riders Series was just released this year.
Copies of the book are available for extended check-out at the Library’s circulation desk. Refreshments will be served at the discussion meeting.
Joining thousands of private citizens, three elementary schools and a high school, St. Marys City Hall and St. Marys Middle School are launching recycling programs at their respective facilities.
Alex Kearns, Chair of St. Marys EarthKeepers, stated, “The St. Marys EarthKeepers congratulate City Hall and St. Marys Middle School on their recent decision to implement recycling programs. We are thrilled to have been able to assist them in their efforts. From the participation of our City’s leaders to the activities in our schools, our community is demonstrating its commitment to thoughtful environmental stewardship. The experience and knowledge that our students gain from these efforts ‘trickles upward’ to the adults and results in both greater awareness and positive change.”
St. Marys Middle School joins St. Marys Elementary School, Mary Lee Clark Elementary School, Sugarmill Elementary School and Camden County High School in helping to lead the way in educating our youth about environmental responsibility. Teachers and students at the schools have organized “green” groups” to promote recycling and other practices that contribute to our planet’s sustainability.
“With more than 1,200 students and a sizeable staff, St. Marys Middle School’s recycling program is sure to be highly effective,” Kearns said. “The EarthKeepers are most grateful to Advanced Disposal for their ongoing assistance and pro bono services in our schools.” Advanced Disposal is the contractor responsible for garbage collection and curbside recycling in St. Marys, Woodbine, and the County.
With a twice-the-national-average recycling compliance rate and the enthusiastic participation of students and now City Hall, St. Marys is rapidly earning a reputation for both civic involvement and environmental responsibility.
As part of the two-state, four-county St. Marys River Cleanup Celebration on March 20, the St. Marys EarthKeepers invite the public to join them in cleaning up the harbor and waterfront area in Downtown St. Marys.
After the cleanup, participants can attend a picnic at White Oak Plantation and receive their free tee-shirt.
Last year more than 1,000 participants cleaned the St. Marys River and its banks during the annual river cleanup, and the EarthKeepers team comprised more than 10% of those participants.
This year’s downtown cleanup will utilize boats of all sizes (including kayaks) and walkers to handle the marsh areas and streets. According to EarthKeepers organizer Barbara Ryan, the trash that you see in our streets inevitably winds up in our water systems.
“Wind and rain carry the trash into our tributaries and river and into our aquatic ecosystems ultimately threatening all marine life,” Ryan said. “Dolphins and fish often mistake the trash for food and ingest it making for a deadly scenario, especially in the case of plastic bags.”
Last year nearly 60,000 pounds of trash were removed from our waterways and banks during the River Cleanup.
The St. Marys EarthKeepers ask all those who are interested to call 912-729-1103 so forms can be prepared for admittance to White Oak, then meet the team at St. Marys Waterfront Park on Saturday, March 20, at 8:00 a.m.
Those with rubber boots are encouraged to wear them for marsh cleanup. Gloves will be provided.
Bunnies, Rabbits and Lambs are often associated with Easter because most babies of the animals are born in spring around Easter time. In celebration of Easter this year the Camden County Public Library will host a “Bunny Towel Craft” on Thursday, March 25th at 4:30pm in the Community Room. Participants will make a cloth bunny using a dish towel.
The class is free and open to the public. We welcome adults and children, but request that all children be 12 years of age or older. Please sign-up for the class at the Circulation Desk in the library or call (912) 729-3741.
